UPDATED: May 2026 | By Perry Stevens, Blend Local Search Marketing

People's online search habits are changing quickly. Many of us have focused on ranking well on Google for years. Now, a new player is reshaping the SEO landscape: LLM SEO (also called LEO, or Large Expert Optimisation).

This is not just another SEO trend. It marks a major shift in how large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity discover, recommend, and cite content. The good news? You're still early to this change.

Let's explore how LLM SEO works, why it matters, and how your business can take advantage of it today.

TL;DR

LLM SEO optimises your content so AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity can discover, understand and cite it in their answers.
Early adopters are already driving significant traffic from AI citations without ranking on page one of Google.
Key tactics: structured content, schema markup, an llms.txt file, and building topical authority with clear, data-backed insights.

What Is LLM SEO?

LLM SEO stands for Large Language Model SEO. It focuses on optimising your content for AI tools. These tools use natural language processing to understand and answer questions.

Unlike traditional methods, these AI tools don't just scrape keywords. They include relevant, authoritative sources to provide answers and often cite them. If you've noticed a link in a ChatGPT response or a source in Perplexity AI, that's LLM SEO at work.

Some in the industry refer to it as LEO - Large Expert Optimisation. This name highlights the importance of being seen as an expert source.

Why LLM SEO Matters (Right Now)

LLMs are quickly becoming the first stop for online questions. Whether it's ChatGPT's browsing tool, Google's AI Overviews, or new AI platforms like Perplexity, millions of users are getting answers from AI instead of traditional search engines.

This shift means:

You don't have to be on page one of Google to get discovered.
If AI likes your content, you can become a trusted source cited in its responses.
Traffic is coming from AI discovery engines -not just organic search.

By mid-2025, this is already attracting hundreds of thousands of visits to sites listed in AI outputs. This insight comes from digital strategist Jake Ward (@jakezward on X) in his popular thread in June 2025.

AI is already reshaping how users discover content-your brand could be cited in an answer without ever ranking on page one." - Rand Fishkin, SparkToro, on emerging SEO trends (April 2025)

How LLMs Choose What to Show

Unlike Google, which depends on links, domain authority, and user signals, LLMs prefer content clarity, structure, and trustworthiness.

Here's what they're looking for:

Well-structured pages with headings, bullet points, and concise explanations.
FAQs, how-tos, and data-backed insights - the kind of content people search for and AI models learn from.
Citations and credible sources - so the AI can trace and attribute information.
Schema markup and semantic tags - helping machines understand context.

In short, your site has to be AI-readable, not just user-friendly.

Traditional SEO vs LLM SEO: What's Different?

Factor	Traditional SEO	LLM SEO
Primary Goal	Rank on Google page one	Get cited in AI-generated answers
Key Signals	Backlinks, domain authority, CTR	Content clarity, structure, citations
Content Format	Keyword-optimised pages	FAQ, HowTo, structured data, llms.txt
Traffic Source	Organic search clicks	AI citations, chat referrals, brand mentions
Measurement	Rankings, impressions, CTR	AI visibility, citation rate, referral traffic

Both approaches complement each other. LLM SEO is a layer on top of traditional SEO, not a replacement. You still need solid technical foundations, but LLM SEO adds the AI-readability layer that gets you discovered by ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.

Key Strategies for LLM SEO Success

Here's how to make your content irresistible to AI:

Optimise for structure

Use clear headings (H2s and H3s), bullet points, and brief paragraphs. Make it easy for an AI to summarise or quote you.

Add schema markup

Use FAQPage, HowTo, and Article schema to help AI and search engines parse your content with more precision. Need a hand? Try our free Schema Markup Generator.

Build topical authority

Create content clusters around a theme, so your site is seen as an expert source on a subject, not just a one-off result. For example, pair this post with our guide on AI Visibility Optimisation and how to appear in ChatGPT search sources to build a complete AI search topic cluster.

Include sources and data

When you make claims, back them up. Data and citations build trust, not just with human readers, but with the models themselves.

Add an llms.txt File to Help AI Understand Your Site

One simple step many businesses can take is to add an llms.txt file to their website.

An llms.txt file is a markdown file placed at the root of your domain, for example:

yourwebsite.com/llms.txt

Its job is to give AI models a clear, structured overview of your website, including your key pages, services and important descriptions.

Think of it as a helpful guide for AI systems.

It does not replace SEO. It does not replace schema. It does not guarantee that ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Perplexity will cite your site.

But it can help make your website easier to understand, especially as AI discovery becomes more important.

A good llms.txt file can help:

Summarise what your business does
Highlight your most important pages
Give AI systems cleaner descriptions of your services
Reduce the chance of AI tools guessing from messy HTML
Support your wider AI search visibility strategy

It is also different from robots.txt.

A robots.txt file tells crawlers which pages they can or cannot access. An llms.txt file tells AI models what your pages are about and why they matter. They serve different purposes, so in an AI-shaped search world, it makes sense to think about both.

To make this easier, we built a free tool: the LLMs.txt Generator. You can enter your website URL, let the tool scan your sitemap, crawl and analyse your pages, then download a formatted llms.txt file ready to upload to your site root. The tool is free to use, does not require signup, and includes an option for JavaScript-heavy sites such as React, Vue and Next.js builds.

