Try this:
Do a google search which has more than 4 words.
Does it show an AI overview? Yes, then carry on. No then do another search.
Does the AI overview answer your query fully?
Yes, this then creates a ‘zero click’ scenario, where you don’t have the learn more
No, this leads you to clicking on the citation (found on the right hand side of the AI overview panel)
With the emergence of AI usage, its now more important to create content that targets LLMs, in the aim of acquiring users who click to your site to read more.
Search is constantly evolving and will not change overnight nor will it dutifully comply with a Silicon Valley Strategy. What is happening however is a shift in the LLM era and that means SEO strategies need to shift to remain effective.
Here are a few key facts:
- AI Overviews appear above all organic results in 74% of problem-solving queries
- AI Overviews are present in 29.9% of all Google searches
- The Industry-specific impact is significant:
- Telecommunications leads with 56% of its keywords linked to AI Overviews.
- Beauty and Cosmetics have the lowest presence at 14%
[source: SEJ]
Understanding the LLM-Driven Search Landscape
Before diving into tactics, it helps to understand what’s changed. AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and others now play a key role in how search engines decide what to show.
They focus less on exact keyword matches and more on meaning — what the user actually wants, the context around the query, and the quality of the information.
To show up in these results, your SEO approach needs to reflect this change.
Key SEO Strategies for 2025
1. Optimise for LLM-Specific Search (LLM SEO)
LLMs have revolutionised how search engines understand and rank content. To stay competitive, focus on:
- Contextual Content
Create comprehensive content that answers specific user queries, emphasising the "how" and "why" behind topics. This approach helps LLMs understand the depth and relevance of your content. - Conversational Keywords
Incorporate natural language and long-tail keywords that mirror how people actually speak or type queries. This aligns with the way LLMs process and understand language. - Fact-Based Snippets
Include verifiable data points and statistics that LLMs can trust and potentially cite in search results. This enhances the credibility and authority of your content in the eyes of AI-driven search engines.
2. Build Topic Clusters and Pillar Content
Interconnected content is more likely to be recognised as authoritative by LLMs. Here's how to implement this strategy:
- Create a main piece of content (pillar) on a broad topic. This serves as the cornerstone of your content strategy for a particular subject area.
- Link it to related subtopics to create a cluster (e.g., guides, FAQs, case studies). This interconnected structure helps LLMs understand the breadth and depth of your expertise.
- Use clear headings, bullet points, and Q&A formats for better readability and LLM understanding. This organisation aids both human readers and AI systems in navigating and comprehending your content.
- Ensure that your content pieces within a cluster link to each other naturally, creating a web of information that LLMs can easily traverse and understand.
3. Leverage Schema Markup and Structured Data
Structured data helps LLMs and search engines better understand your content. To implement:
- Add schema markup for FAQs, how-to guides, and product descriptions. This provides explicit signals about the nature and content of your pages.
- Use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool to validate your implementation: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
- Implement schema for organisational information, breadcrumbs, and article metadata to give LLMs a clear picture of your site's structure and content hierarchy.
- Regularly update your structured data to reflect any changes in your content or website structure, ensuring LLMs always have the most current information.
4. Embed Unique Data and Insights
LLMs favour original, data-driven content. To stand out:
- Conduct surveys or gather proprietary data within your industry. This provides unique value that LLMs can recognise and potentially feature in search results.
- Present insights using tables or clear bullet points with proper citations. This organisation helps LLMs easily extract and understand key information.
- Regularly update your data-driven content to ensure it remains current and relevant, as LLMs prioritise fresh and accurate information.
- Create data visualisations and infographics to complement your textual content, providing multiple ways for LLMs to interpret and value your information.
5. Focus on Semantic SEO
Optimise for meaning and context rather than just keywords:
- Understand user intent deeply and craft content that comprehensively addresses user needs. This aligns with how LLMs interpret and rank content based on its ability to satisfy user queries.
- Use synonyms, related terms, and semantic clustering to cover all angles of a topic. This helps create a rich semantic network that LLMs can easily navigate and understand.
