ChatGPT uses Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP) snippets as a fallback source for answers when Bing lacks indexed pages. A test confirmed that ChatGPT provided answers only after Google had started showing the page in its SERPs, even when Bing had not yet indexed the page. ChatGPT acknowledged that its response was based on fetching a snippet from the publicly indexed page via web search, likely relying on search engine indexing. The snippet provided by ChatGPT matched exactly the snippet shown in Google SERPs.
This highlights that traditional SEO remains relevant, as Google’s advanced indexing and the Gemini model’s ability to fetch pages directly enable more accurate answers. In contrast, ChatGPT’s reliance on Google’s snippets can result in incomplete or less accurate responses when pages are not fully indexed.
