The LLM Feedback Loop: Optimise Your Content by Asking AI What It Wants
For over twenty years in the SEO game, the biggest challenge has never been the technical implementation - it’s always been the mystery. We spend our careers analysing cryptic algorithm updates, inferring intent from limited data, and playing a perpetual, high-stakes game of guesswork with the SERPs. When faced with a perplexing traffic drop or an inexplicable ranking shuffle, the joke has always been: "Why don't we just ask Mr Google?"
It was funny because it was impossible. The rules of traditional SEO were intentionally opaque, based on hundreds of factors hidden deep within the code.
Now, with the next generation of search powered by Generative AI, the position is totally different. The entire model is based on dialogue. We can, quite literally, ask the AI exactly what it needs to rank content.
So, I did.
I went straight to the source and asked Gemini, Copilot, and the new ChatGPT exactly what criteria they use to source and summarise content. The answers revealed a fascinating, three-way split in the future of ranking. Here’s how they compare and what your new content strategy must look like.
This is the prompt I used:
“I work in SEO and I want to optimise my websites content to appear in ’model name’ answers - What are the 10 most critical things i can do?”
I switched out the name of the model on each.
Here are the answers in full - or if you’re in a rush - skip to the summary >>
Gemini:
That's a smart question, especially as AI-powered answers like those from Gemini (and Google's Search Generative Experience, or SGE) become more prominent. It shifts the SEO focus from just ranking a link to being the actual source that the AI cites and summarizes.
The core principle remains strong SEO, but with an added layer of AI Readability and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
Here are the 10 most critical things you can do to optimize your website content to appear in Gemini's answers:
🚀 10 Critical Steps for Gemini Answer Optimization
1. Prioritize E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
This is the single most important factor. Gemini needs to cite sources it trusts.
Action: Ensure content is written by or clearly attributed to verified experts (with author bios, credentials, and experience). Cite primary sources, include original data, and keep facts verifiable and up-to-date.
2. Master Conversational and Long-Tail Queries
Gemini is designed to answer full questions, not just keywords.
Action: Shift your keyword research to target "who, what, where, why, and how" questions and full conversational phrases (e.g., "What are the best settings for a Canon R6?" instead of "Canon R6 settings").
3. Structure Content for AI Readability (The "Snippeting" Checklist)
The AI must be able to instantly find a self-contained answer.
Action: Use clear, nested heading tags (H2, H3). Ensure every section can stand alone. Use bulleted lists, numbered steps, and comparison tables liberally, as these are easy for AI to extract and summarize.
4. Use Question-Answer (Q&A) Format
Directly mirroring the AI's output structure improves citation chances.
Action: Include a dedicated FAQ section on relevant pages, using direct questions as subheadings. Start the paragraph immediately following the question with a clear, concise answer (the "answer-first" method), followed by details.
5. Put the Answer First in Key Sections
Don't bury the lead—AI models skim for immediate answers.
Action: For every main question or topic covered by a heading, put the most critical summary sentence (30-50 words) right at the top of the section, before expanding on the details.
6. Implement Schema Markup Consistently
Structured data helps the AI understand what your content is.
Action: Apply the most relevant schema types, especially FAQPage, HowTo, Article, and Product (using JSON-LD), to explicitly tell Gemini the purpose and key elements of your page.
7. Build Topical Authority (Content Hubs)
Gemini prefers to cite domains that demonstrate deep, holistic knowledge.
Action: Organize your content into topical clusters or a "hub and spoke" model, where a main "pillar" page links to several detailed, supporting articles. This proves your comprehensive coverage of a subject.
8. Ensure Factual Accuracy and Freshness
The AI prioritizes the most current, reliable information.
Action: Review and refresh content every 6-12 months (or sooner for fast-changing topics). Update statistics, dates, names, and links. Visibly display the publication and last-updated dates on your posts.
9. Optimize for Core Web Vitals and Mobile UX
The underlying health of your site still matters for AI and Google's core ranking systems.
