It seems every time the digital marketing landscape shifts, a new acronym emerges to tell us that everything we knew is wrong. First, it was AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). Then, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). The latest buzzword to hit our feeds and LinkedIn timelines is LLMO: Large Language Model Optimization.
We’ve read the think-pieces. We’ve seen the gurus promise they have the secret sauce. The pitch is compelling: AI models are replacing Google Search, so you need to stop doing SEO and start doing LLMO to get your brand cited in AI-generated answers.
Here at Primary Position, our business is built on delivering real results, not chasing shiny new objects. And the inconvenient truth is this: LLMO isn’t a new discipline. It’s just a new, unproven name for what good SEO professionals have been doing for years.
The Three “Pillars” of LLMO are a Redundant List
The advocates of LLMO will tell you it has three core pillars:
- Create Authoritative Content (E-E-A-T): They argue that AI models prioritize content from trusted, expert sources.
- Structure Content for Clarity: They emphasize using clear headings, bullet points, and answering questions directly.
- Optimize for Mentions and Citations: They suggest the goal is to get your brand mentioned in an AI answer, not just linked to.
Does any of this sound new to you? It shouldn’t. This is the exact philosophy that has defined successful SEO since Google’s Panda and Helpful Content updates.
- E-E-A-T is SEO
- Structured Content is SEO:
- Citations are SEO
The Elephant in the Room: How Do You Measure It?
This is where the LLMO narrative completely falls apart.
Successful SEO is a measurable science. We can track keyword rankings, organic traffic, impressions, and conversions. We have a direct line of sight from our work to the results.
LLMO, on the other hand, is a black box. How do you measure success?
- Do you know when an AI model’s training data was last updated? No.
- Can you track how often your content is cited by ChatGPT? No.
- Is there a dashboard that shows your “AI citation rank”? No, and there likely never will be.
Chasing an unmeasurable metric is a fantastic way to spend a lot of time and money without ever knowing if your efforts are paying off.
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The Verdict: LLMO is Redundant, SEO is Resilient
The digital world is indeed changing. AI models are a powerful new interface, but they aren’t creating a new rulebook. They are simply rewarding the same high-quality, trustworthy, and well-structured content that good SEO has always championed.
The best way to “optimize” for LLMs is to simply do your job well. Focus on creating the most helpful, accurate, and authoritative content on the internet. Build a strong brand presence. Earn trust from both humans and algorithms.
The goal isn’t to play a new game called “LLMO.” The goal is to keep playing the same game you’ve always played, but to do it with integrity. LLMO isn’t a new truth; it’s a slick new label for the inconvenient truth we’ve known all along: there are no shortcuts to high-quality content, and no amount of hype can change that.
