ChatGPT Keeps Citing Your Competitor: Three Technical Things Your Marketing Team Should Know

Let me tell you about an email I received last week from a university marketing director.

“ChatGPT just recommended our competitor’s programme to a prospective student,” she wrote. “Our programme is older, better funded, has better outcomes. But ChatGPT didn’t even mention us.”

She was frustrated. Angry, even. How could an AI system ignore her university when they clearly had the stronger offering?

Here’s what I told her: ChatGPT wasn’t ignoring her university. It couldn’t understand her website.

Right now, this is happening thousands of times per day across every sector. Someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude about services. They’re asking about degree programmes in your field, healthcare services in your region, financial planning options, or government services available to them.

The AI systems are scanning thousands of websites, trying to understand what each organization offers, synthesizing that information, and presenting an answer.

Here’s the real question: When that AI system presents its answer, does it cite YOU—or your competitors?

And here’s the uncomfortable truth many organizations are discovering: AI systems are citing their competitors’ information because they can’t properly understand the content on their own websites.

The information exists. It’s accurate. It’s comprehensive. But it’s not structured in a way that AI systems can reliably parse and cite.

Today, I’m going to show you the three technical implementations that solve this problem—and make your content discoverable by both human visitors and AI systems.

The Technical Advantage Most Organizations Are Missing

Over the past two weeks, we’ve covered journey mapping (Strategy 1) and AI-powered storytelling (Strategy 2). You’ve learned how to identify user friction points and extract authentic stories from busy subject matter experts.

But here’s what I haven’t told you yet: Even with the best content strategy in the world, if your content isn’t structured properly, AI systems will struggle to understand it, cite it accurately, or send traffic your way.

This is Strategy 3: Structured content for both audiences.

And it’s built on three technical foundations:

Schema.org markup – The vocabulary that tells AI what your content means
JSON-LD – The format that embeds this structured data in your web pages
LLMS.TXT – The roadmap that guides AI systems through your site

Let me break down each one and show you why they matter.

Technical Thing #1: Schema.org — Teaching AI Systems What Your Content Means

Schema.org is a collaborative project between Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex that created a standardized vocabulary for describing content on the web.

Here’s why this matters to your marketing team (not just your developers):

Think of it this way: When a human reads “BSc Computer Science – 3 years – R45,000 per year – 89% job placement,” they understand immediately that this is a degree programme with specific attributes.

But an AI system looking at that same text sees a string of words and numbers. It doesn’t know that “BSc Computer Science” is a programme title, that “3 years” is the duration, or that “89%” refers to employment outcomes.

Schema.org solves this by providing a structured vocabulary that explicitly labels each piece of information.

Schema.org in Practice: Higher Education

Let’s start with a higher education example because it’s where I have the deepest experience from rebuilding the Wits website.

When you implement Course schema, you’re explicitly telling AI systems:

This page describes an educational offering.

The name is “BSc Computer Science”

The provider is “University Name”

The education level is “Undergraduate”

The duration is “3 years”

The tuition cost is “R45,000 per year”

The occupational category is “Computer Scientist”

The typical job placement rate is “89%”

Suddenly, when someone asks ChatGPT “What computer science programmes are available in Johannesburg?” the AI doesn’t have to guess what information on your page means—it knows.

And more importantly, it can cite this information confidently, accurately, and with attribution back to your site.

Schema.org Beyond Higher Education

But schema.org isn’t just for universities. Let me show you how this applies across sectors:

Healthcare Systems:

Use MedicalOrganization and Physician schemas to structure:

Specialist expertise and qualifications
Clinic locations and operating hours
Insurance accepted
Languages spoken
Patient ratings and reviews

When someone searches “cardiologist near me accepts Blue Cross,” properly structured schema helps AI systems surface YOUR specialists with accurate information.

Financial Services:

Use FinancialService and Organization schemas to structure:

Service offerings (wealth management, retirement planning, etc.)
Professional credentials and certifications
Client types served
Fee structures
Investment philosophies

When someone asks an AI “Who offers fee-only financial planning in my area?” structured data ensures you’re in the conversation.

Government Agencies:

Use GovernmentService schema to structure:

Service descriptions
Eligibility requirements
Required documents
Processing times
Online application availability

When citizens search “How do I renew my driver’s license?” structured data ensures they find accurate, official information from YOU.

Technical Thing #2: JSON-LD — The Format That Actually Makes It Work

Schema.org provides the vocabulary. JSON-LD provides the format for embedding that structured data in your web pages.

