What LLM SEO is, and what it is called elsewhere
LLM SEO is the work of making large language model assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot mention, recommend or cite your brand. The same work is also sold as GEO (generative engine optimization), AEO (answer engine optimization) and LLMO. The names overlap heavily and no single one has won, so judge a provider by deliverables rather than by label.
It differs from classic SEO in what is being ranked. A search engine ranks pages; an assistant composes one answer from several sources and names a few brands. The unit you compete for is a place inside the answer, not position four on a results page.
Where an assistant gets its answer
| Source | How it enters the answer | What you can influence |
|---|---|---|
| Model training data | Background knowledge about brands and categories | Slowly: public mentions that persist over time |
| Live web search | Assistant searches, reads pages, then cites them | Directly: your pages, plus the review sites, Reddit threads and comparison pages that rank for the buyer’s question |
| Retrieval of your own pages | Needs crawl access by the engine’s bot | Fully: robots.txt, rendering, page structure |
The takeaway: the cited pages are often not yours. Check which pages an assistant reads for your buyer question before you edit your own.
What to do, in priority order
- Write down 10 buyer questions in the words buyers use, then run them on each assistant and keep the original answers. The free AI visibility test does this for five questions on six engines.
- List the cited sources for each answer. These are your real targets.
- Build genuine community mentions. Reddit and forum discussions are frequently cited. Participate openly and within each community’s rules; see community marketing.
- Let the bots in. Check robots.txt against the AI search bots with the AI crawler checker.
- Make pages quotable. A direct answer under each question heading, specific facts (specs, prices, limits), honest comparisons, and structured data that matches visible content.
- Fix factual errors assistants repeat about you at their source, not in the assistant.
- Retest on a schedule with the same questions and settings. Answers vary run to run, so compare patterns, not single runs.
Which tactics have evidence
| Tactic | Evidence level | Our view |
|---|---|---|
| Answer-first, fact-dense pages | GEO-bench (Aggarwal et al., 2024) reported visibility gains of up to 40% in experiments, varying by domain | Worth doing; treat the figure as experimental |
| Structured data matching visible content | Required by Google’s structured data guidelines for rich results | Hygiene; no promise of citations |
| Third-party mentions (reviews, Reddit) | Cited pages in answers frequently come from these sources in our tests | Highest priority, slowest to build |
| llms.txt | We have not seen a major engine confirm it uses the file for ranking or citation | Cheap to add with the generator; not a lever on its own |
| Keyword stuffing for “LLM” | None | Skip |
Measuring it without fooling yourself
- Separate three outcomes: mentioned, recommended, cited. Each needs its own count.
- Keep the original answer text and the source list for every run.
- Do not credit a citation on one engine as a result on another.
- Track referral traffic from assistants separately; many answers produce no click.
If you would rather hand this to a team, read our scored comparison of GEO agencies and the questions to ask each, or see monitoring from $99/month.
FAQ
Is LLM SEO the same as GEO?
In practice yes. LLM SEO, GEO, AEO and LLMO describe the same goal: being mentioned or cited in AI answers. Compare providers by deliverables, not names.
Does LLM SEO replace SEO?
No. Live-search assistants rely on pages that search indexes can reach, so crawlability and quality still matter. LLM SEO adds the question of which third-party sources the assistant trusts.
How long does it take?
Page and crawler fixes can be picked up as soon as engines re-crawl. Third-party mentions take longer. We retest weekly and report observed changes instead of promising a date.
Can I do it myself?
Yes. Start with the 10-question baseline above and the AI crawler checker. Hire help for community work and ongoing retesting if you lack the time.
Does llms.txt help?
We have not seen confirmation from a major engine that it affects citations. Add it as low-cost hygiene, not as the strategy.
Not sure where you stand? Run the free AI visibility test on your brand and category.
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