Action: Focus on a fast page load speed, ensure your site is flawlessly mobile-responsive, and eliminate intrusive elements like pop-ups. A poor user experience is a trust signal killer.
10. Write Concise, Plain Language
AI models are trained on clarity and directness.
Action: Keep sentences short (ideally 15-20 words max) and use simple, direct vocabulary. Avoid unnecessary jargon, long run-on sentences, or "fluff." Your goal is to be quotable.
This new phase of optimization is often called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), but it essentially means taking the principles of high-quality, user-centric SEO and making them hyper-optimized for machine comprehension.
Copilot:
To get your content featured in Microsoft Copilot answers, focus on Bing SEO fundamentals, structured data, and conversational clarity. Copilot pulls from Bing’s index, so optimizing for Bing is optimizing for Copilot.
Here are the 10 most critical actions you can take:
🔍 1. Master Bing SEO Fundamentals
Ensure your site is indexed and ranking well in Bing.
Use Bing Webmaster Tools to monitor performance and fix crawl issues.
Optimize for Bing-specific ranking factors like click-through rate and user engagement.
🧠 2. Create Authoritative, High-Quality Content
Write comprehensive, well-researched articles that fully answer user questions.
Avoid fluff or overly promotional language—Copilot favors balanced, informative sources.
🗣️ 3. Use Conversational, Direct Language
Structure content in a way that mimics natural dialogue.
Copilot prefers content that reads like answers to questions, not just keyword-stuffed paragraphs.
❓ 4. Include FAQ Sections
Format FAQs using question-answer pairs.
These match Copilot’s response style and are easily extracted for answers.
🧩 5. Implement Structured Data (Schema.org)
Use schema markup for articles, FAQs, products, and reviews.
Helps Bing understand your content’s context and improves Copilot’s ability to surface it.
📱 6. Ensure Technical SEO Excellence
Fast loading speeds, mobile optimization, and clean code are essential.
Copilot prioritizes well-performing sites for user experience.
🔄 7. Keep Content Fresh and Updated
Regularly update pages with new insights, stats, or developments.
Copilot favors current information over stale content.
🧭 8. Answer Specific, Intent-Driven Queries
Target long-tail keywords and niche questions users might ask Copilot.
Use tools like Bing Keyword Research to identify these opportunities.
🧑💼 9. Establish Topical Authority
Build a content hub around your niche to signal expertise.
Get backlinks from reputable sources to boost credibility.
🧭 10. Monitor Copilot Mentions and Referrals
Use analytics and Bing Webmaster Tools to track traffic from Copilot-related sources.
Adjust your strategy based on what content gets surfaced most often.
ChatGPT
If you’re working in SEO and want your website content to appear in answers generated by systems like ChatGPT (or other large-language-model (LLM)-driven answer engines), here are 10 of the most critical things to focus on — pulled from current best-practice articles on “LLM-friendly content” and “generative engine optimisation”.
