What is LLMO (Large Language Model Optimization)?
LLMO stands for Large Language Model Optimization which is the process of improving your website and online presence so LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity recommend your business to users.
With AI becoming more and more prominent, the way people search is changing drastically. People are still using Google and other search engines to look for information – so don’t give up on SEO either! You can learn about what SEO is and what it means for your business in this article.
However, people are also using AI or LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to find information. If your website isn’t optimized in a way that LLMs can understand it, they won’t be recommending your business as an option to satisfy these user’s queries. So in addition to SEO, Key Creative now builds websites with LLMO strategy as well so our clients have the best chance of being recommended to users regardless of what they are using to search.
A Quick Activity to Help Understand LLMO
Step 1: Ask ChatGPT (or another LLM) about your business
To see this in action, all it takes are a few searches. Open up your preferred AI platform or LLM (my go-to is ChatGPT) and ask it about your business. Likely, it will have a pretty good grasp on your services, service area, and more. Now the questions is: Will it show this information to people when they’re looking for someone that offers services like yours?? Let’s see.
Step 2: Ask for advice on who you should go to for a specific service
Next, leave out any hint of your business name. Instead, ask ChatGPT for something that describes your service or product. For instance, you might ask: “Who should I hire to bake my wedding cake in Calgary, Alberta?” You may be surprised to see it spew out recommendations for your competitors.
Step 3: See an example that works
To see this done the right way, try searching “Who should I buy a quick possession new construction home from in Lethbridge?“. There are dozens of home builders and renovators in Lethbridge, but ChatGPT pulls info from websites, directories, and more to display what it believes to be the most relevant and accurate results.
At the time of writing this article, Stranville Living Master Builder comes up as the first result. Key Creative designed and wrote this website in 2022 with a focus on SEO and continues to work with them monthly on marketing and website content. Now, we are adjusting with to new search trends and performing LLMO as well!
So how do you become that top result? It starts with understanding LLMs process and choose information and how we can optimize for that.
What Are Some Basic Elements of LLMO?
LLMO (Large Language Model Optimization) is often described as “SEO for AI.” Instead of optimizing only for Google search, you’re making your content understandable, trustworthy, and accessible to AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini. These are the places where people are now asking questions instead of typing keywords into Google or Bing.
Like SEO, LLMO can be broken down into on-page elements (things you control directly in your content), off-page signals (like backlinks or citations), and technical factors (structured data, formatting, and accessibility).
Let’s touch on three of the most important of these.
Headings – Still Key for Structure
Just like with SEO, proper heading structure (H1 through H6) helps AI models understand your content. Language models “read” text linearly, but headings give them clear markers for topics, hierarchy, and relationships between sections.
If your content is structured well, AI is more likely to pull accurate, helpful snippets when a user asks a related question. A page with one clear H1 and well-organized H2s and beyond gives the LLM confidence that your content is authoritative and easy to quote.
Keywords vs. Natural Language Queries
KeIn SEO, keywords are usually short phrases like “florist near me” or “best sushi in Calgary.”
In LLMO, the concept expands: instead of only optimizing for short keywords, you want to include the natural questions people ask AI tools. These might look like:
- “Who is the best wedding florist in Lethbridge?”
- “Where can I buy agricultural drones in Alberta?”
- “What’s the difference between SEO and LLMO?”
The goal is to write content in a way that both answers the question directly and provides extra context. That way, when an LLM summarizes or cites your content, it captures the full answer.
Query Fan Out – Covering Variations and Follow-Up Questions
ere’s a big difference from SEO: AI models don’t just look at the exact query someone types in. They use what’s called query fan out.
That means when someone asks a single question, the model immediately expands it into dozens of variations, related angles, and even potential follow-up questions. For example, if a user asks:
“Is Calgary a good place to live?”
The model may also check content related to:
- “Pros and cons of living in Calgary”
- “Best Calgary neighbourhoods for families”
- “Cost of living in Calgary”
- “What’s the weather like in Calgary year-round?”
- “How safe is Calgary compared to other Canadian cities?”
If your content covers those related variations, the AI is more likely to surface your website as a source.
This is where quality blog content shines. Unlike SEO, where you often chase search volume for specific keywords, LLMO rewards comprehensive, well-rounded answers that anticipate the kinds of follow-ups a person might naturally ask. Think less about “what’s the top keyword I need to rank for” and more about “what questions will someone have next, and does my content already answer them?”
So What Does LLMO Mean For Your Business?
Both SEO and LLMO mean one thing: don’t ignore them. People are Googling your services and asking AI tools about them. If your content is missing from both places, you’re invisible.
With SEO and LLMO in place, your business can show up whether someone is typing in Google, or asking ChatGPT for recommendations.
TL;DR: What You Need to Know About LLMO
- LLMO makes your site visible to AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
- LLMO still relies on clear headings, strong keywords, and well-written content.
- SEO = traffic and clicks; LLMO = authority, mentions, and broader reach.
- More people than ever rely on AI models for answers – don’t miss out!
Interested in Done-For-You SEO and LLMO?
We love helping businesses show up where it matters most—on Google and inside AI tools. With the right structure, keywords, and content strategy, you can attract attention from both search engines and large language models.
👉 Our SEO Kickstart service is a one-day intensive that sets your website on the right track—no redesign required. It’s perfect for business owners who want more visibility, traffic, and leads without starting from scratch.
📩 Contact us today to learn how we can help you be found everywhere your customers are searching.