Free Tool: Generate Your llms.txt File

Want to make your website easier for AI models to understand?

Use our free LLMs.txt Generator to scan your site, organise your key pages and create a downloadable llms.txt file in seconds.

No signup. No credit card. No faffing about.

Create Your Free llms.txt File

Cloudflare's 1 July 2025 Update: Why It Changes Everything

As if the LLM SEO landscape wasn't already shifting fast, Cloudflare made headlines on 1 July 2025 by announcing a major policy change:

AI Bots Blocked by Default

Cloudflare - used by more than 20% of the web, now blocks AI crawlers by default on new domains. That includes bots from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others.

Introducing Pay?Per?Crawl

If you want AI models to access your content, you must opt in and potentially set a fee per crawl using HTTP 402 responses.

AI Labyrinth

They've also launched "AI Labyrinth." This smart system traps unauthorised bots in fake content. It protects real data and wastes bot resources.

Why It Matters

If your content gets blocked, you won't be cited. That means no AI traffic, no brand visibility in chat responses, and no presence in AI-led searches.

If you use Cloudflare, check your settings. Consider opting in to stay discoverable by AI.

Cloudflare powers over 20% of all websites globally.

Real-World Impact: The LLM SEO Opportunity

Jake Ward's insights reveal that smart marketers are already driving hundreds of thousands of visits from AI citations. One company mentioned in his thread got tens of thousands of hits from Perplexity AI alone - without appearing on page one of Google.

This is a unique time in digital marketing: a level playing field where early adopters can grab attention before the competition catches up.

How to Future Proof Your SEO Strategy

Rather than throwing out everything you've learned about SEO, think of LLM SEO as a layer on top of your existing efforts.

Here's your action plan:

Audit your site's structure and schema. Our AI Search Visibility Audit can help.
Enable AI bot access (or crawl pricing) if using Cloudflare.
Start writing for machines and humans - clarity, not just creativity.
Focus on topics, not just keywords.
Cite sources, share data, and be the voice of authority in your niche.

And most importantly, track your AI visibility - because it's going to be just as important as your Google rankings.

Key Stat: According to Gartner, by 2026 over 50% of consumers will use AI assistants as their primary search method, displacing traditional search engines. Brands that optimise for AI citation today will capture that traffic before competitors adapt. (Source: Gartner, "Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2026", October 2025)

Final Thoughts: The Future Is Already Here

Whether you call it LLM SEO or LEO, this new chapter of search is being written right now. It's not just about ranking, it's about being cited, referenced, and trusted by the engines shaping tomorrow's search habits.

If you want your business to show up in the AI search layer, start optimising now. There's still time to get ahead.

About the Author

Perry Stevens is the founder of Blend Local Search Marketing, a Singapore-based agency helping local businesses dominate search through AI-ready SEO, structured data and conversion-focused content. With over 15 years in digital marketing, Perry has personally audited 200+ sites for AI search visibility and helped clients secure citations in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini results.

FAQs About LLM SEO (Large Language Model SEO)

What's the difference between traditional SEO and LLM SEO?

Traditional SEO focuses on optimising content for search engines like Google - mainly to rank higher on results pages. LLM SEO, on the other hand, is about making your content easily understood and cited by AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. The goal isn't just traffic from clicks, but brand visibility within AI-generated answers.

How do I know if my website is included in AI-generated responses?

While there isn't one central dashboard (yet), tools like Perplexity often show source citations directly. You can also ask ChatGPT or Claude questions in your niche and see if your site appears. Set up Google Alerts for your domain, and check your referral data in analytics tools, you might see visits from AI tools or unfamiliar referrers.

Does Cloudflare block AI crawlers by default for all websites?

As of 1 July 2025, Cloudflare blocks AI bots like OpenAI and Anthropic by default on new domains. To allow AI access, you need to opt in manually or set a crawl fee using the new "Pay?Per?Crawl" model. It's essential to check your settings if you want your content to appear in AI-generated search results.

What type of content is best for LLM SEO?

AI tools prefer well-structured, information-rich content. FAQs, how?to guides, expert insights, original data, and clearly answered questions are ideal. Use headings, bullet points, and schema markup to make it easy for AI to understand your content. The clearer and more helpful your content is, the more likely it is to be cited.

Do I need an llms.txt file for LLM SEO?

An llms.txt file is not a magic ranking factor, but it can be a useful part of an AI search visibility strategy. It gives AI systems a structured overview of your website, key pages and services. It should be used alongside strong content, schema, reviews, clear service pages and good technical SEO. You can generate one for free in under a minute.

Is it too late to start with LLM SEO?

Not at all. In fact, now is the perfect time. LLM SEO is still emerging, which means early adopters have a real advantage. The sooner you optimise your content and settings for AI visibility, the more likely you are to get noticed, before your competitors catch up.

Want to Stay Ahead?

We're offering a free LLM SEO audit to check if your content is ready for the AI era. We'll also review your Cloudflare settings and give you practical steps to boost your AI discoverability.

Contact Blend Local Search Marketing and let's make your business the expert that AI trusts.

What Is LLM SEO? The Future of Search Is Here