LLM seeding involves publishing content in places and formats that LLMs are more likely to crawl, understand, and cite. It’s not a traditional SEO strategy or “prompt engineering.” Instead, you’ll use this strategy to get your content to appear in AI-generated answers, even if no one clicks.
LLM seeding involves publishing content where large language models are most likely to access, summarize, and cite.
Unlike SEO, you’re not optimizing for clicks. Instead, you’re working toward citations and visibility in AI responses.
Formats like listicles, FAQs, comparison tables, and authentic reviews increase your chances of being cited.
Placement matters. Publish on third-party platforms, industry sites, forums, and review hubs.
Track results and monitor brand mentions in AI tools, referral traffic from citations, and branded search growth from unlinked citations across the web.
LLM seeding is publishing content in formats and locations that LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity can access, understand, and cite.
Instead of trying to rank #1 in Google search results, you want to be the source behind AI-generated answers your audience sees. The goal is to show up in summaries, recommendations, or citations without needing a click. The fundamentals overlap with SEO best practices, but the platform you’re optimizing for has changed.
LLMs have been trained on massive datasets pulled from the public web, including blogs, forums, news sites, social platforms, and more. Some also use retrieval systems (like Bing or Google Search) to pull in fresh information. When someone asks a question, the model generates a response based on what it has learned and in some cases, what it retrieves in real time.
Well-structured content, clearly written, and hosted in the right places, is more likely to be referenced in the response: an LLM citation. It’s a huge shift because instead of optimizing almost exclusively for Google’s algorithm, you’re now engineering content for AI-visibility and citations.
Traditional SEO focuses on ranking high on Google to earn clicks. You optimize for keywords, build backlinks, and improve page speed to attract traffic to your site.
ou don’t chase rankings. You build content for LLMs to reference, even if your page never breaks into the top 10. The focus shifts from traffic to trust signals: clear formatting, semantic structure, and authoritative insights. You provide unique insights and publish in places AI models scan frequently, like Reddit, Medium, or niche blogs, which increases your chances of being surfaced in AI results.
SEO asks, “How do I get more people to click to my website?”
LLM seeding asks, “How do I become the answer, even if there’s no click?”
Best Practices For LLM Seeding
If you want LLMs to surface and cite your content, you need to make it easy to find, read, and worth referencing. Here’s how to do that:
Create “Best of Listicles”
LLMs prioritize ranking-style articles and listicles, especially when they match user intent, such as “best tools for freelancers” or “top CRM platforms for startups.” Adding transparent criteria boosts trust.
Use Semantic Chunking
Semantic chunking breaks your content into clear, focused sections that use subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to make it easier for people to read. This structure also helps LLMs understand and accurately extract details. If you’re having trouble thinking about where to start, think about FAQs, summary boxes, and consistent formatting throughout your content.
Write First-Hand Product Reviews
LLMs tend to favor authentic, detailed reviews that include pros, cons, and personal takeaways. Explain your testing process or experience to build credibility.
Add Comparison Tables
Side-by-side product or service comparisons (especially Brand A vs. Brand B) are gold to LLMs. You’re more likely to be highlighted if you include verdicts like “Best for Enterprise” or “Best Budget Pick.” An example of a brand that does comparison tables particularly well is Nerdwallet.
Include FAQ Sections
Format your FAQs with the question as a subheading and a direct, short answer underneath. LLMs are trained on large amounts of Q&A-style text, so this structure makes it easier for them to parse and reuse your content. FAQ schema is also fundamental to placement in zero-click search elements like featured snippets. The structured format makes your content easier for AI systems to parse and reference.
Offer Original Opinions
Hot takes, predictions, or contrarian views can stand out in LLM answers, especially when they’re presented clearly and backed by credible expertise. Structure them clearly and provide obvious takeaways.
Demonstrate Authority
Use author bios, cite sources, and speak from experience. LLMs use the cues to gauge trust and credibility. If you’ve been focusing on meeting E-E-A-T guidelines, much of your content will already have this baked in.
Layer in Multimedia
While ChatGPT may not show users photos inside the chat window, screenshots, graphs, and visuals with descriptive captions and alt text help LLMs (and users who do click through) better understand context. It also breaks up walls of text.
How To Track LLM Seeding
Tracking LLM seeding is different from tracking SEO performance. You won’t always see clicks or referral traffic, but you can measure impact if you know where to look. These KPIs matter the most:
1. Brand Mentions in AI Tools
Tracking tools: Perplexity Pro lets you see citation sources, while ChatGPT Advanced Data Analysis can sometimes surface cited domains. Even enterprise tools like Semrush AIO have started to track brand mentions across AI models. There are also dedicated tools like Profound that specifically focus on AI visibility.
2. Referral Traffic Growth
Using tools like GA4 can help you determine LLM seeding’s effectiveness, but not via traditional metrics.
3. Unlinked Mentions
You have several options for seeking out unlinked mentions.
4. Overall LLM Visibility
No matter which tools you use, building a log to track your monthly tests across AI platforms can provide insights. Document the tool(s) used, prompt asked, and the exact phrasing of the mention. You’ll also want to track your brand sentiment; is your brand being talked about in a positive, neutral, or negative light?
