Your customers aren't "googling" as much. They're asking ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity for recommendations - and if your brand isn't in those answers, it'll be almost like the brand doesn't exist.

Instead of scrolling through pages of search results, users are increasingly getting direct answers from these AI tools. For B2B brands, this shift means traditional SEO isn't enough anymore.

Welcome to the era of LLM Optimization (LLMO) - aka "the SEO of the AI world."

B2B buyers are already using AI assistants to research solutions, compare vendors, enhance marketing copy, and make purchasing decisions. If your content doesn't show up when someone asks "What are the top project management tools for tech startups?" - you're out of the consideration set before the conversation even starts.

The brutal truth? AI agents are reshaping how buyers make decisions, and most brands are still trying to catch up.

Stop optimizing for keywords, start answering questions

Since LLM interactions are often conversational, your content should be too. Instead of targeting "malware protection business," optimize for "How can I protect my business from malware?"

Easy wins:

Real example: Instead of "Best CRM Features for Sales Teams," write "Which CRM features actually help sales teams close more deals?"

Context beats keywords every time

LLMs thrive on context - they want comprehensive knowledge of a subject. If you're writing about "cloud cost management," don't just define it - cover the challenges, solutions, best practices, and tools in one authoritative resource.

Easy wins:

If AI can't crawl it, it doesn't exist

All the great content in the world won't help if AI systems can't access it. LLMs need to be able to crawl your website to share your content.

Easy wins:

The best LLM hack? Rank on Google

Here's the secret: Many LLMs either rely on search engines or are influenced by content that ranks well in search. When ChatGPT with Bing answers a question, most sources come from page 1-2 of search results.

Easy wins:

It's not about links anymore, it's about mentions

The currency of large language models is not links... it's mentions (specifically, words that appear frequently near other words) across the training data.

Get your brand mentioned in:

✅ Content: Write conversationally, answer real questions
✅ Depth: Cover topics comprehensively with semantic SEO
✅ Technical: Ensure AI can crawl and parse your content
✅ Authority: Rank well in traditional search first
✅ Mentions: Get talked about across the web

LLM-powered search results are growing by over 100%, with YouTube and podcast citations rising by over 300%. The companies investing in LLM optimization now will own the AI narrative in their space.

The companies that don't? They'll be invisible to a generation of buyers who expect AI to have all the answers.

The Circle Back: Your customers are already asking AI for recommendations. The question isn't whether you should optimize for LLMs - it's whether you can afford not to.

Forward this to the coworker you were just discussing AI with.

Circle Back with you next week,
The Circle Back Team 🥳 🤖

PS. Have questions or just want to say hi? Find us here!