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WordPress SEO to get your website seen

Wonderful World of Websites | Website Wonder Woman
WordPress SEO written on a pink background, the O is a magnifying glass and WWW logo is beneath

Put simply, WordPress SEO can be translated into: “I’ve got a website, but I’m not getting any sales, no one is visiting my website!! What can I do?”

OK, so what is WordPress SEO? Search engine optimisation, SEO, or getting seen in Google and other search engines, is usually one of the most popular help topics once you have built your website.

What it is, it's optimising your website to get seen for certain keywords or terms and getting ranked for those words in Google and co.. And in WordPress, it's really easy to do.

I often get asked, “But I’ve built my website, why can’t I see it on Google?”

The bad news is, just because you have a website, it doesn’t automatically appear in the number one spot in Google.

So what can you do about it? Let's learn some more about WordPress SEO...

A lot of it is a waiting game, but there are some things that you can do to help things along.

WordPress SEO Tips:

  • Use an analytics tool such as Google Analytics or Statcounter to see if anyone is actually visiting your site, where they are coming from, and how they are getting there. You can also find out what they are doing once on your site and how long they are there for.
  • Submit your site map to Google – This will let Google (and other search engines, if you submit to Bing, etc.) know about your site and that it exists. I have a tutorial for this, so let me know if you get stuck!
  • For WordPress SEO, you can install an SEO plugin such as Yoast that enables you to select a keyword for each page and then prompts you to include that in the title, description, and text of the page, along with the alt tags for images and in headings. It’s all pretty straightforward, and with a bit of practice, you will be able to fill them in really quickly.
  • So, keywords and how do you get them? The best way to start is to think of some words or sentences that describe your business and put your mind into your potential customers and think if they wanted my services, what would they search for. You can always ask people this as well!
  • You can also use a keyword tool such as Google Adwords (which is free), or I personally use the free version of the Keyword Finder Tool. You usually have to just enter one starting word – usually your main keyword – and it will bring up related and similar keywords, how popular they are, and how much competition there is.
  • Ideally, you need to choose keywords that are of high supply and low competition; these are the easiest keywords to rank for, along with long-tail keywords, more than four or five words.
  • Another great way to up your WordPress SEO is to blog! Once you have a list of keywords, the more you use them in your site, the greater the chance you have of getting seen in the search engines. As you have one main keyword per page (you can also use a few different ones as every little helps!), then writing a blog for each focus keyword you have will help your site get seen.
  • Keywords are only one way to get your site seen. Another way to get up there in Google is to guest blog or to have other sites link to yours that have similar interests or customers. Inbound links show the search engines that others love your site too! The same goes for if you are sending a lot of people to your site from social media or another source, the more traffic you have, the higher you will go!
  • Going back to your analytics, how long are people staying on your site? Search engines notice if someone clicks onto your site and then clicks straight off, especially if it happens often. And what do you think that makes them think (I’m sure they really can think, how advanced they are getting!!)? So if a lot of people click straight off your site, then Google and co are not going to think much of it either. So make sure you have a clear call to action on your site, tell visitors what you want them to do, and make sure it’s above the fold (the top part of your website that is seen first).
  • Always fill your site with good quality content that’s not posted elsewhere. Google doesn’t like duplication, but it does like sites that provide quality content that visitors want to stay around and read, then share and talk about – that shows them how popular your site is, so they'd best move it up their rankings a bit higher!

So there are some tips to get you going, search engine algorithms (how they rank sites) are always changing, but these are the basics you should stick to on your site to help it get seen.

Intro to SEO course

You've spent time, money and probably a fair few cups of strong coffee getting your business website looking lovely. You're showing up on Google, you're posting on social media, and you're doing all the things you're supposed to do. You've heard that AI traffic is on the rise, and you are confident that you'll feature high. So, you ask ChatGPT to recommend a business like yours, and...nothing! Sound familiar? If you're wondering why your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, you are certainly not alone.

The way people search for businesses is evolving. Instead of simply typing a few words into Google, potential customers are asking AI tools questions like, "Can you recommend a website designer for a small business?" or "Who can help me build a WordPress website? And if your business isn't appearing in those answers, you could be missing opportunities to connect with your ideal customers.

The good news? If your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT there are some practical things you can do to improve your chances of being discovered. So, grab a cuppa, and let's look at ten great tips to help you get found by ChatGPT and other AI-powered tools.