- Implement natural language processing (NLP) techniques in your content creation process to ensure your writing aligns with how LLMs interpret language.
- Create content that answers related questions and explores tangential topics, providing a comprehensive resource that LLMs will recognise as authoritative.
Actionable Tactics for SEO Success
Content Creation
- Write in a conversational tone to align with natural language queries. This approach mirrors how users interact with voice search and conversational AI, which are increasingly important in the LLM era.
- Use Q&A formats or headings like "What to do if..." to anticipate user questions. This structure helps LLMs quickly identify relevant information for specific queries.
- Regularly update content to ensure relevance and accuracy. LLMs prioritise fresh and current information, so keeping your content up-to-date is crucial.
- Incorporate multimedia elements like videos, podcasts, and interactive content to provide a rich, multi-dimensional user experience that LLMs can recognise and value.
Technical SEO
- Optimise page speed by compressing images, enabling browser caching, and using a CDN. Fast-loading pages are crucial for both user experience and search engine rankings.
- Ensure mobile responsiveness as most searches are conducted on mobile devices. LLMs take into account the user experience across different devices when ranking content.
- Fix technical issues like broken links or duplicate content using AI-driven tools like Screaming Frog: https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/
- Implement advanced security measures like HTTPS and regularly update your SSL certificates to maintain trust with both users and search engines.
AI Tools for Optimisation
Leverage AI tools to streamline SEO tasks:
- Use AI-powered keyword research tools like Clearscope or Ahrefs to identify semantic relationships between topics and keywords.
- Automate internal linking strategies with tools that suggest links based on relevance, helping to create a more interconnected and LLM-friendly site structure.
- Analyse competitor strategies using predictive analytics tools to stay ahead of industry trends and identify content gaps that LLMs might favor.
- Employ AI-driven content optimisation tools that can suggest improvements based on LLM understanding of high-ranking content in your niche.
Voice Search Optimisation
As voice search continues to grow, optimise for spoken queries:
- Incorporate long-tail keywords that match conversational speech patterns. This aligns with how users interact with voice assistants and how LLMs interpret natural language.
- Create FAQ sections with concise answers tailored for voice assistants. These snippets can be easily picked up by LLMs for featured snippets and voice search results.
- Optimise for local voice searches by including location-specific information and phrases that people might use when asking for local services or information.
- Structure your content to directly answer common questions in your niche, making it easier for LLMs to extract relevant information for voice search queries.
Measuring Success in the LLM Era
Understanding the impact of your SEO efforts in an LLM-driven search landscape requires new metrics and approaches:
- Featured Snippet Tracking
Monitor how often your content appears in AI-generated summaries at the top of search results. This indicates how well LLMs understand and value your content. - Intent Satisfaction
Use tools that measure how well your content satisfies user intent, not just keyword presence. This aligns with how LLMs evaluate content quality and relevance. - Semantic Relevance Scores
Employ AI tools that can assess your content's semantic relevance to target topics. This helps ensure your content aligns with how LLMs understand topical relationships. - User Engagement Metrics
Pay close attention to metrics like time on page, bounce rate, and pages per session, as these can indicate how well your content meets user needs, a factor that LLMs consider in ranking. - Voice Search Performance
Track how often your content is used to answer voice queries, which can indicate how well your optimisation for conversational search is performing.
Remember, success in this new era of SEO isn't instantaneous. Content can take up to twelve months to gain traction, depending on the competitiveness of your target keywords. Stay patient and consistent in your efforts, continually refining your strategies based on performance data and evolving LLM capabilities.
Conclusion
The rise of LLMs in search engines has ushered in a new age of SEO, where context, relevance, and user intent reign supreme. By adopting these strategies and tactics, you'll be well-positioned to conquer search results in 2025 and beyond. Remember, the key is to create valuable, user-focused content that aligns with how LLMs understand and process information.
Keep experimenting, stay updated with the latest developments in AI and search technology, and always prioritise your users' needs. The future of SEO is dynamic and exciting, offering endless opportunities for those who are willing to adapt and innovate. Happy optimising!
