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LLMs.txt For AI SEO: Is It A Boost Or A Waste Of Time? With so many popular tools, plugins, and content management platforms offering LLMs.txt to improve AI search visibility, one might come away with the impression that it’s the new frontier of SEO. The fact, however, is that LLMs.txt is just a proposal, and no AI platform has signed on to use it. So why are so many companies rushing to support a standard that no one actually uses? A recent Reddit discussion on this very topic exemplifies this phenomenon and hints at what is going on. Third Party SEO Tool And LLMs.txt Google’s John Mueller addressed the LLMs.txt confusion in a recent Reddit discussion. The person asking the question was concerned because an SEO tool flagged it as 404, missing. The user had the impression that the tool implied it was needed. Why AI Platforms May Choose To Not Use LLMs.txt Aside from John Mueller’s many informal statements about the uselessness of LLMs.txt, I don’t think there are any formal statements from AI platforms as to why they don’t use LLMs.txt and their associated .md markdown texts. There are, however, many good reasons why an AI platform would choose not to use it. The biggest reason not to use LLMs.txt is that it is inherently untrustworthy. On-page content is relatively trustworthy because it is the same for users as it is for an AI bot. A sneaky SEO could add things to structured data and markdown texts that don’t exist in the regular HTML content in order to get their content to rank better. It is naive to think that an SEO or publisher would not use .md files to trick AI platforms. For example, unscrupulous SEOs add hidden text and AI prompts within HTML content. A research paper from 2024 (Adversarial Search Engine Optimization for Large Language Models) showed that manipulation of LLMs was possible using a technique they called Preference Manipulation Attacks.

Companies ignoring AI search are missing 70% of potential visibility. Stop living in 2020. Instead, do this test: Start tracking your AI search visibility across three systems And the results will truly open your eyes. Firstly, let's start with what to fix: System 1: Traditional SEO - Still matters, but it's not everything. - Backlinks, keywords, technical optimisation. - Gets you ranked in Google search results. System 2: AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) - This is where most people are sleeping. - Featured snippets, AI Overviews, voice search. - Your content appears without people clicking through. System 3: GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) - The new frontier everyone's ignoring. - Getting cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude. - Influences AI responses about your industry. Our results from testing all three: → SEO alone = 30% visibility potential → SEO + AEO = 60% visibility potential → All three combined = 100% visibility potential Businesses mastering all 3 are dominating their competitors. Not just in Google rankings. In AI citations, featured snippets, and voice search results too. Now it's time to rate your own business  With the AI Search Health Check: Rate yourself 0-5 in each area: ↳ SEO: Backlinks healthy, content clusters mapped ↳ AEO: Voice optimised, featured snippets captured ↳ GEO: Original research published, AI systems cite you Your Total Score: 13-15: Visibility Master (You're dominating) 10-12: Strong Competitor (Room to optimise) 6-9: Missed Opportunities (Gaps costing you) 0-5: Behind the Curve (Action needed now) While your competitors fight for Google position #1,  You'll own: - Traditional search results - AI Overview features - ChatGPT recommendations It's 2025 now, and search has changed like never before. Stay on top by using these 3 systems. What's your AI search score? Let us know in the comments below. If you're search is struggling,   Searchable can analyse, fix, and scale your website to drive customers. It's an autonomous SEO & AEO Growth Engineer that will handle optimisation for you... So you don't have to put more on your plate. Learn more and join the waitlist 👇  https://lnkd.in/gTfCj6Ht ♻️ Repost to help others test their AI search health.  Follow Searchable for more on AI search and optimisation. 