JSON-LD stands for “JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data.” (Don’t let the technical name intimidate you, your developers know exactly what this is.)

Here’s what it looks like in practice:

{

“@context”: “https://schema.org”,

“@type”: “Course”,

“name”: “BSc Computer Science”,

“description”: “A comprehensive four-year programme…”,

“provider”: {

“@type”: “EducationalOrganization”,

“name”: “University of the Witwatersrand”

“offers”: {

“@type”: “Offer”,

“price”: “45000”,

“priceCurrency”: “ZAR”

“educationalLevel”: “Undergraduate”,

“timeToComplete”: “P4Y”,

“occupationalCategory”: “Computer Scientist”

}

</script>

This code sits invisibly in your HTML. Human visitors never see it. But AI systems read it instantly and understand exactly what your page offers.

What JSON-LD Achieves

When properly implemented, JSON-LD structured data results in:

Google showing rich course information directly in search results (rich snippets)
ChatGPT citing accurate requirements with confidence
Perplexity linking directly to your page as the authoritative source
Claude providing specific details about your offerings
Voice assistants answering queries with your information

The difference between having structured data and not having it is the difference between:

AI systems citing your competitors’ information about your programmes
AI systems citing YOUR information, accurately, with attribution

Technical Thing #3: LLMS.TXT — The Roadmap AI Crawlers Actually Use

Schema.org and JSON-LD structure individual pages. But AI systems also need to understand the overall architecture of your website.

That’s where LLMS.TXT comes in.

LLMS.TXT is a newer specification—a simple text file that sits at the root of your website (like robots.txt or sitemap.xml) and provides AI systems with a roadmap of your site’s most important pages and content hierarchy.

Think of it as a “start here” guide for AI crawlers.

What Goes in LLMS.TXT

Your LLMS.TXT file might look like this:

# University Name – AI Crawlers Guide

## Main Sections

– Academic Programmes: /programmes/

– Research: /research/

– About Us: /about/

– Admissions: /admissions/

## Priority Pages

– Course Finder: /programmes/finder/

– Application Process: /admissions/apply/

– Research Output: /research/publications/

– Campus Locations: /about/campuses/

## Key Facts

– Founded: 1922

– Students: 36,000

– Staff: 4,000

– Campuses: 5

This helps AI systems understand:

What pages are most important
How your site is structured
Key facts about your organization
Where to find authoritative information

It’s remarkably simple. It’s plain text. But it’s powerful in guiding AI systems toward your best content.

The Analytics Connection: Closing the Loop

Here’s where strategy, storytelling, and structure come together.

Analytics tell you WHAT content needs attention:

Which pages get the most traffic?
Where do prospective students spend time?
What queries lead people to your site?
Where do people bounce or convert?

AI-powered storytelling (Strategy 2) helps you CREATE that content:

15-minute interviews extract authentic expertise
AI assists with transcription and first drafts
You add verification, voice, and polish

Structured data (Strategy 3) ensures that content REACHES both audiences:

Humans find it through clear navigation and search
AI systems parse it accurately and cite it confidently

The three strategies work as an integrated system. Remove any one and the others become less effective.

Your Action This Week: Implement Structured Data on Your Top 10 Pages

You don’t need to overhaul your entire website overnight. Start strategically.

For Everyone (Non-Technical)

Step 1: Audit for Consistency

Visit 5-10 of your most important pages. Ask:

Is the same information presented the same way every time?
Are programme titles consistent across pages?
Are entry requirements stated clearly and uniformly?
Is contact information repeated accurately?

Inconsistency confuses both humans and AI. Fix this first.

Step 2: Test Current State

Google “[Your organization] [your service/programme] entry requirements”

Do you see:

Accurate information from your site?
Information from competitors or generic sources?
Outdated information from old pages?

This tells you if AI systems are currently understanding and citing your content.

Step 3: Identify Priority Pages

Which 10 pages are most critical to your mission?

For higher education: Your top 10 programme pages
For healthcare: Your top 10 specialist or service pages
For financial services: Your top 10 service offering pages
For government: Your top 10 most-accessed service pages

These are where you implement structured data first.

For Technical Teams

Step 1: Implement Course Schema (Higher Ed)

Use schema.org/Course markup on your programme pages.

