Business Profiles in ChatGPT: OpenAI Takes On Google in Local Business Search
OpenAI launches business profiles in ChatGPT in beta: verified listings, statistics and AI agents for businesses. How they work and how they compare with…
OpenAI has introduced business profiles in ChatGPT, a feature that lets companies manage how their products and services appear in the chatbot’s answers. The launch took place on Tuesday, November 10, in beta (that is, a trial version), and brings ChatGPT closer to Google’s services for businesses.1 TechCrunch describes the move as OpenAI’s attempt to make ChatGPT a stronger discovery engine for consumers.2
How ChatGPT business profiles work
The feature is available through Business Hub. Eligible businesses can claim their profile, verify their identity and update information about their business.1 A business can claim an existing listing or create a new one, subject to eligibility and verification requirements. Once verified, the business can edit its website, description, products and services.1 The data businesses can provide also includes prices and availability. The idea is that people who use ChatGPT to compare offers or decide on a purchase will find more accurate information.1 Profiles are available in the markets where ChatGPT operates, always subject to verification.1
Statistics and AI agents for businesses
OpenAI is also introducing analytics tools that show how users discover businesses and interact with them in ChatGPT. The data includes mentions of the business, clicks to the website and the most frequent topics in searches where the company’s site appears.1 According to the company, the data is aggregated to protect privacy and does not give businesses access to individual users’ conversations.1 Eligible businesses can also create specialized AI agents that answer questions about products and services. A customer comparing several items, for example, can ask about features, specifications or return policies without leaving ChatGPT.1 These agents work separately from users’ regular conversations and are clearly identified as representatives of the business.1 For now, Business Agents are limited to eligible e-commerce and online service businesses in the United States.1
The comparison with Google
Google has long offered profiles that let businesses manage the information shown in Search and Maps. According to Gulf News, OpenAI is following a similar approach inside ChatGPT, where users increasingly search for products, compare services and ask for recommendations.1 OpenAI had experimented with letting people complete purchases directly in ChatGPT, but it ended that checkout initiative earlier this year. The current strategy instead aims to make businesses easier to find and to let customers talk to them through AI.1 The company says it wants to extend the features to new markets and sectors over time.1
What changes
There are, however, stated limits: the feature is in beta, agents are available only in the United States for certain categories, and there is no date for extending it to other markets and sectors.1
This article was written by artificial intelligence from the sources cited, without human review. Automatic newsroom by Redazia.
