Why does ChatGPT use Bing for web retrieval?
ChatGPT retrieves web content through Bing's search index. When ChatGPT browses the web to answer a question, it sends the query to Bing and processes what comes back. This makes Bing indexation a hard prerequisite — if Bing hasn't indexed your page, ChatGPT can't find it. Doesn't matter how well-structured your content is.
How do I check if my pages are indexed by Bing?
Submit your sitemap to Bing Webmaster Tools at bing.com/webmasters. Use the URL Inspection tool to check individual pages. You can also search site:yourdomain.com on Bing to see indexed pages. Our ChatGPT optimization audit checks Bing indexation automatically and flags pages missing from the index.
What is ChatGPT conversational query matching?
ChatGPT matches questions to web content using conversational NLP — not keyword matching. Content written in the same natural language patterns people use when talking to ChatGPT gets cited more often. Question-format headings, direct conversational answers, and natural phrasing outperform keyword-stuffed content every time.
How does ChatGPT recency bias affect my content?
ChatGPT inherits Bing's recency signals. Content with dateModified within the last 90 days gets a measurable retrieval boost. Stale content gradually drops out of ChatGPT retrieval even if it ranks well on Google. Regular content updates maintain ChatGPT visibility — it's that simple.
What are direct answer paragraphs for ChatGPT?
Self-contained 2–4 sentence blocks ChatGPT can extract and quote without needing surrounding context. The ideal paragraph: a direct answer, a supporting fact, a specific detail. Pages with 5+ such paragraphs get cited at significantly higher rates than pages that bury answers in long narratives.
How does ChatGPT extract comparison tables?
ChatGPT frequently restructures HTML tables into comparison answers. Tables with proper thead/tbody/th structure, clear column headers, and factual data get extracted at high rates. Tables using CSS grid layouts, nested divs, or missing headers get skipped — ChatGPT can't reliably parse their structure.
What is the difference between being indexed and being retrieved by ChatGPT?
Indexed by Bing means your page exists in the search index. Retrieved means ChatGPT actually selects it when answering relevant queries. Many indexed pages are never retrieved — they lack conversational relevance, have low Bing ranking, or don't contain extractable answer content. The retrievability test measures this gap.
How do I analyze my Q&A distribution for ChatGPT?
Q&A distribution analysis maps your existing question-answer content against the questions ChatGPT users actually ask about your topic. Coverage gaps are missed citation opportunities. The analysis identifies high-volume questions you haven't answered and prioritizes new content based on query demand and competitive coverage.