1. The Strategic Importance of LLM Visibility
Industry projections indicate that, by 2027, traffic originating from large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT will exceed that from conventional Google search. This shift does not signal the demise of search-engine optimisation (SEO); rather, it underscores the need to integrate Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)—the practice of positioning an organisation’s content so that LLMs preferentially cite it in their responses.
2. Continuity between SEO and GEO
Established SEO pillars—expertise, authority, trustworthiness and high-quality backlinks—remain indispensable. Organisations that already demonstrate strong E-E-A-T signals possess a solid foundation on which to build GEO initiatives. The objective is to ensure that the salient portions of existing content are readily discoverable and extractable by LLMs.
3. Mechanisms by Which LLMs Select and Cite Content
Consideration
Implications for Content Strategy
Relevance supersedes rank
An LLM frequently cites material located well beyond Google’s first results page if that passage offers a more precise answer.
Personalised context
LLMs tailor outputs to a user’s historical queries, elevating resources that align with demonstrated interests.
Iterative questioning (“query fan-out”)
Users habitually pose follow-up questions. Content that anticipates and satisfies these iterative queries is more likely to be surfaced repeatedly.