What Your Ideal Clients Really Ask ChatGPT About Your Services (Research Inside)

TL;DR: Your ideal clients ask ChatGPT detailed, specific questions about business challenges at every stage of their buyer’s journey. Create comprehensive content that directly answers these questions to get featured in the conversations that matter most to your business growth.

“How do I know if I’m ready to hire a GEO strategist, and what red flags should I watch out for?”

This isn’t a Google search query because this is the exact question a potential client asked ChatGPT last week before booking a strategy call with me. She mentioned it during our conversation, explaining that my approach aligned perfectly with what ChatGPT had outlined as best practices for choosing someone to help her raise the profile of her website because she didn’t want to be all over Social Media.

That’s when I realised something game-changing: your ideal clients aren’t just asking ChatGPT basic questions about your industry. They’re having detailed, nuanced conversations about their specific challenges, concerns, and decision-making processes. And if your expertise isn’t part of those conversations then you’re missing opportunities with prospects who are actively evaluating whether to work with someone like you.

The questions people ask ChatGPT are different from what they type into Google. They’re more conversational, more specific – and because of ChatGPT’s memory feature – it’s built out a pretty good idea about who you are, how you work, what your values are and is optimising to provide you the best possible answers that align with you as a person. These conversations within ChatGPT generally reveal exactly where they are in their buyer’s journey which is far further along than a general Google search. Understanding these questions – and optimising your content to answer them comprehensively so that you are recommended as the “best fit” can transform your AI visibility from invisible to indispensable.

Why I Started Tracking ChatGPT Conversations About Business Services

About five months ago, I had a discovery call with a potential client who casually mentioned that ChatGPT had helped her understand the difference between SEO and GEO before she found my website. She’d asked ChatGPT to explain why her traditional SEO wasn’t working anymore, and apparently (hurrah!), my content was referenced in the response.

That comment sparked my curiosity. If ChatGPT was referencing my content, what other questions were people asking about business services? And more importantly – whose expertise was being featured when potential clients had those conversations?

I started systematically testing different business-related questions in ChatGPT, documenting not just the answers but the types of questions people were asking. I asked colleagues and clients to share the kinds of questions they’d ask AI about business challenges – and I monitored forums and groups where women entrepreneurs discuss their ChatGPT usage.

What I discovered was fascinating to me. The questions people ask ChatGPT about business services fall into predictable patterns that we’re probably all used to, but they’re much more nuanced, detailed and decision-focused than traditional search queries. Instead of searching “business coach,” people ask ChatGPT things like “How do I evaluate whether a business coach’s approach aligns with my values and working style?”

This research completely changed how I approach content creation for AI search optimisation. Instead of optimising for keywords, I started creating content that answered the actual questions my ideal clients were asking ChatGPT.

The 5 Most Common Question Types Your Clients Ask ChatGPT

Through my research, I identified five distinct categories of questions that female entrepreneurs consistently ask ChatGPT about business services:

1. Readiness and Timing Questions

These questions help people determine if they’re ready to invest in a particular service:

• “How do I know if I’m ready to hire a [service provider]?”
• “What should I have in place before working with a [consultant/coach]?”
• “Is it better to [solve problem internally] or hire someone?”

2. Evaluation and Selection Questions

These questions help people choose between different service providers:

• “What questions should I ask potential [service providers] before hiring them?”
• “What are red flags to watch out for when choosing a [consultant/coach]?”
• “How do I know if [service provider’s] approach is right for my business?”

3. Process and Expectation Questions

These questions help people understand what working with a service provider involves:

• “What does the typical process look like when working with a [service provider]?”
• “How long does it usually take to see results from [specific service]?”
• “What should I expect during the first few months of working with a [consultant/coach]?”

4. Investment and ROI Questions

These questions address concerns about cost and value:

• “How much should I expect to pay for [specific service]?”
• “What kind of ROI should I expect from investing in [service]?”
• “How do I budget for [professional service] as a small business owner?”

5. Problem-Specific Solution Questions

These questions seek solutions to particular challenges:

• “I’m struggling with [specific problem] – what type of expert should I look for?”
• “What’s the best approach to [specific challenge] for a business like mine?”
• “How do other [similar businesses] typically handle [specific issue]?”

Real ChatGPT Conversations: What Female Entrepreneurs Actually Ask

Let me share some actual examples of questions I’ve documented (anonymised obviously!):

Marketing-Related Questions:

• “I hate social media but know I need to market my coaching business. What are my alternatives, and how do I find someone who specialises in non-social marketing?”
• “How do I know if my current marketing approach is working, and when should I consider hiring help?”
• “What’s the difference between hiring a marketing consultant versus a marketing agency for a small service-based business?”

Business Coaching Questions:

• “I’m making decent money but working 60+ hours a week. How do I find a business coach who understands scaling without burnout?”
• “What should I look for in a business coach as a working mum? Are there specific certifications or experience I should prioritise?”
• “How do I evaluate business coaching programs versus one-on-one coaching for my situation?”

Website and SEO Questions:

• “My website isn’t bringing in clients despite having good content. Should I hire an SEO expert or a website designer first?”
• “What’s the difference between traditional SEO and this new GEO thing I keep hearing about? Which should I prioritise?”
• “How do I find someone who can help my website show up in AI search results, not just Google?”

Legal and Financial Questions:

• “When should a small business owner hire a lawyer versus using online legal services?”
• “How do I know if I need a bookkeeper, an accountant, or both for my service-based business?”
• “What financial metrics should I track, and at what point should I hire professional help?”

The pattern I noticed? These questions are incredibly specific and show that people are actively researching not just whether they need help, but what kind of help and how to choose the right provider.

