LLMO
LLMO (Large Language Model Optimisation) is one of several names for the practice of getting cited by AI assistants — interchangeable with AEO, GEO, and AI SEO, but specifically frames the target as the underlying language model rather than the answer-engine product.
Why it matters
LLMO is the least common of the four names but you'll see it in technical SEO communities. The framing is useful for thinking about how content interacts with the model's training and retrieval pipelines, not just the rendered AI Overview or chat response.
What "LLMO" emphasises
The LLMO framing draws attention to the language model as the optimisation target — i.e. how content interacts with retrieval-augmented generation, model training cycles, and grounding sources — rather than the consumer-facing answer engine.
Practically, this distinction rarely changes day-to-day work. The same content patterns (clear extractable answers, sourced statistics, primary citations, structured data) move all four metrics together.
Naming overlap
- AEO — Answer Engine Optimisation. The most common industry term.
- GEO — Generative Engine Optimization. The academic term (Princeton, KDD 2024).
- AI SEO — Frames AEO as an extension of traditional SEO.
- LLMO — Targets the language model directly.
Practical advice
Don't get stuck on terminology. Pick one for internal use, link the others as synonyms in any content you publish about the topic, and focus the actual work on the underlying mechanics — primary sources, extractable structure, named expertise, fresh data.
Related terms
