You've heard of optimizing for ChatGPT. Maybe you've looked into Perplexity SEO.
But Claude? Anthropic's AI? That's a different beast with a different audience.
Claude isn't ChatGPT with a different name
Claude is known for nuanced, thoughtful responses. It tends to give more balanced answers, acknowledge uncertainty, avoid strong endorsements without evidence, and consider multiple perspectives.
This affects how Claude recommends things. Where ChatGPT might say "I'd suggest X, it's great!", Claude is more likely to say "X is a solid option for your use case, though you might also consider Y if you need more flexibility."
Less hype. More nuance. If your marketing is full of superlatives and bold claims, Claude might be hesitant to enthusiastically endorse you.
Who uses Claude?
Claude has carved out a dedicated user base. Technical users and developers who appreciate the nuanced responses. Enterprise customers (Claude is popular in business contexts through Anthropic's API). Users who prefer longer, more thoughtful answers over quick takes.
If your target audience includes these groups, Claude visibility matters. These aren't casual users looking for quick recommendations. They're often thoughtful decision-makers doing real research.
What Claude responds to
Balanced information
Claude gravitates toward content that presents balanced perspectives. If your content acknowledges trade-offs and alternatives rather than just claiming you're the best, Claude is more likely to cite it. The "honest marketing" approach works better with Claude than aggressive positioning.
Real expertise
Claude values authoritative, expert content. Depth of knowledge, original insights, comprehensive coverage. Surface-level marketing content doesn't build trust with Claude. If you want Claude to recommend you, demonstrate that you actually know your domain.
Specific, accurate claims
Claude is trained to be precise. Content with specific data, accurate claims, and verifiable information is more likely to be trusted and cited. Vague statements and unsupported claims don't resonate.
Clear structure
Like other AI tools, Claude benefits from well-structured content. Clear headings, logical organization, direct answers to questions. Make it easy for Claude to understand and extract your key points.
Web presence
When Claude searches the web, it considers your overall presence. Being mentioned on authoritative sites, having consistent information across platforms, demonstrating credibility through third-party validation.
What doesn't work with Claude
Hyperbolic claims fall flat. "Revolutionary," "game-changing," "the best ever." Claude tends to be skeptical of unsupported superlatives. If you can't back it up, don't say it.
Thin content gets overlooked. Surface-level information without depth or evidence doesn't inspire confidence.
Manipulation attempts don't work. Claude is sophisticated. Trying to game the system usually doesn't pay off.
Tracking Claude visibility
Claude doesn't show citations explicitly like Perplexity. You need to track whether Claude mentions you in responses to relevant queries.
Mentionable tracks Claude visibility along with ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Grok. You see where you appear across platforms, where you're missing, and how different AI tools treat your brand.
Claude as part of a broader strategy
Claude is one AI platform among several. A comprehensive AI visibility strategy tracks performance across all of them.
Different platforms have different user bases and behaviors. ChatGPT users might want quick answers. Claude users might want thorough analysis. Perplexity users want sourced research.
Being visible across all of them maximizes your AI search presence. But if Claude's audience matches your target customer, it deserves special attention.
