How to become a featured source by ChatGPT?

You launched your GEO analysis and understood the expected structure via the "Overview" tab. It's now time to discover who your real competitors are: the content that ChatGPT considers credible enough to cite as sources, and the brands it regards as essential references.

The "Sources" tab: the AI's preferred content

The "Sources" tab reveals the inner workings of ChatGPT's reasoning. Which contents did it consult to build its response? Which ones did it deem reliable enough to cite explicitly?"

The crucial difference: featured vs. browsed

ChatGPT does not treat all sources the same way. Understanding this distinction is essential for your GEO strategy.

Featured sources

These are the winning pieces of content. ChatGPT explicitly cites them in its response to the user. Your URL appears directly, allowing the user to click through to your site. It's the equivalent of the top 3 in Google's SERP, but for ChatGPT.

Your main objective is to appear here.

Browsed sources

ChatGPT used these materials to "learn from" and shape its response, but it does not cite them directly to the user. This is a good sign of relevance: the AI considers you reliable enough to read, but your content is not yet complete or structured enough to deserve an explicit citation.

If you're here, that's a good start. Your goal: move into the "featured" section.

How to analyze your competitors

Here’s how to analyze your competitors and improve your content to become a reference source.

1. Analyze the top 3 "Featured sources"

Click on each of the top 3 featured sources by ChatGPT. Open them in a new tab and examine them carefully.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What is their structure? (H2, H3, format used)
• How deep is the information they offer?
• What numerical data, examples, or arguments do they use?
• What tone do they adopt? (expert, educational, commercial)

2. Identify the key information missing from your content

Create a list of elements that appear in the featured sources but are missing from your own content:

• Numerical data or statistics
• Concrete examples or case studies
• Aspects or dimensions of the topic not addressed
• Specific formats (tables, structured lists)

Concrete example: You're analyzing "marine collagen." The featured sources all mention quality certifications (Marine Stewardship Council, organic labels). Your article doesn't mention them. That's a gap to fill.

3. Integrate these elements into your content

Enrich your article with the identified information. Never copy: take inspiration from the structure and completeness, but create your own content using your expertise.

The "Mentions" tab: how to become a reference for the AI

The "Mentions" tab lists the brands, products, or companies that ChatGPT explicitly cites in its response. This is the ultimate proof of authority on a subject.

What is a Mention and why is it important?

A Mention is an explicit citation of your brand by ChatGPT in its response, without the user even having requested specific brand names.

Concrete example: "Thionville insurance"

A user is looking for insurance in Thionville. ChatGPT spontaneously mentions in its response the Maaf, Allianz and Axa agencies with their contact details. These brands are "top of mind" for the AI on this local topic.

Why it's crucial: Being mentioned means that ChatGPT recognizes you as an essential player. This is maximum visibility: your brand appears directly in the response, even before the user clicks on anything.

How to build your brand authority

If your competitors are mentioned but you are not, here's how to build your authority.

Analyze who is mentioned and why

Observe the brands cited by ChatGPT:

• What do they have in common?
• Are they market leaders, highly visible locally, or recognized for specific expertise?
• On which channels are they present? (website, directories, social networks, press)

Strengthen the association between your brand and your key topics

For ChatGPT to identify you as a reference, you need to create a strong and consistent association between your brand and your priority topics.

Concrete actions:

• Mention your brand naturally in all your content on the topic
• Create a recognizable editorial signature (tone, angle, expertise)
• Publish regularly on your strategic topics to strengthen your authority
• Ensure your presence is consistent across all channels (website, professional directories, specialized platforms)

Patience and consistency

Becoming a Mention doesn't happen overnight. It's a long-term effort that requires regularity and consistency. AI learns continuously: the more present and recognized you are on your topics, the more you increase your chances of being mentioned.

Next step: solve common problems

You now know how to analyze your competitors via Sources and build your authority via Mentions. But what should you do if your GEO analysis doesn't give the expected results? If no sources appear, or if all the sources are in English?

This is what we're going to solve in the next tutorial.

➡️ Check out our troubleshooting guide: My GEO analysis is empty or not very relevant: the solutions