LLMO: 12 Ways to Make Your Brand Shine in AI Responses

By Maria Saruli and the Digital Impact Marketing Team
Updated: June 22, 2025

AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are revolutionizing how people discover brands. Large Language Model Optimization (LLMO) is your ticket to getting noticed in these AI-driven conversations. With over 150,000 hours of marketing expertise, our team shares 12 practical strategies to boost your brand’s presence in AI responses, backed by real-world examples and the latest insights.

Why LLMO Is a Big Deal

The world is buzzing about Large Language Models (LLMs), and the numbers don’t lie:

• Google Trends shows searches for “LLM Optimization” climbing steadily since January 2023.
• The global LLM market is expected to grow 36% per year from 2024 to 2030 (Statista).
• Chatbots are on track for 23% growth by 2030 (Grand View Research).
• Gartner predicts half of search engine traffic could vanish by 2028 as AI takes over.

“LLMs are the first real alternative to Google search.”
— Bernard Huang, Ahrefs Evolve

Brands that optimize for AI now can grab a head start in this new era.

What’s LLM Optimization All About?

LLMO ensures your brand—its products, people, and content—shows up in AI chatbot answers. It’s about getting mentioned, linked, or quoted in responses, whether through text, stats, or visuals.

Example: Ahrefs in Perplexity

When someone asked Perplexity, “What’s an AI content helper?” it highlighted Ahrefs with a link and included two Ahrefs articles. That’s LLMO in action.

It’s not just about AI Overviews (like Google’s summaries). LLMO is a new game, similar to SEO but focused on AI conversations. Harvard Business Review suggests SEOs might soon be called LLMOs, showing how big this shift is.

Why Bother with LLMO?

Investing in LLMO pays off because:

• Stay Visible: AI is here to stay—keep your brand in front of users.
• Get Ahead Early: Be a pioneer and outpace competitors.
• Crowd Out Rivals: More mentions for you mean less for others.
• Join Key Conversations: AI can recommend your brand during buying decisions.
• Drive Traffic: Some AI chatbots send visitors to your site.
• Boost SEO: Strong SEO fuels LLM visibility, and LLM success lifts rankings.

How AI Chatbots Work

Understanding the two main types of LLMs helps you strategize:

• Self-Contained LLMs (e.g., Claude): Rely on fixed data, no live web access. Claude couldn’t provide New York’s current weather due to its April 2024 data cutoff.
• RAG LLMs (e.g., Perplexity, Gemini): Pull real-time web data, cite sources, and drive traffic. Perplexity gave an instant weather update with links.

RAG LLMs are gold for LLMO because they amplify SEO and send traffic to your site.

12 Strategies to Get Your Brand in AI Answers

Here are 12 proven ways to make your brand stand out in AI responses:

1. Use PR to Own Your Topic

AI links brands to topics based on association. When Claude was asked about chairs for better posture, it suggested Herman Miller due to its “ergonomic” reputation.

What to Do:

• Get mentioned in top publications like CNET or TechRadar. Herman Miller scored 273 “ergonomic” mentions in 2024 (Ahrefs).
• Use press releases or affiliate partnerships.
• Track mentions with Ahrefs Brand Radar.

Example: Analyze competitors’ AI mentions with Ahrefs Brand Radar to outdo their PR strategy.

2. Add Quotes and Stats to Your Content

A study of 10,000 queries showed sites with quotes and stats got a 30–40% boost in RAG-based AI visibility.

What to Do:

• Add short expert quotes to blogs.
• Share unique stats, e.g., “Our 2025 survey found 78% of marketers prioritize LLMO.”
• Cite trusted sources like Statista.

Example: Keep quotes and stats concise for AI to pick up easily.

3. Think Entities, Not Just Keywords

AI sees brands as entities. Bernard Huang at Ahrefs Evolve showed how to check entity connections with Google’s NLP API.

What to Do:

• Use Google’s Natural Language API to check your content’s topics.
• Analyze site authority with InLinks Entity Analyzer.
• Check backlink anchors in Ahrefs.

Example: iPullRank strengthened its “SEO consulting” entity by creating targeted content.

4. Track AI Mentions with Ahrefs Brand Radar

A Seer Interactive study found better rankings mean more AI mentions.

What to Do:

• Use Ahrefs Brand Radar to compare AI mentions.
• Find third-party partnership sites.
• Track PR impact on AI visibility.

Example: Ahrefs outranked SEMRush for “backlinks” by optimizing content.

5. Get on Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a key AI training source, making a strong page vital for entity recognition.

What to Do:

• Prove notability with news or book mentions.
• Keep content neutral and verifiable.
• Build editor credibility on Wikipedia.

Example: A Wikipedia page boosts Google Knowledge Graph visibility.

6. Answer Brand Questions AI Users Ask

Search data reveals what people ask about your brand, often appearing in AI prompts.

What to Do:

• Use Ahrefs Matching Terms for brand questions like “What is [brand]?”
• Check LLM auto-completes in Perplexity.
• Create concise answers on your site.

Example: Monzo targeted “Is Monzo good for travelers?” after spotting it in ChatGPT.

7. Build Buzz on Reddit

Reddit’s user content shapes AI perceptions of brands.

What to Do:

• Engage in subreddits via AMAs or discussions.
• Encourage organic brand mentions.
• Track Reddit mentions with Ahrefs Top Pages.

Example: Herman Miller’s Reddit buzz spiked after an AMA on r/ergonomics.

8. Give Feedback to AI Chatbots

Feedback improves AI’s brand recognition, as Crystal Carter showed at BrightonSEO.

What to Do:

• Rate responses in Gemini or Perplexity.
• Correct wrong brand mentions.

Example: Fixing a product mention in Gemini boosted a site’s brand status.

9. Keep Up Your SEO Game

Seer Interactive found a 0.65 correlation between rankings and AI mentions.

What to Do:

• Target high-intent keywords.
• Earn backlinks from authoritative sites.
• Create solution-focused content.

Example: Ranking for “best [product category]” increases AI mentions.

10. Steer Clear of Shady Tactics

Harvard research showed strategic text sequencing can manipulate AI, but it’s risky.

Why Avoid It:

• Penalties or reputational harm can result.
• Ethical strategies ensure lasting visibility.

Example: An SEO Community case showed competitors spreading false info via AI—stick to legit tactics.

11. Track AI Traffic in Analytics

RAG-based AIs send referral traffic you can measure.

What to Do:

• Set up an LLM traffic report in GA4.
• Use Looker Studio templates to compare AI and organic traffic.

Example: Spot top AI referrers to focus partnerships.

12. Make the Most of AI Traffic

AI often links to “gateway pages.” Turn these into conversion hubs.

What to Do:

• Add internal links to product or signup pages.
• Improve UX with clear CTAs and fast loading.

Example: A blog post linked by AI can drive visitors to a product page, boosting sales.

Wrapping Up

LLMO is a fresh opportunity, much like early SEO. It’s about testing, learning, and adapting to AI’s growing role in search. Combine PR, entity research, SEO, and ethical content to get recommended by AI. Tools like Ahrefs Brand Radar, Google’s NLP API, and GA4 keep you on track.

The buyer journey is messier with AI, but optimizing now ensures your brand stands out. Start today to own the AI conversation!

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