Through the Binoculars: A First Look at Large-Language Model SEO
October 9, 2025
Imagine standing on a rocky ledge, binoculars pressed against the bridge of your nose. In the distance, you spot something on the horizon. What do you make of it? A new shape rises into view and turns toward you. Before you know it, it’s right in front of you. The shape blocking your view answers the question, “How does AI impact search engine results?” Marketing professionals call it large-language model SEO (LLM SEO). You’re not sure, but it feels like the ground is moving underneath your feet.
Right now, most of us produce content written for traditional SEO. You optimize your website with keywords in specific places so Google uses it, ranks it, and (hopefully) places you near the top of the search results. You want to be that glowing blue link at the top – the coveted spot everyone sees first.
But the landscape is shifting.
Think about it. Lately, when you search for something online, you don’t see a website hyperlink immediately at the top of the page. Instead, AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, and even Google itself, pull information straight into an instant AI answer. In fact, a large percentage of online searches don’t end with a website click at all.
As a business owner, your goal is still to get your website to the top of the search page. That’s where large-language model SEO (LLM SEO) can help you out. If traditional SEO places your website at the top of the search results, LLM SEO pulls your clear, credible, and concise content into the AI-driven answers.
What is Large-Language Model SEO?
LLM SEO is a process of optimizing your content so large language AI models can understand, interpret, and surface it in their responses. Instead of keyword “stuffing,” you must produce content that AI can easily interpret and surface directly in its response. The better the structure, the fresher, and more useful your content, the more likely AI will be to “quote you” at the tippy-top of the page.
EEAT: A Framework for Google Searches
Content creators have been following Google guidelines for years. Google searches have operated under the acronym, EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). This is its Search Quality Rater Guidelines – the rules human reviewers use when evaluating search results. It’s the compass Google uses to design its algorithms. This framework builds your credibility. If your content reflects EEAT, it’s more likely to be trusted, cited, or echoed in AI-generated responses.
Experience
Your content demonstrates that you have actually experienced what you’re writing about. It favors product review from someone who actually tried the product, or a travel guide written by someone who has been to distant locations. LLMs look for original, human-sounding insights, content that shows first-hand use stands out against the generic patched-together-from-other-people text.
Expertise
You show depth of knowledge or skill in the subject area. If you are a financial advisor who writes about retirement plans or a mechanic explaining a car repair, this signals expertise. LLMs favor clear, confident, jargon-balanced information that reflects true knowledge without being inaccessible.
Authoritativeness
This is the reputation you have gained in your field. Are you cited by others? Are you recognized as a go-to voice? Google uses quality backlinks to prove domain authority. LLMs still use them indirectly to establish credibility and trust, but there’s more to the equation. Kate Giove, Partner at Digital PR, suggests that, “now more than ever, digital PR must build authority. High-quality, trustworthy content remains the key to influencing how AI models, and audiences perceive brands. This means brand mentions – not just backlinks – are emerging as a critical currency in PR and online visibility.” (iProspect, 2025)
LLMs rely on cross-checking consistency across platforms. Frequent mentions, steady publishing and recognition in multiple AI sources proves your credibility.
Trustworthiness
Are you accurate, transparent, and honest in your content? Cite your sources, update outdated info, and avoid misleading claims to build trust. LLMs downplay spammy or manipulative content. AI is more likely to pull well-sourced, fact-checked material, into an answer.
What Can You Include In Your Content to Capitalize on LLM SEO?
Knowing that Google’s algorithms determine which content is pulled for AI-driven LLM SEO, it makes sense to adjust your website content accordingly. Try the following:
1. Show your experience. Add case studies, testimonials, and firsthand reviews to strengthen your content. Social proof is powerful. Be sure to include actual photos of you, in real life, doing authentic things. Stock imagery misses the mark.
2. Structure content clearly. LLMs love clarity. Write like you’re answering a question directly, with clear headings and easy-to-follow steps.
3. Prove your expertise. Add bios, credentials, and other detailed information to build confidence.
4. Anticipate questions. Create FAQs, concise takeaways, and scannable chunks. Match the natural way people ask things.
5. Cite your sources. Algorithms favor websites with well-placed sources. They build trust, and validate credibility.
6. Publish regularly across multiple channels. Ongoing blog posts, social media activity, and contributions to third-party sites signal that your voice is alive and reliable. Get quoted, linked, and mentioned.
7. Keep it fresh. Update old posts with new data, statistics, and insights. Be transparent with claims. Trustworthiness stands out to AI.
A Suggested First Step
So, with LLM SEO, does this mean that you have to rewrite your website? No, not at all. Start simply by modifying a few key pages.
- Double check your website to make sure it meets EEAT requirements.
- Add FAQs that mirror real customer questions.
- Refresh old posts with new data and stats.
- Reshape sections into a Q&A format
Once You’ve Updated Your Content, Can You Track AI Citations?
The short answer: Yes.
Kind of.
The long answer: You can get a sense of it, but it’s not as straightforward as watching Google Analytics. AI doesn’t always give a neat citation, and this is still relatively new territory. That said, there are some programs, like Nightwatch, or SEMRush trained to “track which queries trigger your content or brand mentions in AI-generated responses.”
If you’re not quite ready for a formal tracking system, here’s a few basic ideas to track LLM SEO on your own:
1. Run sample prompts. Search for your core questions across the different AI platforms. See if your phrasing, or your unique insights, show up.
2. Set up alerts. Use tools like Google Alerts for your brand name, product names, or distinctive phrasing. If AI pulls your wording into citations, it may surface elsewhere online.
3. Watch referral traffic. Even if the clicks are smaller, some users still follow through. Look for spikes tied to queries you’ve optimized for.
4. Experiment. Update a page with FAQs, fresh data, and Q&A style formatting. Then, track impressions and engagement over the next few weeks.
5. Document patterns. Keep a simple log of what content shows up where. Over time, this becomes your compass to see what kinds of answers AI consistently pulls.
Looking Ahead Through the Binoculars
Large-Language Model SEO is still relatively new, and unpredictable, a distant shape on the horizon. We know LLM SEO doesn’t replace traditional SEO. It walks alongside your existing efforts as a companion trail.
At JamboJon, we’re explorers; it’s our job to watch for anything that could impact your company’s online presence. The sooner we all learn how to navigate the new processes, the better off we’ll be.
Pull out your binoculars. Don’t be afraid to look. The horizon’s changing a little – and we’re ready for it.
