Summary

ChatGPT’s Search mode adds inline citations and links when it looks up the web, so your goal is to be the cleanest, most citable source for definitional paragraphs and small decision tables (OpenAI Help: “ChatGPT search” • OpenAI: “Introducing ChatGPT Search”).

Perplexity is citation-forward—answers typically show numbered sources, so concise, quotable blocks and explicit references help inclusion (Perplexity Help: “How does Perplexity work?”).

Microsoft Copilot (including Microsoft 365 Copilot with web grounding) grounds responses with Bing; fast, indexable canon and stable slugs tend to appear sooner in grounded summaries (Microsoft Learn: “Manage public web access (web search grounding)” • Microsoft Learn: “Microsoft 365 Copilot Search” • Microsoft Support: “Understanding web search in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat” • Azure AI Foundry: “Grounding with Bing Search”).

What changes by platform (and what doesn’t)

• ChatGPT (Search mode): Prioritize definition-first paragraphs and tiny decision tables that can be quoted cleanly; keep one intent per URL and ensure JSON-LD mirrors on-page facts (OpenAI Help: “ChatGPT search”).

• Perplexity: Put a short References section on every canon page; use datum-dense mini-tables and succinct definitions that are easy to lift (Perplexity Help: “How does Perplexity work?”).

• Copilot: Keep pages HTML-first (readable with JS disabled), expose “last updated,” and use stable, shallow slugs so Bing-grounded retrieval parses and re-crawls quickly (Microsoft Learn: web search grounding • Microsoft Support: web search in Copilot Chat).

What doesn’t change: single-intent URLs, definition-first structure, fast HTML, schema that matches the page purpose (FAQ/HowTo/Article/CaseStudy), and clear bridge modules (Compare vs X, Pricing & Eligibility, Security pack, Talk to an expert).

Core fundamentals (quick checklist)

• One intent per URL; canonical tag to the single source of truth.

• Definition + decision table above the fold; “Known limitations” block.

• HTML-first; content legible with JS disabled; provide HTML twins for important PDFs.

• JSON-LD that mirrors visible facts; expose dateModified/“last updated.”

• Bridges with crawlable links (no JS-only CTAs).

Quick inclusion tests

• ChatGPT: With Search enabled, ask: “Define [your concept] and compare it to [adjacent concept].” Check for your canonical URL in the citations and that the quoted snippet matches your definition (OpenAI Help: “ChatGPT search”).

• Perplexity: Ask: “What is [your product type] and when should I use it vs [alternative]?” Verify your page appears among numbered sources; if not, compare your definition clarity and reference density to cited pages (Perplexity Help: “How does Perplexity work?”).

• Copilot (web): Pose a definitional or comparison query; inspect grounded sources and aim to see your canonical URL, not a generic blog with mixed intents (Microsoft Learn: web search grounding • Azure AI Foundry: Bing grounding).

References (for this page)

(OpenAI: “Introducing ChatGPT Search” — https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-search/)

(OpenAI Help: “ChatGPT search” — https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9237897-chatgpt-search)

(Perplexity Help: “How does Perplexity work?” — https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10352895-how-does-perplexity-work)

(Microsoft Learn: “Data, privacy, and security for web search in Microsoft 365 Copilot” — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/microsoft-365/manage-public-web-access)

(Microsoft Learn: “Microsoft 365 Copilot Search” — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/microsoft-365/microsoft-365-copilot-search)

(Microsoft Support: “Understanding web search in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat” — https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/understanding-web-search-in-microsoft-365-copilot-chat-94c45d32-1a77-4f82-8e05-58dfb9afac48)

(Azure AI Foundry: “Grounding with Bing Search” — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/ai-foundry/agents/how-to/tools/bing-grounding)