SEO has changed more in 2 years than in the last 10. This is the glossary you need to know in 2025: If you learned SEO in 2022, half of what you know is outdated. The terminology, strategies and metrics that matter have changed. You don't need to memorise every SEO term in existence. But if you want visibility for your business in 2025,  You need to understand these 24 essential terms. Save this glossary to stay on top of AI search: 1. SEO: Search Engine Optimisation Improving visibility across Google and AI-driven platforms. 2. AEO: Answer Engine Optimisation Designing content that appears in AI-generated results. 3. GEO: Generative Engine Optimisation Ensuring your brand appears inside AI summaries. 4. AI Visibility:  How often your brand is cited in AI-generated responses. 5. SERP: Search Engine Results Page Where SEO and AI Overviews now coexist. 6. Zero-Click Results:  When users get answers directly from AI without clicking through. 7. LLMO: Large Language Model Optimisation Optimising for models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. 8. Semantic Search:  AI's ability to understand context and intent. 9. Entity Recognition:  How AI connects people, brands, and concepts in your content. 10. Embeddings:  The way AI encodes meaning to determine content relevance and citations. 11. Chunking:  Breaking content into sections AI can easily index and cite. 12. Passage Ranking:  Google's ability to rank individual passages within a page. For the rest of the terms, check out the full cheat sheet.    The gap between businesses who understand this vocabulary,  And those who don't is widening every month. Have you started optimising for AI search yet?  Leave a comment below with your thoughts. If you want the easiest possible way to prepare for AI search,  Join the waitlist for Searchable. It's an autonomous SEO & AEO Growth Engineer that  Analyses, fixes, and scales your website to drive customers. Learn more and join the waitlist:  https://lnkd.in/gTfCj6Ht ♻️ Repost to help your network learn these terms.  Follow Searchable for more practical lessons in AI search. 

LLM Optimization (LLMO): How to Rank in AI-Driven Search-You’re not alone if you’ve noticed your organic traffic dipping while your content continues to rank. And you’re not imagining it. Nowadays, people skip clicking to websites and get answers to their questions straight from AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI Overviews. Welcome to the new reality, where AI reshapes how users search and brands that fail to adapt risk fading from the conversation. LLMO isn’t a furry red puppet from a kid’s TV show. Nor is it just another SEO tactic. It’s the next evolution in search visibility, one designed to help your brand show up when large language models (LLMs) generate answers instead of serving up traditional search results. The good news is that most companies aren’t currently doing it, and that’s an edge you can use to your advantage. Below, we’ll explore how LLMO works, why it matters, and concrete strategies you can use to get your brand into AI-generated answers before your competitors. Key Takeaways LLM optimization (LLMO) is the evolution of SEO. It focuses on getting your brand cited and recommended inside AI answers, not just ranked on traditional search results pages. Ignoring LLMO means lost visibility. Even if your rankings stay strong, AI-generated answers can push you out of the conversation. Three pillars drive LLMO success: authoritative content (E-E-A-T), structured data (schema, FAQs, HowTos), and consistent tracking of AI citations. Winning early matters. Most brands have yet to optimize for AI, so moving now gives you a competitive edge. Think beyond Google. AI models pull from multiple platforms, including digital public relations (DPR), backlinks, and multi-format content across trusted spaces, boosting your chances of being included in answers. https://lnkd.in/gMM_nmsn

🔄 OLD SEO vs NEW SEO? What the Industry Still Gets Wrong Most marketers are still optimizing for Google circa 2015. -But search has quietly entered a new era - Google + AI. - The fundamentals remain, but the hierarchy of importance has flipped. Let’s break down what changed 👇 🧩 1. From “Google-Only” → “Google + AI” - Old SEO was about ranking blue links. - New SEO is about appearing in answer surfaces — AI Overviews, snippets, - People Also Ask, and even ChatGPT citations. - Visibility now extends beyond the SERP. 🧠 2. From “Volume > Depth” → “Depth with E-E-A-T” - 10 keyword-variant posts no longer beat 1 authoritative, experience-rich guide. - Google and AI systems now evaluate trust, depth, and clarity of expertise. → Publish fewer, deeper, better. 🎯 3. From “Keyword-Led” → “Intent-Led” - Old SEO chased exact-match search volume. - New SEO starts with user intent — questions, goals, and decision journeys. - Topic clusters > keyword buckets. ✍️ 4. From “Writing for Bots” → “Writing for Humans” - Optimizing for density and metadata once worked. - Now, structure, clarity, and visual readability drive engagement and retrieval. - AI needs human-friendly content to interpret meaning correctly. 🔗 5. From “Every Backlink Counts” → “Reputable Mentions” - It’s not about quantity anymore. - AI and search algorithms weigh contextual, editorial, and brand-verified links far more than raw link numbers. - Mentions from credible sources now act as semantic trust signals. 🧭 6. The New SEO Mindset - Focus: Understand → Organize → Simplify → Validate - Goal: Be retrievable and trusted across both search and AI ecosystems - Measurement: Visibility + Reusability (how often your content is cited or summarized)

