What Is LLM SEO? How to Get Your Brand Into AI Answers
LLM SEO is the work of getting your brand named when people ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity for a recommendation. Here's what it involves.
Key takeaways
- LLM SEO means optimising for the large language models behind ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI answers.
- It overlaps heavily with GEO and AEO: the names differ, the work is largely the same.
- Models name brands that are described consistently and vouched for by trusted third parties.
- Measure it by testing a fixed set of buyer questions every month.
What LLM SEO means
LLM stands for large language model, the technology behind ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode. LLM SEO is the work of making your brand easy for these systems to find, understand and recommend when someone asks a question your business can answer.
You will also see it called generative engine optimisation (GEO), answer engine optimisation (AEO) or AI search optimisation. The labels differ but the work overlaps almost completely. Our complete guide to GEO covers the wider discipline.
How language models decide which brands to name
When an AI assistant answers a question, it draws on what it learned in training and, increasingly, on live search results. Either way, it favours brands it can be confident about: brands described consistently across the web, covered by trusted publications, reviewed by real customers and clearly explained on their own sites.
Five things that improve LLM visibility
Consistent description. Say what you do, for whom and where in the same words on your site, profiles and press materials.
Answer-first pages. Answer the questions buyers ask plainly, near the top of the page, so a model can quote you accurately.
Third-party proof. Press coverage, reviews and inclusion in comparison articles give models independent evidence.
Structured data. Organisation, service or product and FAQ schema help machines read your pages.
Crawlable content. Make sure key pages are not blocked and load fast. See what llms.txt is for one emerging signal.
How to measure it
Write down 20 to 30 questions your buyers ask, run them through the main AI assistants every month and record whether your brand is named and how it is described. Track searches for your brand name alongside it. Our guide to measuring citation share explains the method.
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Proof, not promises
100+ confirmed weddings in around nine months
A wedding venue client booked more than 100 confirmed weddings in around nine months, each one paid in full or secured with a deposit. Confirmed bookings are the number that counts, not enquiries.
See more client resultsThe Growth Engine
One engine, four channels, one team
PR
Earned coverage that builds trust and the links search engines reward.
SEO
Pages built to rank for the searches your buyers already make.
AI search
Structured so ChatGPT, Perplexity and AI Overviews can cite you.
Paid
Paid media that converts warmer audiences at a lower cost per sale or lead.
Frequently asked questions
What is LLM SEO?
LLM SEO is optimising your brand and content so large language models such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity find, understand and recommend you when people ask relevant questions.
Is LLM SEO the same as GEO?
Largely, yes. LLM SEO, GEO, AEO and AI search optimisation describe overlapping work: making your brand easy for AI systems to cite.
Does normal SEO help with LLM visibility?
Yes. Many AI answers draw on search results, so pages that rank and are trusted are more likely to be cited.
How do I know if ChatGPT mentions my brand?
Test a fixed set of buyer questions in ChatGPT and other assistants each month and record whether and how your brand appears.
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What Is LLM SEO? How to Get Your Brand Into AI Answers
LLM SEO is the work of getting your brand named when people ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity for a recommendation. Here's what it involves.