Include at minimum:

Course name
Provider (your organization)
Education level (undergraduate/postgraduate)
Duration
Cost
Occupational category

Resources:

Step 2: Implement Relevant Schema for Your Sector

Healthcare: schema.org/MedicalOrganization, schema.org/Physician
Financial Services: schema.org/FinancialService
Government: schema.org/GovernmentService Nonprofits: schema.org/NGO

Step 3: Create LLMS.TXT

Create a file at yoursite.com/llms.txt with:

Main sections and their URLs
Priority pages
Key organizational facts
Structural hierarchy

Step 4: Validate and Test

Use Google’s Rich Results Test to validate your JSON-LD Test in Google Search Console to see how Google interprets your structured data Monitor search appearance over 2-4 weeks

The ROI of Structured Data

Let me be direct about the business case: Structured data implementation isn’t optional anymore—it’s foundational.

The organizations that implement schema.org markup, JSON-LD, and LLMS.TXT now will be the ones AI systems cite accurately and confidently for the next decade.

The organizations that don’t will watch competitors get cited, referenced, and linked to—even when those competitors’ information is less accurate or comprehensive.

Here’s what structured data achieves:

For prospective students, patients, clients, citizens:

Faster access to accurate information
Better search results from AI systems
Confidence that information is authoritative
Direct pathways to conversion (applications, appointments, services)

For your organization:

Increased organic traffic from search
Higher visibility in AI-powered search (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overview)
Better quality leads (people finding exactly what they need)
Reduced support burden (fewer calls asking basic questions)
Enhanced reputation (recognized as authoritative source)

The investment is modest:

For 10-20 key pages: 2-4 days of developer time
For LLMS.TXT: A few hours
For ongoing maintenance: Minimal once implemented

The return is exponential:

AI systems cite you for years to come
Search rankings improve
User experience enhances
Conversion rates increase

The Technical Reality: This Is Not Optional

I opened this article with a scenario: Someone is asking an AI system about your services right now.

That’s not hypothetical, it’s happening thousands of times per day.

In 2024-2025, we’ve seen a massive shift in how people discover information:

Google now shows AI-generated overviews in search results
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude are becoming primary research tools
Voice assistants are answering complex queries
Search behavior is evolving from “list of links” to “synthesized answers”

Organizations with structured data are winning this shift.

Organizations without it are becoming invisible, not because their content is bad, but because AI systems can’t parse it confidently enough to cite it.

The Path Forward

The organizations that thrive in the AI era aren’t necessarily spending more money or hiring bigger teams.

They’re implementing the fundamentals systematically:

Journey mapping ensures they understand user needs before deploying technology
AI-powered storytelling helps them extract authentic expertise efficiently
Structured data ensures that content reaches both human visitors and AI systems

These three strategies work together. They amplify each other. They create a compounding advantage.

Next week, I’ll show you Strategy 4: The Human Escape Hatch—why despite all this AI implementation, humans must always be able to reach humans easily, and how to ensure that happens in under 10 seconds.

But for now: implement structured data on your top 10 pages.

Don’t let AI systems cite your competitors when they should be citing you.

Want to Go Deeper?

At ActiveLink Media, we help organizations implement structured data strategies that make their content discoverable by both human visitors and AI systems. We work with higher education institutions, healthcare systems, financial services firms, government agencies, and enterprises.

Whether you need help with schema.org implementation, JSON-LD development, or a comprehensive AI-ready content strategy—let’s talk.

Next week: Strategy 4 – The Human Escape Hatch: Ensuring humans can reach humans in under 10 seconds, no matter how much AI you deploy.

Resources mentioned:

This article is part of a multi-week series on building websites for the AI era. Whether you’re in higher education, healthcare, financial services, government, or any organization with complex user journeys—this series is for you.

Tags: #AIStrategy #StructuredData #SchemaOrg #JSONLD #SEO #TechnicalSEO #DigitalMarketing #ContentStrategy #WebDevelopment

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jonathan Taylor is a founder of addGlue, an AI-focused storytelling consultancy, and ActiveLink Media. He specializes in helping organizations with complex user journeys navigate the intersection of AI technology and authentic human storytelling. In 2016, he led the rebuild of the University of the Witwatersrand website, which won the MACE Platinum Award of Excellence and Chairperson’s Award—the highest-scoring entry across all divisions. He writes on marketing strategy, AI, and digital experience at activelinkmedia.co.za/hype/.

The views expressed herein are personal and do not reflect the views of any clients, partners, or affiliated organizations. Some links may be affiliate links, indicating an endorsement of the referenced product or service.

Photo by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash

Original article: https://www.activelinkmedia.co.za/chatgpt-citing-competitor-technical-fixes/