The New SEO Frontier: How to Show Up in AI and LLM Search Results
For years, SEO has been about ranking on Google and driving as many clicks as possible. But the way people search is changing — fast. Instead of typing short keywords into a search bar, users are now asking AI tools like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity to deliver full, conversational answers instantly.
This shift means one thing: large language models (LLMs) are now gatekeepers to your brand’s visibility.
The good news? You don’t need to throw out your SEO strategy. The fundamentals still matter. But the way your content is discovered — and the intent behind every click — has evolved.
How LLMs Work — and Why It Matters for SEO
At their core, LLMs are trained on massive amounts of text (websites, books, articles, forums) and use that knowledge to predict and generate human-like responses.
Here’s the process, simplified:
- Training: The model learns from existing data and identifies patterns.
- Prompt Understanding: When a user asks a question, the AI interprets intent.
- Information Pulling: Some LLMs pull in live, up-to-date web data (like Gemini, ChatGPT with browsing, or Perplexity).
- Answer Assembly: The model synthesizes information into a conversational response, often blending multiple sources.
The takeaway? LLMs favor clear, authoritative, structured content that can be easily understood, cited, and repurposed in an answer. If your content checks those boxes, AI tools are more likely to reference you.
SEO vs. GEO vs. AEO
The search world is expanding beyond Google SERPs:
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Traditional optimization for Google/Bing rankings.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Optimizing for generative AI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity.
- AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): Structuring content to be pulled into AI summaries, like Google AI Overviews.
While the acronyms are new, the foundation is the same: high-quality content, authority signals, and technical optimization. GEO and AEO simply extend the ways your content is found.
AI Overviews, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Beyond
Here’s how the biggest players differ, and how that affects your strategy:
| Tool | How It Works | Data Source | What It Means for You |
| Google AI Overviews | AI-generated summaries at the top of Google results | Live Google index | Your SEO directly impacts inclusion; schema and FAQ content increase chances |
| Google Gemini | Conversational AI integrated across Search, Gmail, Docs | Google index + AI reasoning | Think “beyond search”: brand mentions can surface in productivity tools |
| ChatGPT (with browsing) | Conversational answers; can cite live sources | Training data + live web | Strong, authoritative content can get cited even if you’re not #1 in Google |
| Perplexity | AI search with heavy citations | Always live web | Great for visibility if your content is detailed and structured |
| Bing Chat (Copilot) | Conversational answers alongside Bing search | Bing index + live web | Similar to Bing SEO, but favors Q&A-style content |
Why Clicks May Drop — But Conversions Improve
One of the biggest shifts with AI-driven search is fewer clicks overall.
Why? Because users often get the quick answer they need directly in the AI tool. But here’s the flip side:
- The clicks that do come through are higher quality.
- Buyers are more educated by the time they hit your site.
- They’ve already read the basics in AI — now they’re coming to you for expertise, trust, or to take action.
In other words: less traffic, but more qualified leads. And that’s the traffic you actually want.
How to Show Up in AI Answers
- Cover topics deeply: Don’t stop at one post per keyword. Build content clusters around themes.
- Use Q&A formats: Headings like “What is…?” or “How does…?” make your content AI-ready.
- Leverage schema markup: Help AI parse your content structure.
- Build authority signals: Earn backlinks, brand mentions, and PR citations.
- Update frequently: Fresh content is more likely to be pulled into AI summaries.
The Bottom Line
SEO isn’t being replaced. It’s expanding.
- SEO gets you found in search engines.
- GEO ensures AI tools cite your expertise.
- AEO positions your brand as the direct answer.
Yes, overall traffic numbers may dip. But the traffic you do get will be better: smarter buyers, closer to a decision, and more likely to convert.
At AB Marketing, we don’t just play to win page one — we help brands become the answer in every search experience, from Google SERPs to AI conversations. Because in today’s landscape, visibility isn’t about clicks. It’s about being the trusted voice people turn to when it matters most.