LLM Optimization (LLMO): Get AI to Talk About Your Brand

Large language models (LLMs) are AI systems trained on vast amounts of written text to understand and generate human language.

LLMs power generative search and conversational search:

• Generative search: A form of search that generates a natural-language response to the user’s query (e.g., Google AI Overviews)
• Conversational search: A form of generative search that allows back-and-forth dialog between the user and the LLM-based tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Google AI Mode)

Many people refer to LLM-powered search tools simply as LLMs. So I’ll do the same.

In this guide, you’ll learn why and how to optimize for LLMs.

What Is LLM Optimization?

LLM optimization (LLMO) is a marketing tactic that aims to improve a brand’s visibility and portrayal in LLM-generated responses—like those found in ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and Google’s AI Mode.

Key LLM optimization techniques include:

• Getting positive mentions of your brand on reputable websites (so LLMs understand your brand better and perceive it more favorably)
• Creating original, useful, and LLM-friendly content (so LLMs are more likely to cite your content in their responses)

But you may be wondering how to do LLMO.

To do LLMO, most of the tactics used in traditional search engine optimization (SEO) are good for LLMO, too. 

But you can use other techniques to improve your LLM visibility. More about those later.

Why Does LLM Optimization Matter?

LLM optimization matters because it allows you to improve your brand’s visibility and portrayal in LLM-generated responses—content that people increasingly see and engage with.

Plus, the average AI search visitor is 4.4x more valuable than the traditional organic search visitor, according to Semrush’s AI search study.

LLMO can ultimately help you:

• Increase brand awareness
• Protect and improve your brand’s reputation
• Generate more revenue

LLMO could give your brand an immediate boost. But the long-term benefits may be more significant.

After all, AI adoption is set to increase. And information about your brand can become embedded in the training data used for future and new versions of LLMs.

This means the work you do now could ensure your brand is portrayed more frequently and favorably in LLM responses in the future.