AI News: Lessons and Tips for Startups from ChatGPT's 2025 Visibility Metrics Report

In December 2025, an open-source report on ChatGPT’s visibility metrics surfaced, unveiling surprising metrics on how publisher content is displayed within the AI's responses. The study, shared by Vincent Terrasi, analyzes data that challenges conventional SEO strategies and highlights significant challenges for brands and publishers. As a startup founder with years of experience in deeptech, I immediately saw the relevance of this data for entrepreneurs navigating the transition from search engines to AI-driven information systems.

ChatGPT’s ability to compile and cite data is impressive, but what happens when the visibility it offers leads to zero traffic? A closer look at this confidential dataset gives us critical insights into how AI is reshaping content visibility and the strategies businesses need to consider now.

Key Metrics From the Report

The main takeaway is hard to ignore: staggering visibility metrics paired with exceptionally low click-through rates (CTR).

Impressions on top URLs: Some links included in ChatGPT's responses showed over 500,000 impressions, but the same links generated fewer than 5,000 clicks.
Average CTR: Some performing links hit only 0.8% CTR, with many others in the range of 0.1% or lower. For perspective, traditional Google search results can generate CTRs of 30% or more for top-ranking pages.
Placement Matters: References in side sections or as citations led to a higher CTR, 6% to 11%, suggesting that placement significantly affects user behavior.

These figures paint a stark picture: ChatGPT is not fueling traffic like old SEO methods did. Instead, it acts as an endpoint where user queries are fully “answered,” leaving little need for further exploration.

Lessons for Entrepreneurs

ChatGPT’s visibility metrics prompt us to rethink conventional approaches. In my work, I’ve faced firsthand how difficult it is to attract quality traffic in an AI-dominated environment. Based on this report, here’s what business founders and marketers can take away:

1. Visibility ≠ Traffic

The previous SEO goal was simple: rank high and enjoy consistent traffic. Now, being cited doesn’t guarantee engagement. Entrepreneurs need to focus on crafting content that is not merely present but trusted by AI systems like ChatGPT.

Placement in ChatGPT’s sidebar or “exploratory features” correlates with higher engagement. If you're building a SaaS tool, aim to have product features categorized in a way that AI systems recognize as solutions to niche problems.

3. Your Entity is Your Brand

Forget keywords for a moment. AI-driven visibility relies more on entity authority. This means you must build yourself or your brand as a credible, reliable source of information within your niche. Use Schema markup, Wikipedia entries, and verified sources to establish both breadth and depth.

How to Stay Competitive

Responding to this shift requires a deliberate strategy. Here’s a step-by-step guide to adapt and thrive:

Step 1: Establish Factual Authority

You must ensure your content is beyond doubt in terms of precision and trust. This involves thorough research and citations, consistent data presentation, and unambiguous accuracy.

Step 2: Invest in Content Structuring

AI prefers structured data for efficient consumption. Use microdata frameworks like schema.org to categorize information for optimal visibility within AI models.

Step 3: Use Knowledge Graphs

Submit content to publicly accessible knowledge repositories. Tools like Google’s Knowledge Graph or Wikidata help AI systems associate your brand with trustworthy insights.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Overemphasis on Keywords

Stop treating keyword placement as your golden ticket. AI relies more on content relevance and perceived authority than traditional keyword matching.

Neglecting Mentions Outside Your Website

ChatGPT doesn’t crawl your page alone; it references your brand’s presence across platforms. If you fail to secure mentions on credible third-party websites, you’ll miss out.

Ignoring Feedback Loops

How do you know you’re improving? Regular monitoring of metrics like "citation frequency" or "content repurposing by AI" matters. Use social listening tools to see how often your work gets cited, even indirectly.

Long-Term Consequences

The economic model driven by AI systems like ChatGPT spells trouble for traditional publishing models. For years, platforms like Google worked symbiotically with publishers, driving ad revenues and traffic. But now, zero-click results dominate.

Publishers and brands have two options: adapt and pivot towards informational authority or face dwindling relevance. For tech-driven startups, this could mean focusing on “sensemaker content”, original insights that give AI systems unique data to cite.

Conclusion

ChatGPT’s visibility metrics reveal a stark truth: the traditional concept of SEO is shifting towards AI interaction without a clear path to traffic or financial gain. For entrepreneurs, the answer lies in building genuine authority, leveraging structured data, and competing for relevance, not clicks. The game has changed, and those who evolve their content to align with these systems will dominate the next decade of digital influence. In my work, understanding these metrics has become at least as important as innovation itself, and these strategies are what I recommend to anyone hungry for a competitive edge.

FAQ on ChatGPT's Confidential Report on Visibility Metrics

1. What was the main finding of ChatGPT’s confidential report on visibility metrics?
The report revealed that while some URLs included in ChatGPT's responses received over 500,000 impressions, their click-through rates (CTR) were remarkably low, ranging from 0.1% to 0.8%, with some performing URLs achieving fewer than 5,000 clicks. Read the full report on Search Engine Journal

2. How does ChatGPT’s CTR compare to traditional Google search results?
Traditional Google search results for top-ranking pages have CTRs reaching 30% or more, whereas ChatGPT averages below 1%, even for citations placed prominently. Understand how ChatGPT visibility differs on SEJournal

3. Why does ChatGPT generate lower traffic despite high visibility?
ChatGPT satisfies user queries directly within its interface, reducing the necessity for users to click on cited links, whereas Google’s model often encourages further exploration. Learn more about this trend

4. How does placement in ChatGPT responses affect link performance?
Links placed in sidebars or under "exploratory features" tend to achieve higher CTRs (6% to 11%) than those embedded directly within responses. Explore insights on placement impact

5. How should entrepreneurs respond to these insights?
Entrepreneurs should prioritize entity authority over keywords, focusing on building trust with AI systems through verified data, schema markup, and structured content. See detailed entrepreneurial strategies here

6. How can publishers optimize for AI visibility?
Publishers need to use structured data (like schema.org), ensure citations are accurate, and strengthen their presence in knowledge graphs such as Wikidata. Learn more about optimizing for AI visibility

7. What are the long-term consequences of these changes for publishers?
AI systems like ChatGPT could pose an economic challenge to traditional publishing by driving zero-click results, reducing website traffic, and threatening ad revenue models. Discover economic impacts of AI-driven systems

8. How can brands build authority in an AI-driven information landscape?
Brands should establish credibility as a reliable source by leveraging Wikipedia pages, verified expert content, and being mentioned frequently in third-party credible platforms. Find out how to build AI-driven authority

9. What mistakes should businesses avoid when optimizing for ChatGPT visibility?
Focusing solely on traditional SEO tactics like stuffing keywords or relying only on their websites for citations is ineffective. Broader, consistent brand mentions are key. See common AI SEO mistakes

10. What are the proposed solutions for the challenges posed by ChatGPT’s low CTR?
The proposed solutions include developing an “AI Search Console” for publishers to access metrics like citation frequency and impressions as well as regulatory frameworks for content sharing and compensation. Read about proposed solutions

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain

Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.

CAD Sector:

Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.

IP Protection:

Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.

Blockchain:

Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

AI News: Lessons and Tips for Startups from ChatGPT’s 2025 Visibility Metrics Report