The fundamental optimisations required to actually appear in Generative AI Platforms for relevant queries remain very similar to traditional SEO tactics (if you were already doing SEO correctly). However, whilst the tactics remain pretty much the same, these platforms and products have changed the search landscape in one major way. When it comes to informational intent queries – users are less likely to visit your website from a Generative AI Platform like ChatGPT or one of Google’s LLM driven AI features like AI Overviews. Essentially, the growth of these platforms and features is leading to an increase in “zero click searches” i.e. searches for which users never click through to a website. When it comes to Google’s own AI features, in the year after the introduction of AI Overviews, the number of impressions on Google increased 49% but the click-through rate fell 30% (according to a BrightEdge study) . In another Ahrefs analysis across 300,000 searches, top organic results lost 34.5% of their clicks when an AI answer was present. I have run multiple reviews of websites that have seen a drop in CTR since the introduction of AI Overviews, and have observed that AI Overviews are mainly reducing click-through rates for a certain subset of informational-intent queries that I call “immediate response” intent content. In other words, situations where users ask Google a specific, typically low-stakes, question for which they just want a quick answer. The hallmark of “immediate response” intent queries is that the users don’t really care that much about the source of the content and they have no intention of reading a comprehensive guide etc. As for standalone Generative AI platforms, whilst things were looking quite positive in terms of click through to websites, we’ve seen a significant reversal in this trend recently with one study showing that ChatGPT referral traffic dropped by 52% in August 2025 vs July 2025. This teaches us a valuable lesson – these platforms are constantly evolving and we cannot take for granted that any trends will persist in the long term. In fact SEO expert, Malte Landwehr, recently shared data that suggests that zero click searches are even more prevalent on ChatGPT and other AI platforms / features than on Google search. So whilst the tactics are familiar, the age of AI answers does require a fundamental shift when it comes to SEO at a strategic level. I'll discuss that in more detail in my next post. #geo #zeroclicksearch #seo

📌 iBETSEO Weekly SEO Insights | Week 1, October 2025 Welcome to the first SEO Weekly Report of October 2025. Here’s a summary of what’s shaping the search landscape this week. 1. Post-Spam Update: SERP Volatility Remains Elevated Although Google officially completed the September Spam Update on the 22nd, ranking volatility continues across multiple SERP features — particularly Images, Videos, and bottom Ad placements. Interestingly, indexing speed appears to have improved significantly post-update, with new pages being indexed faster and more consistently. 2. Google Confirms “Serving Issue” Affecting Search Visibility Google has confirmed an ongoing issue related to data-center performance that impacts how certain pages are displayed regionally in Google Search. Official statement (5:21 PM ET, October 3): “We’re investigating a data-center issue that may affect the serving of some pages. Next update within 24 hours.” If you’ve noticed irregular organic traffic patterns recently, this could be the underlying cause. 3. Google Tests Gray Hover Effect for Search Titles Google is currently testing a light-gray hover effect on result titles. While subtle, this change reflects Google’s ongoing experiments with SERP design and user interaction. 4. The Volatility of AI Search Results Recent studies reveal that 40–60% of domains cited by AI search engines (e.g., ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews) change completely within a month. This finding underscores the growing importance of AI visibility tracking, which differs fundamentally from traditional SEO. Citation drift isn’t an error — it’s an inherent feature of probabilistic language models. 5. Vector Index Hygiene: The New Layer of Technical SEO In the AI-driven era, SEO is no longer just about being discoverable by Google — it’s about being understandable and usable by AI systems. Vector Index Hygiene focuses on cleaning, structuring, and embedding content to ensure it’s properly interpreted by LLMs. It complements, rather than replaces, conventional SEO practices. Sources: https://lnkd.in/gqPAqB7Y https://lnkd.in/d2Qfpw8x