First Things First

A hand holding one finger up - first, why isn't my Business Isn't Showing Up in ChatGPT

Before we start making changes, it's worth understanding how ChatGPT finds information.

Traditional search engines, like Google, generally return a list of websites matching your search. ChatGPT can provide conversational answers, sometimes using information retrieved from the web to support its recommendations. Therefore, if someone asks for a business recommendation, the answer may draw on websites, business listings, reviews, and other publicly available information.

1. Why Isn't My Business Showing Up in ChatGPT When I Search for It?

ChatGPT doesn't maintain a guaranteed directory of every business. Therefore, appearing in Google doesn't automatically mean you'll appear in an AI-generated answer. The wording of a question, the available information, and whether a web search is being used can all affect the results.

My Tip: Try asking ChatGPT several different questions about your business.

For example:

  • Can you recommend a WordPress website designer for small businesses in the UK?
  • Who provides WordPress website maintenance for coaches?
  • Which businesses offer website design and training for service-based businesses?

Make a note of which businesses appear, what information ChatGPT provides and whether it includes links to its sources. If your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, but your competitors are, this little exercise might help you identify what information might be missing from your own online presence.

However, don't become obsessive with this exercise. One ChatGPT answer isn't a definitive measure of your visibility. Results can vary between searches.

2. Can ChatGPT Actually Find and Read My Website?

This is an important one to investigate. If your website can't be accessed by the systems responsible for discovering online content, it becomes much harder for your business to appear in relevant AI search results.

OpenAI uses a web crawler called OAI-SearchBot to discover websites for a ChatGPT search. Your website has a file called robots.txt, which provides instructions about parts of your website automated crawlers are allowed to access. Occasionally, security settings, hosting configurations, or website plugins can unintentionally prevent legitimate crawlers from accessing important content.

My Tip: Ask your website developer to check whether OAI-SearchBot can access your website.

You can find OpenAI's official guidance here:

OpenAI: Publishers and Developers FAQ

Don't worry if this sounds a little technical. It's usually something your website designer or hosting provider can investigate for you. And please don't start changing your robots.txt file without understanding what you are doing. We don't want to accidentally hide your lovely website from Google!

If in doubt, request a free website audit from us.

3. Does My Business Need to be on Google Before ChatGPT Can Find It?

Laptop with a Google Maps pin showing on the screen - for my Business isn't showing up on ChatGPT

Not necessarily. However, being discoverable in traditional search engines is still an important part of building your online visibility. If your business isn't showing up on ChatGPT, it is worth reviewing your SEO too.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It's the process of helping search engines understand your website and making your content useful to the people searching for your services. Many of the foundations for good SEO also support AI discoverability.

These include having:

  • Clear, descriptive page titles.
  • Useful content that answers customer questions.
  • A logical website structure.
  • Internal links connecting related pages.
  • Accessible, indexable website pages.
  • Up-to-date business information.

Indeed, Google's own guidance on the subject confirms that established SEO best practices remain relevant to its AI search experiences. You can read more here: Google Search Central: AI Features and Your Website.

My Tip: Check your website in Google Search Console.

This free tool help you understand whether Google can find your website, which pages are indexed, and whether there are any technical problems. If your important service pages aren't indexed, that's a good place to start.

My tip: Check your website in Google Search Console.

This free tool helps you understand whether Google can find your website, which pages are indexed and whether there are any technical problems.

If your important service pages aren't indexed, that's a good place to start.

How Can I Make It Easier for ChatGPT to Understand What My Business Does?

4. How Can I Make It Easier for ChatGPT to Understand What My Business Does?

Here's something I see quite often with small business websites. The homepage looks beautiful, but the wording doesn't clearly explain what the business actually offers.

For example, you might have a headline such as: "Helping you shine and achieve your dreams." Lovely sentiment, but what does it mean? Are you a business coach? A website designer? A therapist? A marketing consultant? Whilst a human might be able to play detective and piece other bits of information together from the page to work it out, AI search tools won't.

If your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, one of the first things to review is whether the website clearly communicates the services, audience, and location.

For example, a more descriptive introduction might say: "I design and maintain WordPress websites for coaches, therapists, and service-based businesses across the UK."

That tells people exactly what you do and who you help.

