For years, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has been the gold standard for discoverability. We've obsessed over keywords, backlinks, metadata, and search rankings—rightfully so. Google search has been our main highway for visibility, and mastering its rules meant driving traffic, building authority, and growing business.
But here's the shift: we are no longer just optimizing for Google.
We are now optimizing for machines that talk back.
LLO (Large Language Model Optimization) and LHO (Large Language Model Optimization) are the emerging acronyms for this practice. You might also see acronyms like AEO (AI Engine Optimization or Answer Engine Optimization). Basically it's all synonymous.
The AI Revolution is Already Here
Enter the age of LLMs—large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Meta's Llama. These aren't just search tools. They are decision assistants, content curators, and gatekeepers of what users see when they ask a question.
And unlike Google, these AI systems don't simply list a dozen links for you to pick from. They synthesize. They interpret. They make judgment calls about which facts, brands, and resources are credible enough to mention—and which get left out entirely.
If SEO was about ranking higher, LLM optimization is about being remembered at all.
Why This Matters Right Now
Today, millions of people are asking LLMs questions that used to go straight to Google:
"What's the best CRM for a small business?"
"Who are the top leadership coaches in my industry?"
"What should I know before buying a home in Miami?"
With ChatGPT processing over 2.5 billion user messages daily as of 2025, the volume is staggering.
If your brand, expertise, or product isn't in the model's training data or isn't recognized as credible enough to be included in its synthesis, you're invisible.
Even worse—you might be replaced by a competitor who has invested in being AI-discoverable.
How LLMs Decide What to Say
LLMs are trained on enormous datasets—websites, books, social media, PDFs, news articles, and transcripts. But their "memory" is filtered through layers of:
✓ Relevance signals (How closely your content matches the question) ✓ Authority signals (Mentions, backlinks, reputable citations) ✓ Semantic context (The meaning of your content, not just keywords) ✓ Consistency (Your brand message appearing across multiple trusted sources)
In short: LLMs pull from the story of your brand as told across the internet—not just your website.
LLM Optimization vs. Traditional SEO
The key takeaway: You can have flawless SEO and still get skipped by an LLM if your content doesn't align with how AI is trained to understand and recommend.
5 Practical Ways to Optimize for LLMs
1. Own your niche narrative – LLMs reward clarity. Define your expertise in specific, repeated terms across your website, articles, and interviews.
2. Diversify your content footprint – Publish on your own site and guest post, appear in podcasts, get quoted in articles. The more quality sources referencing you, the better.
3. Write for humans, not just algorithms – LLMs are trained to favor conversational, useful, and trustworthy language.
4. Embed your expertise in Q&A form – AI tools are question-driven. Creating content that directly answers real questions improves your odds of inclusion.
5. Monitor your AI presence – Literally ask ChatGPT or Claude questions your audience might ask. See if your name or brand comes up. If not, you've found an optimization gap.
The Risk of Ignoring This
Think about how many companies once ignored mobile optimization because desktop traffic was "enough." They woke up years later to find they'd lost customers, market share, and relevance.
LLM optimization is in that same early-adopter phase.
The leaders who start now—especially those in competitive, identity-driven, or rapidly evolving industries—will be the ones AI keeps recommending tomorrow.
The Bottom Line:
SEO is still essential, but it's no longer the whole game.
We are moving from a world of "be found" to "be chosen"—and in the age of AI, being chosen requires making your expertise and credibility impossible to ignore in the datasets that train the tools shaping the future.
Your audience is already asking AI for answers.
The real question is: will AI be talking about you?
Additional information:
Episode Description:
SEO helped your audience find you. LLM optimization makes AI choose you. In this episode, Teri Arvesu unpacks the rise of Large Language Model Optimization—and why your brand’s next big visibility play isn’t just about Google rankings.
From understanding how AI like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini decide what to recommend, to actionable ways you can show up in their “memory,” you’ll learn how to future-proof your influence in the era of conversational search.
Whether you’re a founder, creator, or leader in a competitive industry, this is your blueprint for being the name AI remembers.
🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why SEO is no longer enough in the age of AI-driven answers.
The difference between being found and being chosen.
How LLMs decide which brands, experts, and products to recommend.
The 5 steps to make your brand AI-visible and credible.
How to monitor and measure your presence inside ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
🕒 Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro: Why LLM Optimization Matters Now
02:18 – The Shift from Google Search to Conversational AI
05:42 – How LLMs "Remember" Brands
09:10 – The 5 Practical Steps for LLM Optimization
17:25 – Avoiding the “Invisible Brand” Trap
22:40 – How to Audit Your AI Presence
28:50 – Final Takeaways + Action Plan
About the Author
Teri Arvesu Gonzalez is the founder of The TAG Collab, a consultancy that helps mission-driven companies align purpose, brand, and strategy from the inside out.
With a Master’s in Management and Leadership and more than 25 years of experience leading newsrooms, launching initiatives, and driving transformation across Miami, Chicago, and national corporate teams, she brings deep expertise in storytelling, culture-building, and operational alignment.
Also find me on:
Podcast: on Apple Podcasts and Spotify The TAG Collab
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_tag_collab/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576206521962
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teriarvesu/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thetagcollab/
Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@thetagcollab
Primary Tags (Core Topic & SEO Keywords)
LLM Optimization
Large Language Model Marketing
ChatGPT SEO
AI Discoverability
AI Content Strategy
Brand Visibility
Digital Marketing 2025
AI in Business
SEO vs AI Optimization
Marketing with AI
Secondary Tags (Audience & Context)
Latina Leadership
Thought Leadership Strategy
Personal Branding in AI
Networking Science
Branding & Storytelling
Cultural Duality
Future of Marketing
AI Trends
Content Marketing Strategy
Long-Tail Tags (For Niche Search Wins)
How to get ChatGPT to recommend you
AI optimization for small business
AI-driven brand growth
How AI chooses brands
AI marketing tips for entrepreneurs
ChatGPT discoverability
AI-ready brand strateg
