How to prepare your website for LLMs? SEO for LLMs and AI

You've probably already heard of ChatGPT, Bing Chat, or Perplexity. These aren't just tech curiosities - they're new search engines that are revolutionising how people find information online. In this article, you'll learn how to build SEO for LLMs and AI.

Unlike traditional algorithms, these tools rely on advanced language models that can understand context, intent, and the nuances of language. LLMs analyse entire paragraphs, even whole pages, to extract meaning and the answers a user is looking for. That means the classic approach to SEO - built around keywords and links - is no longer enough.

In this article, we'll show you how to take care of your website so it's visible not just to Google, but also to "thinking" AI-powered search engines. You'll learn what's changed, what still works, and how to prepare for the SEO of the future. This is useful knowledge for anyone who publishes anything online - from online store owners, to bloggers, to marketing specialists.

LLMs (Large Language Models) are massive language models trained on billions of sentences, documents, and texts from across the internet. That lets them not just recognise words, but understand their meaning in context. When you ask ChatGPT something complex, it isn't searching a list of pages - it generates an answer based on the knowledge it has already absorbed.

Modern search engines are starting to work in a similar way - instead of just returning a list of links, they can synthesise an answer. For example: a question like "can I deduct VAT on a laptop bought for my business?" gets interpreted in the context of relevant tax law, and the result won't just be a link to a blog post - it'll often be a ready-made answer.

For site owners, that means writing in a way that makes your content citable by an LLM - precisely, reliably, and concretely. The key is understanding that an LLM isn't an algorithm scoring keywords - it's a system that learns the way a person does. That means what counts is quality, logic, and the content's added value.

Your site might be using classic SEO techniques: good keywords, optimised headings, fast page loads. But LLMs don't just analyse the surface - content is what counts.

If your text is thin, repetitive, or written purely for the search engine, AI models will simply skip it. What's more, AI doesn't like keyword overuse - "keyword stuffing" isn't just ineffective, language models actively penalise it. These models check whether content is logical, coherent, and genuinely answers the question.

If you have an article titled "how to start a company" but spend half the text just repeating the phrase "starting a company", don't expect good visibility. On the other hand, even a simple guide written honestly and clearly has a real chance of being cited by an LLM. That's a huge shift in the SEO paradigm.

Writing a blog? Great. But don't write with the algorithm in mind. Write as if you were explaining something to a friend who has no background in your industry. LLMs analyse meaning, value, and coherence. That means it's better to write one good article than five mediocre ones.

Good content explains, clarifies, and walks the user through step by step. AI models also pick up on emotion, so it's worth writing with genuine engagement and passion - without overdoing it or padding things with marketing fluff. If you're explaining something, show an example. If you're recommending something, justify it. The keyword is: usefulness. Good content attracts both people and language models.

Answer real questions

Users increasingly phrase questions naturally: "how do I get rid of damp in my flat?", "what is an LLM?", "do I need a cash register?". Your site should contain answers written to match exactly that kind of phrasing.

Instead of focusing on artificial-sounding phrases, it's better to anticipate users' actual questions and answer them. That doesn't just improve usability - it also increases the chance an LLM picks your answer as the best one. You can also analyse data from tools like Google Search Console, Answer the Public, or Ahrefs to find out which questions are already sending users to your site. If you can give a simple, logical answer to them, you're in the game.

FAQs and "how it works" sections: a goldmine for AI

Adding an FAQ or "How does it work?" section is a bullseye move - for both users and language models. These text blocks are exactly what LLMs most often pick as an answer source, because they're organised, specific, and clear. A well-built FAQ has short questions and concise but complete answers. Avoid padding - don't explain "what this means" if you don't need to. A good FAQ should be kept up to date, with dates, quotes, or links to sources. You can also mark it up with schema.org/FAQPage, which boosts its chances of appearing in results.

Quotes, dates, authors: build trust

One of the main criteria LLMs use when choosing content to cite is credibility.

For your site to be cited by an LLM, it needs to be known, recognised, and valuable. Links from reputable sources, citations in industry articles, a presence in podcasts and social media - all of this feeds into reputation.

LLMs look for patterns - if your content gets cited and discussed regularly, the odds of it being picked for generative answers go up. Include the author's full name, their qualifications, and a link to their professional profile (e.g. LinkedIn). If you're citing data, give the source, the date, and the institution's name.

What matters to an LLM is whether a piece of content is grounded - whether it's verified, current, and attributed. These models favour text that reads like a solid academic or press article: reliable, with references and a named expert.

Use simple language and a natural tone

You don't need to sound like an academic to write intelligently. Quite the opposite - the simpler, the better. LLMs understand context, but they favour naturally written text. Short sentences, clear messages, no industry jargon - these are all strengths. If you can say something in 10 words, don't use 20.

An example? Instead of "in the context of dynamic legislative change", write "the rules keep changing fast". That doesn't dumb things down - it makes them more readable.

Optimise not just the words, but the structure too

A well-organised text is half the battle. LLMs "read" a page's structure the same way people do. Break text into sections with headings (h2, h3), use bullet points, bold text, and boxes. That helps both people and language models find the answer faster. Remember, an LLM can analyse many pages at once - if yours is chaotic, it'll simply skip it.

Structured data (schema markup) is how you tell a search engine what's what on your page. It lets a model know that something is a product review, an author's bio, a how-to article, or an event listing. It's not magic - you just need to add ready-made JSON-LD tags or use WordPress plugins like Rank Math or Yoast. They help both classic SEO and visibility in AI answers.

A website has to load fast - not just for the user, but for the bot too. If it takes 7 seconds to load, that's an eternity for an LLM.

Sites should be responsive, work well on a smartphone, and avoid blocks like "log in to see this content". AI models index what's visible - if something is hidden, they ignore it. On top of that, accessibility (WCAG) improves the odds of your site being treated as credible and "for everyone".

User experience isn't just about looks. It's how a visitor moves around a site, how fast they find what they're looking for, and whether they can read it without friction. LLMs analyse a page's code and can "see" when something is unreadable, chaotic, or hard to follow. That's why it's worth investing in a clean design, good contrast, sharp graphics, readable fonts, and logical navigation.

Don't write like you're drafting a report. Make sure every paragraph could stand on its own as a self-contained answer: a clearly stated question, a precise answer, a short example or summary. Blocks of content like that are ideal for AI that generates answers from quotes. It's also worth writing in a Q&A style, with bolded questions and clear answers.

Don't look for tricks. If your content is good, clear, and useful, you have an edge. LLMs are like very demanding readers: if a text is phoned in, they won't notice it. If it's polished, logical, and helpful, you'll gain visibility. LLM-based SEO is a return to basics: writing good, honest content for real people.

Start with a content audit. Go through your site and ask yourself: does what I'm writing really answer users' questions? Can I simplify something? Should I add a quote, an author, a source, a date? Is the structure clear?

Pick one page and improve it following the tips above. Then the next one. Step by step, that's how you build a competitive edge that works today and in the future - including in a world dominated by artificial intelligence.