My Tip: Review your homepage and ask yourself:

  • Is it immediately obvious what I offer
  • Have I explained who my services are for?
  • Do I mention the locations I serve, where relevant?
  • Are my individual services clearly described?
  • Can visitors easily find my contact information?

Be cautious. If your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, you don't need to fill every page with keywords; keyword stuffing is a big no-no anyway! Just explain your business clearly, naturally, and confidently.

5. Should I Create Blog Posts That Answer Questions People Ask ChatGPT?

Absolutely! This is one of my favourite opportunities for small business owners. People increasingly ask AI tools detailed, conversational questions rather than searching with just two or three keywords.

For example, instead of searching for WordPress website design", someone might ask: "How much should I expect to pay for a professional WordPress website for my coaching business?" That's a brilliant blog topic!

If you are wondering why your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, consider what content you publish. Start with the questions your actual customers ask you. Think about the conversations you have during discovery calls, consultations, training sessions, or my favourite, a networking event.

What are people confused about? What do they worry about? Do they need help understanding something? Next, turn those questions into useful blog posts. For example, a website designer might write:

  • How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost in the UK?
  • Do I Need a Website If I Already Have a Facebook Page?
  • Why Is My WordPress Website So Slow?
  • How Often Should I Update My Business Website?
  • Can ChatGPT Build My Website for Me?

Use the question as your heading, then answer it clearly in the opening paragraph. Follow this with practical advice, examples, and additional information.

My Tip: Don't write solely for AI. Write for the real person asking the question. Google recommends creating original, helpful content that offers genuine value rather than simply repeating information already available online: Google Search Central: Creating Helpful, Reliable, People-First Content

If your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT therefore, write about your personal experience, expertise, and practical advice, because that makes your content worth reading.

6. Can Reviews and Business Listings Help My Business Appear in ChatGPT?

A circular thumbs-up badge with recommended and 5 stars around the edge.

They can contribute to your wider online presence.

If my business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, I'd look beyond the website itself and check how consistently the business appears elsewhere online. As I explained. AI tools do not just rely on your website for information. Think of your online presence as a collection of little signposts pointing towards your business.

Your website is your main home, but business profiles, professional directories, and customer reviews all provide additional information. I'd recommend starting with your Google Business Profile, if your business is eligible for one. Make sure your business name, website address, contact information, services, and relevant business details are accurate.

It's also worth reviewing your professional profiles and any reputable directories where your ideal customers might look for businesses like yours. For example, a therapist might have a profile on a relevant professional association's website. A website designer might have a professional portfolio or platform profile.

My Tip: Keep your business details consistent wherever they appear.

If you've changed your business name, moved premises, or updated your website address, make sure your profiles (including socials) reflect those changes.

Finally, don't forget reviews! Genuine customer feedback helps prospective customers understand what it's like to work with you. It also adds useful independent information about your business. Of course, reviews and directory listings don't guarantee that ChatGPT will recommend you, but they help establish a more complete online presence.

7. Does My Website Need Schema Markup to Appear in AI Search Results?

I know, we're getting a little more technical now, but bear with me.

Schema markup is a type of structured data that helps search engines understand information on your website. For example, it can identify information such as your business details, articles, services, and organisation. Think of it as adding helpful labels behind the scenes. Rather than leaving search engines to interpret everything themselves, structured data provides additional clues about what your content represents.

If you are using WordPress, SEO plugins may already provide some structured data functionality. However, it's important to understand that schema markup isn't a magic button for AI visibility. Google specifically states that you don't need special AI-specific schema markup to appear in its AI search features. (Google Search Central: Introduction to Structured Data)

My Tip: Ask your website designer to check whether your website uses appropriate structured data and whether it accurately reflects your visible content.

Don't install multiple plugins simply because they promise to make your website AI-friendly. More plugins don't automatically mean better results!

8. Will Updating My Existing Website Content Help ChatGPT Find My Business?

Yes, keeping your website accurate and useful is a sensible part of improving your online visibility. If your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, don't immediately start publishing dozens of new articles. Review the content you already have on the website first.

Consider the following:

  • Have your services changed?
  • Are your prices or packages out of date?
  • Do you have old blog posts containing advice that's no longer relevant?
  • Have you introduced new services that aren't clearly explained anywhere?
  • Your website should reflect the business you run today, not the business you launched five years ago.