How to Reverse-Engineer ChatGPT Questions for Your Niche

Want to discover what questions your ideal clients are asking ChatGPT about your services? Here’s my systematic approach:

Step 1: Direct Client Research

During strategy calls and client conversations, ask: “Before you contacted me, did you research this topic with AI or ChatGPT? What did you ask?” You’ll be surprised how many people are happy to share their research process and it’s going to give you vital information to help steer your AI optimisation.

Step 2: Systematic ChatGPT Testing

Test variations of questions someone might ask about your services:

• “How do I choose a good [your service type]?”
• “What should I look for in a [your profession]?”
• “When do I know I need help with [your area of expertise]?”
• “What are the alternatives to [your service approach]?”

Step 3: Industry Forum Mining

Monitor groups and forums where your ideal clients gather. Look for posts that start with “I asked ChatGPT about…” or “AI suggested that I should…” These reveal real questions people are asking.

Step 4: Competitor Analysis

Research what questions generate responses that mention your competitors. This reveals the types of queries where your expertise could be featured instead.

Step 5: Question Expansion

For each question type you identify, create variations that address different stages of the buyer’s journey and different levels of knowledge about your field.

Content That Gets Featured in ChatGPT Answers (With Examples)

Based on my analysis of content that consistently gets referenced by ChatGPT, here are the characteristics that matter:

Comprehensive Question-Answer Format

Content structured as detailed Q&A performs exceptionally well. Instead of writing a general blog post about “choosing a business coach,” create content that answers “How do I know if I’m ready to hire a business coach?” with thorough coverage of all aspects.

Personal Framework Integration

ChatGPT loves citing content that includes unique frameworks or methodologies. Instead of generic advice, share your specific process. For example, “BALANCE methodology for scaling without burnout” gets referenced because it’s distinctive and actionable.

Specific Examples and Scenarios

Content that addresses particular situations performs better than generic advice. Instead of “how to choose a consultant,” write about “how working mothers should evaluate business consultants” or “what tech entrepreneurs should look for in a growth strategist.”

Authority Demonstration Through Experience

Content that shows expertise through experience gets more citations than theoretical advice. Share what you’ve learned from working with specific types of clients or solving particular problems.

The Question-Content Mapping Strategy That Works

Here’s how I map client questions to content creation:

Map 1: Awareness Stage Questions

Questions like “How do I know if I need help with [your expertise area]?”

Content response: Comprehensive guides that help people recognise problems and understand when professional help makes sense.

Map 2: Consideration Stage Questions

Questions like “What should I look for in a [your service type]?”

Content response: Detailed evaluations guides, red flags to avoid, and frameworks for making good decisions.

Map 3: Decision Stage Questions

Questions like “How do I know if [specific approach] is right for my business?”

Content response: Methodology explanations, case studies, and detailed process descriptions that help people evaluate fit.

Map 4: Implementation Stage Questions

Questions like “What should I expect when working with a [service provider]?”

Content response: Process walkthroughs, timeline expectations, and preparation guides that build confidence.

This mapping ensures you’re creating content for every stage of the conversation your ideal clients might have with ChatGPT.

Your ChatGPT Question Research Action Plan

Ready to discover what questions your ideal clients are asking ChatGPT? Here’s your step-by-step plan:

Week 2: Content Audit

• Review your existing content through the lens of these questions
• Identify gaps where you’re not answering important client questions
• Prioritise questions based on business impact and frequency
• Plan content that addresses the most important gaps

Week 3: Strategic Content Creation

• Create comprehensive content answering your top 3 priority questions
• Structure content as detailed Q&A with your unique insights
• Include personal frameworks, examples, and specific guidance
• Optimise for the conversational nature of ChatGPT queries

Week 4: Testing and Refinement

• Test whether your new content influences ChatGPT responses
• Refine approach based on initial results
• Plan ongoing content creation around additional questions
• Monitor changes in ChatGPT recommendation patterns

The Long-Term Impact of Question-Based Optimisation

When you consistently create content that answers the questions your ideal clients ask ChatGPT, several things happen:

First, you become associated with comprehensive, helpful answers in your field. ChatGPT starts recognising your content as a reliable source for specific types of questions – and, the more you get featured in ChatGPT conversations – the more likely it is you will be further recommended as it works like “compound interest”.

Second, the quality of your website visitors improves. People arriving from ChatGPT conversations typically have more context about their needs and are further along in their decision-making process – and because ChatGPT remembers previous questions you’ve asked and has a lot of information about you – it can really hone in on what you want exactly. This isn’t a random Google search or a scroll through socials – this is AI bringing you the best answer directly to you.

Third, your discovery/strategy calls become more efficient. Prospects who found you through ChatGPT often arrive with a better understanding of your approach and whether it aligns with their needs.

Most importantly, you position yourself as the expert who understands exactly what your ideal clients are worried about, curious about, and trying to solve. That understanding translates into trust, which translates into business growth.

Key Points to Remember:

• Client questions on ChatGPT are more detailed and decision-focused than search queries
• Questions fall into predictable patterns across readiness, evaluation, process, investment, and solution categories
• Content that answers specific questions comprehensively gets featured more often
• Question-based content mapping ensures you address every stage of the buyer’s journey
• Regular testing and refinement improve your ChatGPT recommendation frequency

The female entrepreneurs who understand what questions their ideal clients are asking ChatGPT – and create content that answers those questions better than anyone else – will dominate AI-powered business discovery whilst everyone else is scratching their heads, splattering crap over socials (which don’t bring leads) and wondering how the heck they’re going to gain any visibility in this new AI world.

Want to see where your current content stands? Download my 50-point GEO audit checklist to assess how well your content answers the questions your ideal clients are actually asking.