AI SEO - how does ChatGPT talk about you behind your back?

Jan 22, 2026

They dig into how large language models discover and cite web content, including when ChatGPT shows up as a referrer. Conversation covers retrieval-augmented generation, why structured web text helps visibility, and practical steps like metadata, ORCID and plain-language summaries. They also discuss risks like prompt injection, differences between small and large LLMs, and durable audience-building through email and newsletters.

01:11:34

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ADVICE

Use Custom Instructions To Save Prompting

Use system-level prompts or custom instructions in ChatGPT to avoid repeating formatting and tone requests each time.
Set preferences like 'ask clarifying questions' or 'use Australian English' to streamline outputs.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

ChatGPT Became A Major Referrer

Inger noticed ChatGPT becoming her blog's second biggest referrer after Google, prompting investigation into AI visibility.
That discovery motivated her to research how LLMs retrieve and cite web content for academic audiences.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Prefer Open Text Over Paywalled PDFs

Put research where machines can see it: institution repositories, personal websites, and open-access text rather than paywalls.
Make pages cut-and-pastable and avoid hiding key content behind logins to improve AI discoverability.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Mailbag: UK Listener Reviews

02:42 • 2min

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Mailbag: Practical Tips from Alyssa

04:47 • 1min

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TextExpander & Snippets for Excel

06:05 • 6min

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Custom Instructions and Shared Accounts

11:56 • 2min

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Mailbag: Holly's Productivity Tools

14:19 • 8min

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Work Problems Segment Intro

22:21 • 40sec

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AI SEO: ChatGPT as a Referrer

23:01 • 10min

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How LLMs Retrieve Web Content (RAG)

32:45 • 2min

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Making Your Research Machine-Legible

34:49 • 2min

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AI Visibility Across Media Types

36:51 • 2min

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AI SEO Practices vs. Old Keyword Stuffing

38:31 • 4min

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Risks: Prompt Injection and Data Poisoning

42:05 • 1min

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Practical Steps to Improve AI Discovery

43:31 • 3min

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Email Lists and Brand Awareness

46:53 • 4min

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Google Summaries and Small LLMs

50:34 • 2min

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Ethical AI Use and Writing Advice

52:57 • 60sec

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Books, Reading & Upcoming Work

How to Fix Your Writing Trouble

Inger Mewburn

#30901

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Project Management for Researchers

A Practical, Stress-Free Guide to Getting Organized

Dr. Shiri Noy

Project Management for Researchers: A Practical, Stress-Free Guide to Getting Organized offers strategies for managing research projects. The book addresses the challenges researchers face in organizing and executing their work. It offers techniques for planning, executing, and adjusting research projects. Stress-reduction and alignment with personal values and ethics are also emphasized. The book provides practical tools and guidance for researchers across various disciplines.

#405

• Mentioned in 68 episodes

Tiny Experiments

How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World

Anne-Laure Le Cunff

In this book, neuroscientist and entrepreneur Anne-Laure Le Cunff argues that life should be approached as a playground for experimentation rather than being molded around linear goals. She provides a science-backed toolkit to help readers break free from limiting beliefs, harness the power of imperfection, and make smarter decisions in uncertain times. The book guides readers in discovering their true ambitions through tiny personal experiments, dismantling harmful beliefs about success, and making decisions true to their own aspirations. It emphasizes the importance of embracing uncertainty as a catalyst for growth and self-discovery.

#2006

• Mentioned in 20 episodes

Building a Second Brain

A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential

Tiago Forte

Tiago Forte's "Building a Second Brain" offers a comprehensive guide to managing digital information and enhancing productivity. The book introduces the PARA method for organizing notes and resources, enabling users to build a personal knowledge base. It emphasizes the importance of capturing, organizing, and distilling information to support creative work and decision-making. The book provides practical strategies and techniques for building a "second brain" that serves as an external memory system, freeing up mental space for more creative and strategic thinking. Readers learn how to leverage digital tools to streamline their workflow and unlock their creative potential.

#89465

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is set in Funiculi Funicula, an underground coffee shop in Tokyo where visitors can choose to return to the past to relive specific moments in their lives. The story follows four different women who each have unique reasons for traveling back in time, such as reuniting with loved ones, retrieving lost letters, and seeking forgiveness. Despite knowing that their actions will not change the present, these characters embark on emotional journeys that explore themes of regret, love, loss, duty, family, and hope. The novel is known for its quirky and magical elements, as well as its poignant and sometimes comical portrayal of human experiences.

#29342

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

The 1% Good Club

Cooper Chapman

#22110

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Click Here

The Art and Science of Digital Marketing and Advertising

Alex Schultz

#20629

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Blue Fishing

Steve Sims

Can't be bothered with email or speak pipe? Text us!

Hey! Jason will be in the UK in Late April. If you'd like to chat to him about the trip and possibly having him visit you, email us on enquiries@ontheregteam.com

Watch this episode on YouTube

The banter section of this episode is lost to history because Jason forgot to hit record! After a short intro by Inger, the team go straight into the mail bag. Let's face it, this is the good stuff anyway - who needs Tinny and puppy news?

In our work problems segment, we discuss the appearance of ChatGPT as a referrer to the Thesis Whisperer blog and what it might mean for researcher visibility. How does an LLM decide on what is an 'authoritative source' on the internet? Is this a new form of 'research impact' and what should researchers do about it, if anything?

This episode also ends abruptly when Inger gets a phone call - the next episode will be much more polished, we promise!

Things we mentioned:

Tiago Forte's PARA book
Blooms Taxonomy
Amazing Marvin app
Click up app
Be visible or vanish book
The Enshittification of Academic Social Media

Got thoughts and feel pinions? Want to ask a question? You can email us on <pod@ontheregteam.com>

- Leave us a message on www.speakpipe.com/thesiswhisperer.

- See our workshop catalogue on www.ontheregteam.com. You can book us via emailing Jason at enquiries@ontheregteam.com

- Subscribe to the free, monthly Two Minute Tips newsletter here (scroll down to enter your email address)

- We're on BlueSky as @drjd and @thesiswhisperer (but don't expect to hear back from Jason, he's still mostly on a Socials break).

- Read Inger's stuff on www.thesiswhisperer.com.

- If you want to support our work, you can sign up to be a 'Riding the Bus' member for just $2 a month, via our On The Reg Ko-Fi site

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