What an LLM actually is
Imagine you read 100,000 books but could not remember a single sentence. Instead, you absorbed the statistical weight of every word, every phrase, every idea, and could predict what word comes next with uncanny accuracy. That is a large language model.
It is not a database. It does not look things up. It is a master predictor, trained on the patterns of human language. When you ask it a question, it is completing a very sophisticated fill-in-the-blank.
You are not trying to rank in a traditional sense. You are trying to become statistically probable. When someone asks an LLM for the best CRO tool, or the top alternative to HubSpot, or who runs the best AI search agency, you want your brand to be the word the model reaches for next.
Where search actually stands right now
Here is the data people cite to say AI search is just a blip. And here is why they are looking at it wrong.
80.76%Traditional search engines
still hold share of sessions
50%of consumers already use AI-powered search
McKinsey, 2026
$750Bin consumer spend through AI search
by 2028 (McKinsey)
Yes, AI is at 4% of sessions. But half of consumers are already using AI search to influence decisions. The brands moving early are building moats. The brands waiting for the right time will pay 10x for the same visibility in three years.
GEO vs SEO: different, but not by much
| Dimension | SEO | GEO |
|---|
| Primary goal | Rank in Google SERPs | Get cited and recommended by AI systems |
| Target platforms | Google, Bing, Yahoo | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, Copilot |
| Query focus | Keyword matching | Conceptual authority and trust signals |
| Ranking system | Algorithm-scored page rank | Statistical probability and citation patterns |
| Content style | Keyword-optimized | Authoritative, original, human-attributed |
| Performance metrics | Rankings, organic sessions | Brand mention frequency, AI traffic |
If you are nowhere on Google, you will be nowhere on ChatGPT. GEO builds on top of SEO. It does not replace it. Think of it as the next layer of the same game, played on a larger board.
Know which LLM uses which index
ChatGPT
Bing index
27% correlation
Claude
Brave Search
87% correlation
most optimizable
Source: AIVO research, January 2026
Hack No. 1Reddit, Reddit, and Reddit
Reddit is the most cited platform on LLMs, according to SEMrush data. The communities trust authentic voices, and so do the models trained on them.
- Do not use company accounts. It reads as spam to both communities and LLMs
- Exception: create r/YourBrand: an entity stacking play, not a subreddit marketing play
- Start here: map 8-12 relevant subreddits, create your branded subreddit, build persona accounts with 60+ day history before any product mentions
Hack No. 2Entity stacking
AI knows legitimate businesses have footprints. The more legitimate places you appear, the more the model trusts you. This is "Search Everywhere Optimization." One website about you beats 100 blog posts you wrote about yourself.
Are you on: BBB, Yellowpages, Reviews.io, Trustpilot (claimed), Medium, Crunchbase, G2/Capterra, Wikipedia?
I have mapped 500+ directories. Most brands have claimed fewer than 20. That gap is your opportunity.
Hack No. 3Semantic mentions
A brand mention without a link is as effective as a backlink in LLM rankings. Social platforms are massively underrated as GEO signals.
- Bonus: podcast transcripts: authoritative first-person indexed content that models love
- Don't stop backlinks (still best for Google) but stop over-investing vs. their LLM value
- Every mention in context builds your statistical weight in the model
Hack No. 4Write articles, not blogs
AI has read every blog. It can write one in 30 seconds. So why would it cite yours?
Articles do what AI cannot: human byline, real citations, lived experience, original research, things that have never been said before. Articles rank on LLMs. Blogs do not.
Hack No. 5Be with your competitors
AI works in clusters. If you are not in the cluster, you are not in the answer. The easiest way in: insert yourself into competitive conversations.
- [You] vs [Competitor]
- Is [You] better than [Competitor]?
- Best alternatives to [Competitor]
Your GEO starting checklist
- Submit to Brave Search
- Submit to Bing Webmaster Tools
- Claim Trustpilot
- Audit entity footprint
- Create r/YourBrand
- Write one real article
- One comparison piece per quarter
- Two podcasts per month
- Track AI visibility monthly
