Stop Using ChatGPT Like Google

If you’re using ChatGPT the same way you use Google, you’re doing it wrong. Not badly wrong—just wastefully wrong.

ChatGPT isn’t a search engine. It doesn’t exist to fetch links, rank pages, or surface the “top 10 results.” Treating it like Google is like hiring a consultant and asking them to read headlines out loud. You’ll get something back, sure—but you’ll miss the real value.
Let’s talk about how not to use ChatGPT, and what to do instead.

1. Don’t Ask One-Line Questions With No Context
   Google thrives on short, vague queries:
   “best running shoes”
   “how to bake bread”
   “email marketing tips”
   ChatGPT, on the other hand, suffers with these. When you give it a bare prompt, it has no idea who you are, what you already know, or what outcome you want. So it defaults to generic, high-level answers—the AI equivalent of a Wikipedia intro.
   Better approach:
   Treat ChatGPT like a collaborator. Add context.
   Instead of:
   “How do I write a blog post?”
   Try:
   “I’m writing a blog post for first-time founders about product-market fit. The tone should be practical and slightly opinionated. Can you help me outline it and suggest examples?”
   The quality difference is massive.
2. Don’t Use It Just to “Look Things Up”
   Google is excellent at answering questions like:
   What year was X founded?
   What’s the capital of Y?
   What are the opening hours of Z?
   ChatGPT can answer these, but that’s not its superpower. When you use it purely for fact-lookup, you’re ignoring what makes it special: synthesis, reasoning, and creativity.
   Better approach:
   Use ChatGPT to connect information, not just retrieve it.
   Ask things like:
   “Compare these two strategies and explain when each one fails.”
   “Summarize this concept for a non-technical audience.”
   “Turn these notes into a clear argument.”
   Google gives you information. ChatGPT helps you think with information.
3. Don’t Expect a Perfect Answer on the First Try
   With Google, the goal is to find the “best” result and click it. With ChatGPT, the goal is iteration.
   Many people make this mistake:
   Ask one question
   Read the answer
   Decide ChatGPT is “meh”
   That’s like judging a conversation by the first sentence.
   Better approach:
   Follow up. Push back. Refine.
   Say things like:
   “That’s too generic—make it more actionable.”
   “Assume the reader already knows the basics.”
   “Rewrite this with more personality and fewer buzzwords.”
   ChatGPT shines when you treat it like a draft partner, not a vending machine.
4. Don’t Hide the Real Goal
   Google doesn’t need to know why you’re asking. ChatGPT does.
   If you ask:
   “Explain SEO”
   ChatGPT has to guess whether you’re a beginner, a marketer, a developer, or a business owner. It will usually guess “beginner” and play it safe.
   Better approach:
   State your intent upfront.
   For example:
   “Explain SEO to a startup founder who wants quick wins, not theory.”
   Or:
   “I need to understand SEO well enough to challenge an agency—focus on what actually matters.”
   Clear goals lead to sharper, more useful responses.
5. Don’t Treat It as an Authority—Treat It as a Partner
   Google feels authoritative because it points to sources. ChatGPT feels authoritative because it speaks confidently. That confidence can be misleading if you blindly accept everything it says.
6. Using ChatGPT like Google often means:
   Assuming the answer is final
   Not questioning assumptions
   Not injecting your own judgment
   Better approach:
   Engage critically.
   Ask:
   “What are the trade-offs here?”
   “Where does this advice usually fail?”
   “Give me a counterargument.”
   The magic happens when you challenge it, not when you worship it.
   The Real Shift: From Searching to Collaborating
   The biggest mindset change is this:
   Google is for searching. ChatGPT is for shaping.
   You don’t “query” ChatGPT—you brief it. You don’t “find answers”—you build them together. The more you explain your situation, constraints, and preferences, the smarter it becomes.
   So stop treating ChatGPT like a smarter Google.
   Start treating it like:
   A thinking partner
   A rough-draft machine
   A patient collaborator who never gets tired of follow-up questions
   That’s where the real power is.