AI is changing how people search, but SEO fundamentals remain critical. Voice search, AI answers, and featured snippets all rely on well-optimized content that answers real questions. The businesses winning in AI search are those with strong SEO foundations. https://lnkd.in/gECK_rBx #AI #SEO #VoiceSearch #DigitalMarketing #FutureOfSearch #SearchOptimization

𝐒𝐄𝐎 𝐯𝐬 𝐀𝐈𝐎: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 The way we search is changing—and fast. For years, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has been the foundation of online visibility. We’ve relied on keyword research, backlinks, metadata, and technical performance to help content rank in Google search results. And for the most part, that’s worked. But in 2026, a new player is reshaping the landscape: AIO (AI Optimization). 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐀𝐈𝐎—𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 AIO isn’t just another buzzword. It’s a response to how users now interact with AI tools like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and Bing AI. These systems don’t display a list of links—they summarize information and deliver answers directly in real-time. That means your content needs to be optimized not just for ranking, but for being understood, parsed, and selected by AI. SEO is still essential, but it’s no longer enough on its own. 𝐒𝐄𝐎 𝐯𝐬. 𝐀𝐈𝐎: 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 Where SEO is built for human behavior (typed searches, clicks, and page visits), AIO is designed for machine interpretation. It focuses on content clarity, structure, trustworthiness, and semantic richness. AIO ensures that when AI models pull information to answer user questions, they pull from your content—not someone else’s. The two strategies serve different but complementary purposes: 𝐒𝐄𝐎 drives traffic through traditional search engines. 𝐀𝐈𝐎 builds visibility through AI tools and assistants that surface and summarize information. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 Users are no longer just searching—they’re asking, and expecting instant, accurate responses. And those responses are increasingly generated by AI. To stay competitive, brands need to combine SEO and AIO strategies. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐨 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐡: 𝐀 𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 Start with strong SEO: – Conduct in-depth keyword research – Build a clean technical foundation – Publish high-quality, valuable content Then apply AIO principles: – Use schema markup – Create structured formats like FAQs and summaries – Maintain accurate and up-to-date information – Write in a way that’s easy for both people and machines to understand 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞 As we move deeper into the AI-driven era of search, the brands that succeed won’t be the ones who just rank on page one—they’ll be the ones whose content is trusted, quoted, and shared by the AI systems people use every day. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. The question is: are you optimizing for it? Read more at https://lnkd.in/dBcTkTtK #AI hashtag #ArtificialIntelligence hashtag #Claude hashtag #Anthropic hashtag #AIagents hashtag #LLM hashtag #MachineLearning hashtag #PromptEngineering hashtag #AgenticAI hashtag #FutureOfAI #SEOvsAIO hashtag

Why Generative AI SEO is not equal to Traditional SEO Most people still think SEO means ranking on Google and fighting for page 1. But that’s already old. The game has shifted. When people ask questions now, they don’t always “search” anymore. They ask an AI assistant. And when they ask, there is no list of 10 choices. There is one answer. Traditional SEO was about traffic. Generative AI SEO is about being the chosen answer. In normal SEO you convince Google’s crawler. In Generative AI SEO you convince the model’s memory. That memory is influenced by: Identity, consistency, how widely you are referenced as “the one”, how your brand is talked about in public spaces This is why Reddit and Quora suddenly matter more than backlinks. LLMs treat human conversation as a stronger proof of relevance than a technical link from a random blog. If real people mention you, the model treats you as real. Google SEO = keywords AI SEO = entity A keyword says “what” An entity tells the model “who” For example: If you search “best place to learn maths”, Google will show you 10 websites. If you ask an AI the same question, it will pick one and speak on its behalf. No scrolling No comparing No checking competitors Winner takes all. This is why I keep saying this shift is huge and most people are not prepared for it. We are entering a world where brands are not discovered by humans first, but by AI first. And whichever brand the AI trusts will become the default. This is also why playing in conversations matters more than writing long articles. LLMs were trained on discussions, not on your on-page meta tags. Traditional SEO = visibility Generative AI SEO = recognition That is the difference. And that is why the people who learn this early will dominate 2026 and beyond.