My Tip: Set aside time every few months to review your most important pages.

Pay particular attention to your homepage, services page, about page, and your most popular posts. Update outdated information, add some useful examples, and make sure visitors can easily find their next step.

For WordPress websites, I'd also recommend checking your XML sitemap. A sitemap helps search engines discover important pages on your website. Google explains how these work in it's official guide: Google Search Central: Build and Submit a Sitemap

Remember, if your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, updating a page or submitting a sitemap doesn't guarantee that it will appear in search results. However, it helps keep your website organised and discoverable.

9. How Can I Build Trust and Show ChatGPT That My Business is Credible?

The gold link of a chain with the word Trust on it - relating to why your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT

Your expertise matters, and your website should demonstrate it. If someone is considering spending money with your business, they want reassurance that you know what you're doing. AI search systems may also draw on this information that helps establish relevance and credibility of online sources. So, if your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, rather than simply telling visitors you're brilliant at what you do, show them!

Your website could include:

  • A detailed About page explaining your experience.
  • Genuine client testimonials.
  • Relevant qualifications and professional memberships.
  • Case studies showing how you've helped customers.
  • Blog articles sharing your knowledge.
  • Clear contact and business information.

I particularly like the case study approach. For example, if you're a website designer, explain the problem your client had, what you changed, and what happened afterwards. Likewise, if you are a coach, share a relevant example of your approach, with your client's permission, of course. If you're a therapist, explain your specialisms and the type of support you provide.

My Tip: Make your expertise specific

Instead of saying "I create amazing websites", explain how you've helped a client improve their website structure, simplify their booking system, or communicate their services more clearly. Remember, if your website isn't showing up in ChatGPT, real experience makes your content more valuable to readers and gives other websites a reason to reference your work.

How Long Does it Take for My Business to Start Showing Up in ChatGPT?

Ah, the question we'd all love a definitive answer to! Unfortunately, despite Lisa having a magic wand, there is no guaranteed timeframe. If your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT and you choose to start implementing these changes, it's important to have realistic expectations. Improving your website's technical accessibility, content, and wider online presence is an ongoing process.

Even when your website is accessible and well optimised, ChatGPT isn't guaranteed to include your business in a particular answer. Remember, ChatGPT isn't the same as Google. There isn't a simple position-one ranking, that Holy Grail we all hanker after, that you can monitor in exactly the same way.

My Tip: Track your progress rather than repeatedly asking ChatGPT the same question and hoping for a different answer.

If your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, then you make changes, you can use Google Analytics 4 to investigate identifiable referral traffic from AI platforms. Look for referral sources associated with ChatGPT and other AI tools, then monitor whether those visitors engage with your website or make enquiries.

You could also keep a simple record of relevant questions and check periodically whether your business is mentioned. But, as I pointed out earlier, AI-generated answers can change, so treat these checks as observations rather than definitive rankings.

The real goal isn't simply to get your business name mentioned by ChatGPT, it's to attract the right people to your website and turn those visits into meaningful enquiries.

My Business Isn't Showing Up in ChatGPT, What Should I Do First?

If you've made it this far, well done! We've covered quite a bit and I appreciate that some of it might feel a little overwhelming. But please don't think you have to tackle everything at once. Start with three simple actions:

First: Check whether your website can be found and accessed by search engines and relevant AI search crawlers.

Second: Review your homepage and service pages to make sure they clearly explain what you do, who you help and why someone should choose you.

Third: Create genuinely helpful content that answers the questions your ideal customers are already asking.

If your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT you don't have to become an AI expert overnight. You certainly don't need to abandon everything you've already learned about SEO either. Just keep the fundamentals of a good business website in mind, because they matter: Clear information, useful content, a positive visitor experience, and a strong online presence. AI search simply gives us another reason to get those foundations right.

Need a Helping Hand with your Website and AI Visibility?

If your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, and you still feel flummoxed by it all then you are in the right place.

At Wonderful World of Websites, we help small business owners make sense of their websites without the technical overwhelm. Whether your WordPress website needs a little TLC, your content needs refreshing, or you'd like to understand how to improve your online visibility, we are here to help.

Your website should be working for your business, not giving you another thing to worry about! If your business isn't showing up in ChatGPT, or you generally feel your website needs an overhaul, get in touch with us today, we'd love to help your business online presence to grow.