Queries
What Is SEO or LLM SEO?
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SEO is structuring your website so Google ranks it when someone searches. LLM SEO — also called Generative Engine Optimisation, or GEO — is structuring it so AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity can find, understand and recommend your business.
They are two layers of the same job, not rivals. If your customers might ever ask an AI assistant for a recommendation, you want both.
How is it different from traditional SEO?
| Traditional SEO | LLM SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Optimises for | Google rankings | AI assistants |
| Key factors | Keywords, links, page speed | Structure, direct answers, data, credibility |
| Content style | Keyword-led pages | Direct-answer, fact-dense content |
| Still relevant | Yes, foundational | Yes, increasingly |
| Do they overlap | Significantly | GEO builds on SEO, does not replace it |
Why does this suddenly matter?
More people now start the search for a business by asking an AI assistant instead of typing into Google and scrolling. If an AI cannot find clear, structured information about you, it will not recommend you, however good you are.
What makes content easier for AI to recommend?
Content that answers the question directly, carries real specifics rather than vague claims, and is organised into quotable pieces. Tables, clear headings and a direct answer near the top of the page all help.
Is it just about the homepage?
No. AI tools often pull from deeper pages — articles, FAQs, service descriptions. A business with a handful of well-structured, informative pages usually does better than one with a single flashy homepage and nothing else to cite.
Does it replace traditional SEO?
No. Good LLM SEO stands on the same foundation: fast pages, clear structure, mobile support and real content. Treat it as a layer on top, not a competing strategy.
Do small businesses need this yet?
It depends on your customers' habits, but the trend is clear enough that ignoring it is a growing risk. Even basic steps — clear service descriptions, an FAQ, structured data — improve your chances of being surfaced by AI, and they help traditional search anyway.
Questions, answered.
Is LLM SEO the same as regular SEO?
Related but distinct. One targets how AI assistants find and cite content; the other targets search rankings. Good practice covers both.
How do I know if AI tools can find my business?
Ask ChatGPT or a similar tool for a recommendation in your category and city, and see whether you come up.
Is it expensive to implement?
The basics — clear structure, an FAQ, factual content — are low cost compared with the upside of being recommended.
Will it matter more over time?
Current trends suggest so, which makes it a long-term investment rather than a passing fashion.