The Data Point
Ahrefs’ research analyzed 75,000 brands and found that YouTube mentions have the strongest correlation with ChatGPT visibility. Specifically, the study found that when a brand is mentioned in YouTube videos, it becomes part of the corpus that ChatGPT learns from. Additionally, LLMs prefer to retrieve YouTube videos when a prompt demands video content.
Why the Algorithm Does This
The mechanism behind this finding is that LLMs like ChatGPT are trained on vast amounts of data, including YouTube transcriptions. When a brand is mentioned in these transcriptions, it becomes part of the model’s knowledge graph. This is why YouTube mentions are so effective in increasing ChatGPT visibility. Furthermore, LLMs look for consensus across multiple sources, which is why branded web mentions also correlate with ChatGPT visibility.
The Creator / Developer Play
To increase ChatGPT visibility, creators and developers can focus on the following strategies: * Publish high-quality videos on YouTube that mention their brand * Collaborate with YouTube creators to get mentioned in their videos * Use tools like Brand Radar to track and analyze YouTube mentions * Build off-site mentions by getting featured in authoritative sources, such as review platforms and industry publications * Target ‘best of’ lists strategically by offering value to writers and publishers, rather than simply asking for mentions
What the Research Doesn’t Cover
The research has a sample size of 75,000 brands, but it does not specify the time period or geographic scope of the study. Additionally, the study only analyzes ChatGPT and does not compare its findings to other LLMs. While the research provides valuable insights into increasing ChatGPT visibility, further studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore other factors that may influence LLM citations.