In a recent LinkedIn post, Ann Smarty discusses the evolving relationship between ChatGPT and Google, highlighting how the AI model appears to heavily rely on Google’s search index and cache for its information retrieval.
Smarty points out the significant development over the past year, noting how ChatGPT’s dependence on Google has become increasingly apparent. She states:
“ChatGPT started actively searching about a year or so ago. And throughout those months, we were all witnessing its quiet reliance on Google develop right in front of our eyes.”
This observation, according to Smarty, extends beyond simple search queries. She argues that ChatGPT’s functionality is intrinsically linked to Google’s indexation and caching mechanisms. This suggests that the AI’s ability to access and present current information is contingent upon Google’s processing of that data.
The Implications of Google’s Indexation on ChatGPT’s Performance
Ann Smarty conducted tests to explore this dependency further. One such test, referenced from Aleyda Solis’s earlier experiment, demonstrated ChatGPT citing search snippets directly from Google, verbatim. Smarty’s own recent test focused on schema markup, revealing a critical point about how ChatGPT handles updates.
As Ann Smarty explains:
“I did a test to see if ChatGPT reads schema and found that ChatGPT refuses to see updates on the page unless they are indexed by Google.”
This finding is crucial, as Ann Smarty suggests it indicates that ChatGPT does not directly crawl web pages for the most up-to-date information. Instead, it seems to access information that has already been processed and indexed by Google. This reliance has significant implications for how quickly and accurately ChatGPT can reflect real-time changes on the web.
SEO and GEO Considerations
The insights shared by Ann Smarty prompt a re-evaluation of search engine optimization (SEO) and local SEO (GEO) strategies. If ChatGPT’s knowledge base is so tightly coupled with Google’s index, then ensuring content is discoverable and correctly indexed by Google becomes even more paramount.
Ann Smarty implies that for businesses and content creators, this means:
- Prioritizing Google indexing for any new or updated content.
- Understanding that schema markup, while important for Google, may not directly translate to immediate updates within ChatGPT’s responses unless Google has processed them.
- Considering how this dynamic might affect search visibility and information dissemination through AI interfaces.
In Ann Smarty’s view, this symbiotic relationship between ChatGPT and Google’s infrastructure underscores the continued dominance of Google in the information ecosystem. The ability of AI models to provide current information is, therefore, directly influenced by the efficiency and comprehensiveness of Google’s indexing capabilities.
The article concludes by emphasizing that these observations are not merely technical curiosities but have practical consequences for digital strategy. As Ann Smarty points out, understanding this dependency is key to navigating the future of information access and AI-driven search.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Ann Smarty on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on February 23, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →