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Does ranking on Google's first page still matter if people get answers from AI?

Last updated: Oct 19, 20262 min read
RockingGEO questions and answers
  • Ranking on Google’s first page still matters. It helps customers find your business and can improve your chances of appearing in AI answers.
  • ChatGPT and Perplexity use web search to gather information, and research links stronger Google rankings with more ChatGPT citations.
  • RockingGEO’s recommendation is that you keep building visibility across your buyers’ main searches and related questions, while tracking AI citations alongside traffic and leads.

Yes. First-page rankings help customers find your business and can strengthen your visibility in AI answers. ChatGPT and Perplexity use web search to gather information, so your SEO work can support discovery across both search results and AI platforms.

How Google rankings support AI visibility

Research shows a connection between Google rankings and ChatGPT citations. An AirOps study covered by Search Engine Land found that 55.8% of pages cited by ChatGPT ranked in Google’s top 20. Pages in position one were cited 3.5 times more often than pages outside the top 20. These findings show a correlation rather than a guaranteed outcome. 

A separate experiment published by Search Engine Land found that ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity’s free version could answer a question using a newly published page accessible only to Googlebot. The result supports Google’s influence on their information retrieval in that test. 

Which rankings should you focus on?

Expand your attention to the related questions buyers ask. Peec AI’s research shows that ChatGPT generates additional searches around comparisons, brands, and reviews. Lily Ray also recommends checking Google and Bing rankings for these underlying searches when investigating AI citations. 

For example, a CRM provider could build visibility around “CRM software,” “CRM for pharmaceutical sales,” and “updating CRM by voice.” Each addresses a different part of a buyer’s research. Our approach to keyword research in the AI era connects these keywords, questions, and prompts.

How should you measure success?

Track Google rankings, AI mentions and citations, qualified visits, and leads. Measure each AI platform separately: Kevin Indig’s research found that approximately 91% of cited URLs appeared in only one of the three engines studied – ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. 

Strong SEO gives your brand a valuable foundation. Relevant answers and visibility across buyer questions create further opportunities to reach customers through AI.

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