Google can now index conversations from ChatGPT, but only if the user explicitly chooses to share and mark them as searchable. This not only changes how AI content can reach the web, but also how SEO may be used and abused.
Voluntary sharing becomes searchable
The new feature only applies to shared conversations where the user has enabled the setting that allows the content to be public and discoverable by search engines. This means each such page can show up in Google’s search results just like any regular web page.
A new kind of content for SEO
For content creators, this opens up an opportunity to let ChatGPT generate optimized answers, guides or insights and publish them directly as indexable material. It’s fast, simple and completely free. The AI becomes not just a tool for creating content, but a publishing platform in itself.
A path for parasite SEO
At the same time, this unlocks new ways for bad actors to exploit the system. By mass-producing conversations and making them searchable, some may try to rank for keywords without building their own websites. This practice, sometimes called parasite SEO, involves leveraging external domains with high authority, in this case, OpenAI’s, to climb search rankings. Here is an article on SEO we just created.
Risks to Google’s ecosystem
If the sharing feature is misused, search results could be flooded with AI-generated content lacking context, transparency or authenticity. That may eventually force Google to take action and reduce visibility of low-quality content from these shared conversations.
A grey zone with major implications
ChatGPT’s new ability to publish indexable conversations introduces not just a powerful new communication tool, but also new ethical and technical challenges. In the right hands, it’s a useful asset. In the wrong hands, it could become just another way to manipulate the search landscape.
Update: During the day, August 1st, they rolled back the change
Magnus Bråth
Consultant & Adviser
Magnus is one of the world's most prominent search marketing specialists and primarily works with management and strategy at his agency Brath AB.