Getting Cited by AI: How To Rank Your Website In LLM

Why is my organic traffic dropping even though I’m doing SEO right? We understand how frustrating it is to see your rankings hold strong while your website traffic quietly dwindles. The answer may not lie in your keywords or backlinks but in how AI is changing the way people search.

We’d like to introduce you to a powerful new strategy called LLM Seeding. It’s not just the next trend in SEO, it’s a future-proof approach to staying visible and trusted in a world where AI-driven search is on the rise.

What Is LLM Seeding?

LLM (Large Language Model) Seeding is the practice of publishing content in formats and places that AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity are most likely to read, summarise and reference. Rather than focusing purely on search engine rankings and backlinks, this approach shifts your content strategy towards earning brand mentions in AI-generated answers.

Think of it this way: you’re no longer just trying to appear on Google’s first page, you’re trying to become the answer that AI gives when a user asks a question.

Why It Matters Now

Organic clicks are falling and it’s not just due to competition. Increasingly, users are getting the answers they need directly from AI tools without ever clicking through to a website. But when your brand is mentioned in those answers, you still win. You gain visibility, trust and even direct searches later on.

Many of our clients initially struggle with this concept because traditional SEO metrics like pageviews and click-through rates no longer tell the full story. But with LLM citations, your brand can stay top-of-mind even if users never click a single link.

How LLM Seeding Works

Let’s break it down into four simple steps:

1. Create AI-Friendly Content
   Focus on clear structures: FAQs, comparison tables, best-of lists and in-depth reviews.
2. Seed Content Strategically
   Publish where AI models often pull from places like Reddit, Quora, review sites and trusted publications.
3. Get Mentioned by AI Tools
   When users ask questions, your brand appears in the response even if you’re not ranking #1 in search.
4. Grow Brand Awareness
   These mentions turn into direct searches and build long-term trust.

What Kind of Content Do LLMs Love?

Our team has found that some content types are much more likely to be cited by AI tools. Consider approaching this by using:

• Structured “Best of” lists with transparent rating systems
• Comparison tables that offer clear verdicts
• FAQ-style articles with direct answers
• First-person reviews backed by real data
• Free tools or templates that solve common problems

These formats are easier for AI to process and more useful for users too.

Where to Publish for Maximum Impact

LLMs don’t just learn from your website. They pull data from a wide range of public platforms. To get cited, focus your content distribution on:

• User-driven platforms: Reddit, Quora, GitHub
• Social channels: X (Twitter), YouTube, Instagram
• Review platforms: G2, Capterra, TrustRadius
• Authoritative third-party sites: Medium, LinkedIn, Substack
• Niche blogs and guest posts

The key is to publish where both people and AI are looking.

How to Know It’s Working

You may not see a spike in organic clicks but that’s okay. Here’s what to track instead:

• Growth in direct and branded search traffic
• Increases in unlinked brand mentions across the web
• Positive brand sentiment in AI-generated responses
• Appearance of your brand in ChatGPT or Perplexity results

Pro tip: Try manually prompting AI tools with relevant questions to see if your brand is mentioned.

Final Thoughts: A Supportive Shift for Smarter Visibility

We understand this might feel like a big change. But you’re not starting from scratch, you’re building on the great content you already have and shifting how it’s structured and shared. LLM Seeding isn’t about abandoning SEO; it’s about expanding it.

Let’s focus on becoming part of the answers, not just chasing rankings. By working with AI instead of against it, your brand can stay visible, trusted and relevant no matter how search evolves.

FAQs: Understanding and Applying LLM Seeding

1. What does LLM stand for in marketing?
LLM stands for Large Language Model, an AI system trained on massive datasets to generate text-based answers. In marketing, LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude are increasingly influencing how users get information, making brand citations in their responses a valuable visibility tool.

2. How is LLM Seeding different from traditional SEO?
Traditional SEO focuses on rankings and clicks through Google. LLM Seeding shifts the goal towards getting your brand mentioned in AI-generated answers helping you stay visible even when users don’t click through to a website.

3. Do I still need to do SEO if I start LLM Seeding?
Yes, SEO and LLM Seeding complement each other. SEO ensures your site is discoverable, while LLM Seeding ensures your brand is memorable in AI-driven conversations. Think of them as two sides of the same visibility strategy.

4. What kind of content is best for LLM Seeding?
FAQs, comparison tables, “best of” lists, opinion pieces and first-person product reviews all tend to perform well. The content should be clear, structured and genuinely helpful for readers, because that’s also what LLMs prefer to cite.

5. Where should I publish LLM-optimised content?
Focus on platforms LLMs commonly scrape: Reddit, Quora, review sites (like G2 or TrustRadius) and high-authority blogs like Medium or Substack. Also consider guest posting on niche industry websites.

6.How can I tell if my brand is being cited by AI?
You can manually ask ChatGPT or Claude questions relevant to your niche and check if your brand is mentioned. Tools like Google Alerts, Semrush Brand Monitoring and direct traffic analytics can also provide helpful clues.

7. What if my website doesn’t have a high Google ranking?
That’s the beauty of LLM Seeding. AI tools don’t only cite page-one Google results. In fact, research shows that around 90% of ChatGPT citations come from pages ranked lower than 20 in Google.

8. How soon will I see results from LLM Seeding?
LLM Seeding is a long-term strategy. Results such as increased brand mentions or direct searches may take a few months. But the sooner you start seeding, the more likely you are to be included in future AI-generated answers.