Can You Pay to Get Listed in ChatGPT?

No.

Anyone claiming you can pay to get listed in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, or any other AI model is lying.

There is no paid placement system. There is no submission form. There is no special partnership with OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic that lets agencies “submit your business to AI.”

If someone is selling this, they are scamming you.

Here’s what you need to know in about 8 minutes.

Why AI Listing Services Are a Scam

AI models like ChatGPT don’t have a listing database.

They work differently than Google or Yelp. Google has a structured database of businesses through Google Business Profile. You can claim your listing. You can verify ownership. You can pay for ads.

AI models don’t have this.

How AI Models Actually Work

AI models are trained on massive datasets of public web content. This training happens periodically. Once trained, the model’s core knowledge is frozen until the next training run.

ChatGPT example:

ChatGPT 4o was trained on data through October 2023.
It does not continuously crawl the web.
It does not have a “submit your business” form.
Paying someone to “submit you to ChatGPT” does nothing.

What about web search features?

Some AI models can search the web in real-time. ChatGPT with search, Perplexity, and Gemini all search the live web when answering queries.

But they search the public web. The same web Google indexes.

There is no separate AI listing database. There is no paid placement. They find your business the same way Google does: by crawling your website, reading your Google Business Profile, and analyzing public reviews.

The Scam Pitch (And Why It’s BS)

Here are the most common scam pitches and why they’re false.

Scam 1: “We’ll Submit Your Business to ChatGPT”

The pitch: “For $499, we’ll submit your business to ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI platforms so you appear in AI search results.”

Why it’s BS: There is no submission form. OpenAI does not accept business submissions. Neither does Anthropic, Google, or Perplexity.

What they actually do: Usually nothing. Sometimes they’ll add you to random business directories that AI models ignore anyway.

Scam 2: “We Have a Special Partnership with OpenAI”

The pitch: “We’re an official OpenAI partner. We can get your business into ChatGPT’s database.”

Why it’s BS: OpenAI’s partnership program is for developers building on their API. It has nothing to do with business listings.

Check their website. They are not an OpenAI partner.

Scam 3: “We’ll Optimize Your AI Visibility for $2,000/month”

The pitch: “Monthly retainer to maintain your AI visibility and rankings across all platforms.”

Why it’s suspicious: AI visibility optimization is real. But it works the same way SEO works. You optimize once, measure results, adjust as needed. You don’t need a $2,000/month retainer unless they’re doing ongoing content, PR, or link building work.

Ask them exactly what they’re doing each month. If they can’t give you a specific list of deliverables, it’s a scam.

Scam 4: “Pay Per AI Platform Placement”

The pitch: “$200 per platform. We’ll get you listed in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini.”

Why it’s BS: You can’t pay to “get listed” in any of these platforms. They all work by searching the public web or using their training data.

What Actually Works (And What You Can Control)

You cannot control whether AI models mention your business. But you can influence it.

Here’s what matters.

1. Your Website Content and Structure

AI models that search the web read your website the same way Google does.

What helps:

Clear business description
Specific services you offer
Location information
Schema markup (structured data)
Fast load times
Mobile-friendly design

What to optimize: Use the same SEO best practices you’d use for Google. AI models benefit from the same signals.

2. Google Business Profile

Most AI models with web search check Google Business Profile data.

What to optimize:

Complete profile with all fields filled
Accurate category selection
Regular posts
Response to reviews
High-quality photos

Why it matters: When Perplexity or ChatGPT searches for “best HVAC Phoenix”, they often pull GBP data to answer.

3. Reviews (With Specific Details)

AI models prioritize reviews that mention specific problems, solutions, and outcomes.

Generic reviews don’t help:

“Great service! Highly recommend.”

Detailed reviews help AI discovery:

“Our AC died at 10pm on a Saturday. Called them and they had a technician here by midnight. He diagnosed the compressor failure and had us cooling again by 2am. Emergency weekend service was expensive but worth it.”

Why it matters: AI can connect detailed reviews to specific customer queries like “emergency AC repair Phoenix Saturday.”

4. Authority Signals

AI models trust the same authority signals Google does.

What helps:

Press coverage
Industry certifications
Professional affiliations
Case studies
Expert content

Why it matters: When AI evaluates whether to recommend your business, it looks for trust signals.

How to Actually Test Your AI Visibility

You can test what AI platforms say about your business for $25.

Surmado Signal tests how AI tools talk about your business across 7 platforms.

