LLM optimization and the other names, in one answer
A large language model (LLM) is the kind of software behind ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and the AI answers in search. LLM optimization (LLMO) is the marketing name for making sure those models say accurate, helpful things about your business when someone asks them a question.
It is one of several names for the same shift. Customers now ask AI tools “who should I call,” and the tool writes one answer. The work of being part of that answer is called LLMO, GEO, AEO, AI SEO, AI visibility work and, in the plainest version, AI search optimization. Onely, an SEO agency, puts it this way: GEO, AEO, AI SEO and LLMO describe one change, not four kinds of work.
If you see “LLM optimization” in an engineering article, it usually means something else: making a model run faster or cheaper. That is not what this page covers.
Glossary: the terms side by side
| Term | Plain meaning | Closest to | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI search optimization | Making your business easy for AI search tools and classic search to find, read and cite. The broadest and most descriptive label. | The whole job | AI search optimization |
| AI SEO | Adapting your search work to AI-driven search. Onely calls it the umbrella term. | The whole job | This page |
| GEO (generative engine optimization) | Getting cited or recommended inside answers that generative AI writes, such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and AI Overviews. Named in a 2023 research paper. | Answers written by AI | Generative engine optimization |
| AEO (answer engine optimization) | Being chosen as the direct answer to a question: featured snippets, voice assistants and AI answers. | Direct answers | Answer engine optimization |
| LLMO (LLM optimization) | Shaping how a language model represents a brand, its facts and its reputation. | How the model describes you | This page |
| AI visibility | How often and how accurately AI tools mention or recommend your business. A measurement, not a tactic. | Results | This page |
| ChatGPT SEO | Informal name for getting found in ChatGPT’s search feature. | One engine | How to show up in ChatGPT |
| SEO | Getting pages to rank in classic search results, which also feeds AI features. | The base | GEO vs SEO |
The definitions for GEO, AEO, AI SEO and LLMO follow Onely’s overview. The GEO paper is the origin of that term. Conductor presents AEO as an evolution of SEO. The sources do not agree on which term sits inside which, and the table shows the closest match, not a rule.
Related terms you will see in reports and pitches
| Term | Plain meaning | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|
| AI Overviews / AI Mode | Google’s AI-written summary above results, and its separate conversational search mode. Both link to sources. | Google AI Overviews |
| Query fan-out | Google’s name for running several related searches behind one question, to find more supporting pages. | Google AI Overviews |
| Citation | A link or source an AI answer shows. Bing’s AI Performance report counts these for Copilot and Bing’s AI summaries. | How to show up in ChatGPT |
| Grounding query | A metric in Bing Webmaster Tools’ AI Performance report: the phrases the AI used when it looked up content to cite. | This page |
| OAI-SearchBot / GPTBot | OpenAI’s two main crawlers: one for ChatGPT search results, one for collecting training data. Separate robots.txt settings. | Where ChatGPT gets its information |
| llms.txt | A proposed text file listing a site’s key pages for AI tools. Not a standard; Google Search ignores it. | llms.txt |
| Zero-click search | A search that ends without a click on any result. SparkToro measures it with clickstream panels. | Is SEO dead? |
A note on “geo”: in advertising it usually means location targeting, which is unrelated to generative engine optimization.
Why there are so many names
New work gets many names before one wins. The GEO paper gave researchers and marketers a term in late 2023. AEO was already in use for featured snippets and voice answers. Vendors added AI SEO and LLMO as ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews grew. Each name suits the way a company sells its service.
Google’s position is the useful tie-breaker. Its 2026 guide treats AEO and GEO as “still SEO” and tells site owners to review third-party “AEO” or “GEO” advice carefully. Whatever the label, the work lands on the same short list: crawlable pages, facts stated plainly, consistent profiles and useful original content. We set out that list, and what Google says about each item, in GEO vs SEO vs AEO.
Measuring AI visibility under any label
AI visibility is the one term in the glossary that is a measurement, not a tactic, and you can take it yourself. Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google the ten questions customers ask before they call, with and without your city, and note which businesses are named and what is said about you. Repeat monthly. That is your baseline.
If a tool states wrong hours, a wrong price or a service you do not offer, find where the wrong fact comes from (usually an old directory listing or a vague page) and correct the source.
A monthly log you can copy
Keep it in a spreadsheet. One row per question per tool.
| Date | Tool | Question asked | Businesses named | Were we named? | What it said about us | Wrong or missing fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (month) | ChatGPT | “Who repairs … near …?” | (list) | Yes / No | (copy the text) | (hours, price, service) |
Use the same wording each month, and also try two or three variations, because answers change with phrasing. After three months you will see whether the fixes moved anything. If you want a second pair of eyes on the result, a free demo shows how customers and AI assistants see you today.
How to read an agency pitch
Terms are a useful filter. When a provider sells “LLMO,” “GEO” or “AI SEO,” ask:
- Which customer questions will you target? Onely recommends writing briefs around customer questions rather than a list of engines or keywords.
- What will you change on my site? Pages, facts, profiles. “Content optimization” alone is not an answer.
- How will you measure it? Mentions are a start. Calls, bookings and sales are the point.
- What do you promise? Nobody controls what ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, AI Mode or Perplexity recommend, so a promise of placement is a warning sign. Google also advises caution toward third-party tools that claim ranking success or access to Google’s internal metrics.
- Who owns the work? Pages, profiles and reports should stay with you.
How Magnet Mint helps
We are a Boston studio that builds websites for local service businesses and works with clients across the US. We use the plain name, AI search optimization, and our GEO and AEO audit lists exactly what we check: page map, service template, missing facts, technical basics, structured data and a baseline of what AI answers say about you, with a re-check afterward. Price: from $750. Not included: domain and hosting, new photography, third-party software subscriptions (billed at cost), and AI usage above a plan allowance. For a first look at your own results, ask for a free demo.
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