ChatGPT Apps SDK for SEOs & LLM developers
Summarize in ChatGPTYour Google algorithm update emails? Delete them.They're irrelevant now.
OpenAI DevDay 2025 just happened, and it completely changes the game for SEO. If you want to have a job in 2026, you need to understand what comes next.
Here's everything you need to know. 🧵
First, what even is OpenAI DevDay?
It's their annual conference. It's where they pull the curtain back and show us the future.
This year, Sam Altman dropped a bombshell.
Let's talk numbers. Because these numbers are absolutely insane.
In 2023, ChatGPT had 100 million weekly active users.
Today? Over 800 million.
That's an 800% growth rate in two years. This isn't a slow burn; it's a rocket launch.
Remember that crazy report? The one from Siege Media that predicted ChatGPT traffic would overtake Google Search traffic by the end of 2027?
It's starting to look less like a prediction and more like a spoiler.
The user growth is there. The momentum is there.
And now, the ecosystem is here.
Which brings us to the keynote's biggest reveal. The one thing that matters.
👉 Apps inside ChatGPT.
That's right. Sam Altman got on stage and announced that developers can now build real, interactive applications that live directly inside the ChatGPT chat window.
This isn't about plugins or clunky integrations.
This is a new generation of apps. Apps that are interactive, adaptive, and personalized.
Apps you can simply talk to.
So how does this work?
It's all powered by the new Apps SDK.
Put simply, it's a way for developers to embed and monetize their products directly within ChatGPT. It's built on three core pillars:
- ✅ Connect your data.
- ✅ Trigger actions.
- ✅ Create interactive UI in ChatGPT.
Make no mistake: this is the first new, major App Store in over a decade. And the land grab is starting today.
They showed a few examples. The first one was cool.
A user uploaded a photo of a hand-drawn sketch.
The prompt: "Figma, turn this into a wireframe."
Boom.
The Figma app rendered a fully editable wireframe right there in the chat.
The key insight? You can just "@ mention" the app you want to use. The model understands the context and activates the right tool. No more selecting from a dropdown list like with old custom GPTs.
But the second example... this is the one that should make your SEO brain go crazy.
The prompt was simple: "Make me a playlist for my party based on my favorite songs."
Notice what's missing?
The user never mentioned a brand. They just stated their intent.
And what did ChatGPT do?
It automatically recommended an app. It came back with:
"✅ Use Spotify for this answer."
This is the paradigm shift.
ChatGPT understood the user's "job-to-be-done" and recommended the best tool for the job. Without ever being asked.
This is the birth of a brand new type of AI search optimization.
The question is no longer "How do I rank #1 on Google?"
The question is now "How do I become the default app for an entire category of human intent?"
This is a zero-sum game.
This isn't a SERP with 10 blue links and a few "People Also Ask" boxes.
It's a single recommendation. A single "winner-takes-all" answer.
Think about it.
A user prompts: "Generate a 30-day weight-loss workout routine."
Will your fitness app be the one ChatGPT recommends?
If it is, that user is yours. The conversion rates will be massive. This is the most powerful organic growth channel we have ever seen.
And it's not just for SaaS companies.
This opportunity is for any brand that can create a useful, interactive experience.
A kitchen company? Build an app that lets users visualize new worktops from a simple description.
A dog food brand? Build an app that gives personalized dietary recommendations based on breed and age.
If you can imagine a tool that helps your customer, you should be building it for ChatGPT. You can literally build anything.
So how do you win? How do you optimize for this new world?
Your old SEO playbook is dead. Here's your new one.
Think Intents, Not Keywords.
Forget search volume. Focus on the job-to-be-done. What problem is the user trying to solve right now? Your app needs to be the solution.
Your App is Your New Content.
A 2,000-word blog post? ❌
An interactive tool that solves the user's problem live in the chat? ✅ That's your new pillar page.
Optimize Your App Listing.
A new form of ASO (App Store Optimization) is here. The ranking factors are a black box, but we can guess what will matter:
- Clarity: Does your app name and description perfectly match the intents it serves?
- Functionality: Does your app deliver a flawless user experience?
- Signals: Usage, engagement, and (inevitably) user ratings will determine everything.
The rules for this new internet are being written right now.
The ranking factors are a mystery.
But we're building the flashlight.
Here at LLMrefs, we are tracking exactly which apps get surfaced for which prompts, directly inside of ChatGPT. We're building the analytics platform for this new era of AI search.
If you want to see the future of search and claim your spot in it, you know who to talk to.
James Berry
Founder & CEO at LLMrefs
llmrefs.com