What you get:

Persona-based testing (queries like your real customers ask)
Results from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, Meta AI, Grok, and DeepSeek
Presence rate (how often you appear)
Share of voice (mentions vs competitors)
Exact AI quotes about your business
Actionable recommendations

What you don’t get:

Guaranteed placement (no one can guarantee this)
Paid submission (this doesn’t exist)
Special partnership access (this is not a thing)

Timeline: Results in about 15 minutes. Not weeks of “optimization” you can’t verify.

Test your AI visibility for $25

Legitimate AI Visibility Services vs Scams

Legitimate services provide:

Testing across multiple platforms
Specific recommendations based on gaps
Technical implementation help (schema, GBP, website)
Content strategy for authority building
Measurable before and after results

Scams promise:

Direct submission to AI models
Guaranteed placement or rankings
Special partnerships with AI companies
Monthly fees with vague deliverables
Results you can’t verify

Red flags:

They claim to submit you to ChatGPT
They guarantee specific AI rankings
They won’t explain their process
They require 6-12 month contracts
They claim exclusive access to AI platforms

Important: Surmado Does NOT Sell Placements

We need to be crystal clear about this.

Surmado does not:

Submit your business to ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, or any AI model
Sell placements in AI results
Have special partnerships with OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic
Guarantee you will appear in AI recommendations

What Surmado does:

Test how AI platforms currently talk about your business
Show you gaps in your visibility
Give you a technical plan to improve (schema, GBP, content, authority)
Support you with clear, specific recommendations

We are not an AI listing service. We test, measure, and give you a plan. That’s it.

What to Do If You’ve Been Pitched an AI Listing Scam

Ask These Questions

“Show me the submission form for ChatGPT.”
- If they can’t, they’re lying.
“What is your partnership agreement with OpenAI?”
- Ask to see documentation. They won’t have it.
“What specific work are you doing each month?”
- If they give vague answers, walk away.
“Can you show me before and after results?”
- Ask for proof from previous clients. Not testimonials. Actual data.

Report the Scam

If you’ve been scammed or pitched:

Report to FTC: reportfraud.ftc.gov
Report to your state attorney general
Leave reviews warning other businesses
Share details in business owner communities

The Real Timeline for AI Visibility

Legitimate AI visibility improvement takes weeks, not hours.

Week 1: Diagnosis

Test current visibility
Identify gaps
Prioritize fixes

Weeks 2-4: Foundation

Optimize Google Business Profile
Add schema markup
Fix website technical issues
Improve content clarity

Weeks 5-8: Authority Building

Generate detailed reviews
Create expert content
Build citations
Earn press coverage

Week 9: Re-test and Measure

Run another Signal test
Compare before and after
Identify what worked
Adjust strategy

Total investment: $25 for initial test. $25-50 for re-test. DIY implementation or hire help for execution.

Total timeline: 8-12 weeks for measurable improvement.

Anyone promising overnight results is lying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pay to advertise in AI results?

No. AI platforms do not currently sell advertising within their conversational results. Some platforms show traditional display ads, but you cannot pay to be mentioned in the AI’s answer.

Will AI visibility replace SEO?

No. AI platforms with web search rely heavily on the same signals Google uses. Good SEO helps AI visibility. They work together.

Do I need ongoing monthly services for AI visibility?

Not necessarily. Unlike SEO where ongoing content and link building help, AI visibility is more like technical SEO. You optimize once, test results, fix gaps, and maintain. You might re-test monthly or quarterly, but you don’t need a $2,000/month retainer.

How do I know if my visibility improved?

Test before and after with the same personas. Surmado Signal runs the same test each time so you can compare apples-to-apples. Look for:

Increased presence rate (appearing more often)
Higher share of voice (mentioned before competitors)
Better positioning (described more favorably)

What if AI recommends my competitor instead of me?

This is common. It means your competitor has stronger signals: better GBP, more detailed reviews, clearer website content, or more authority.

Run a test to see exactly what AI says. Then fix the gaps.

Next Steps

This week:

Test your current AI visibility: Run Surmado Signal for $25
Check your Google Business Profile completeness
Review your website schema markup
Read your customer reviews for specific details

Avoid:

Anyone promising to “submit you to ChatGPT”
Services claiming special AI partnerships
Contracts that don’t specify deliverables
Guarantees of AI placement or rankings

If you get pitched an AI listing service:

Ask to see the submission form (there isn’t one)
Ask for proof of partnership (they don’t have it)
Ask for measurable results from previous clients
Walk away if they can’t provide specifics

AI visibility is real. AI listing scams are also real. Know the difference.

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