1. Make your content highly crawlable and indexable
Ensure your pages are accessible (not blocked via robots.txt, not marked noindex, etc.). text.com+2Ice Nine Online+2
Use clean semantic HTML (proper headings <h1>, <h2>, paragraphs, lists) so models can understand structure. webshapedesign.co.uk+1
Prioritise page-speed, mobile-friendliness, and reliable hosting — technical performance still matters. octivdigital.com+1
2. Structure your content around actual questions and answers
LLMs respond to “what is…”, “how to…”, “why does…”, etc. Form your content around these user-style queries. omniclarity.io+1
Use FAQ sections (and mark them up, see next point) so your page becomes a ready-made answer block. webshapedesign.co.uk+1
Break content into short paragraphs, bullets, tables — digestible “chunks” that an LLM can excerpt easily. omniclarity.io+1
3. Use structured data / schema markup
Incorporate schema types like FAQPage, HowTo, Article, Product, etc., so machines understand the type of content. pageoptimizer.pro+2Ice Nine Online+2
Use metadata (titles, alt text, canonical tags) accurately. text.com
Some emerging guidance: maintain an llm.txt file (akin to robots.txt) to highlight your key pages for LLM discovery. thecompote.com+1
4. Demonstrate authority, credibility & trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)
Include author bylines, bios, credentials. Showcase expertise and trust. octivdigital.com+1
Link to high-quality external sources; back up claims with evidence/data. Ice Nine Online+1
Build topical authority: your site should cover topics in depth, not just superficially. conversionflow.com+1
5. Use natural, conversational language and semantic richness
Rather than keyword-stuffing, write how real people talk (“If you’re wondering…”, “Here’s how to…”). omniclarity.io
Use synonyms, related phrases, semantic context so the LLM can pick up varied ways the same idea is expressed. Ice Nine Online
Avoid overly complex jargon unless necessary — clarity helps both humans and models. webshapedesign.co.uk
6. Build topical depth and internal linking
Rather than isolated articles, create a cluster of related pages (pillar content + supporting pages) to show you’re expert in a field. conversionflow.com+1
Use internal links to signal relationships between topics (helps the model to navigate your depth). Ice Nine Online
7. Optimize for evergreen & citable content
Content that remains relevant over time (“what is X”, “how to do Y”) tends to be referenced more by LLMs. octivdigital.com+1
Include original data, case studies, unique insights — content others will cite. text.com
8. Encourage external mentions / brand presence
LLMs tend to favour sources that are referenced elsewhere, appear in forums, Q&A sites, etc. text.com
Participate in community-sites (e.g., industry forums, Reddit, Quora) to build visibility and citation potential. Cybez+1
9. Monitor, update and maintain your content for the AI era
Keep pages updated (date stamps, latest info) — freshness matters for dynamic topics. PlusROI
Audit old content: restructure if necessary, check if still aligned with user questions. Cybez
Track how your brand/content appears in AI-driven answers; identify gaps. Cybez
10. Technical hygiene and accessibility for machines and human users
Ensure your site is accessible (alt-text for images, transcripts for multimedia) so models can read non-textual content. webshapedesign.co.uk
Use clean URLs, avoid heavy client-side rendering (JS-only) that might hide content from bots/LLMs. Content Managers
Maintain good core Web Vitals / mobile experience — because if your site is too slow or broken, models may deprioritise it. pageoptimizer.pro
Summary
In essence: think like both a human reader and an AI model. Write clear answers to real questions; structure your pages logically; show you’re an authority; make your site technically sound; and build your visibility beyond just your site. These steps align with what current articles call “Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)” for LLMs. arXiv
Comparing Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Across Platforms
Gemini (Google's AI)
Gemini's optimisation strategy is deeply integrated with Google's core search ecosystem and its existing trust signals. It’s primarily focused on high-quality, verifiable content that adheres to Google's traditional standards.
Copilot (Microsoft's AI)
Copilot pulls from the Bing index, so optimisation is inextricably linked to Bing SEO fundamentals – mostly similar to Gemini, but with added mentions of Tech SEO excellence, and search engagement and CTR.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT (when using web-browsing capabilities) emphasises language, structure, and semantic richness. Along with Copilot, chat mentions tech SEO excellence. Chat was the only answer to include external mentions, which was surprising. Do I believe it’s the only model that uses external mentions… no.
Here’s a high level comparison of the key focal points:
High level comparison of AI Models GEO priorities
So GEO is really just SEO?
After diving into the specifics of what Gemini, Copilot, and ChatGPT are looking for, we can zoom out and appreciate the irony of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).
Have a good, well-built website, with well-structured, fresh, intent-driven content that's factual and authoritative, and use question-and-answer based structures where possible... Got it.
Sounds familiar? Yeah, it's what we've all been doing for the last 10+ years in SEO. The fundamentals of quality and authority haven't changed - they've just become absolutely non-negotiable.
The main difference now is tone of voice and language. Not every business wants to write with the sterile, hyper-concise diction of an LLM that’s optimised purely for machine consumption. Finding a happy medium here is going to be important.
Our job as marketers is to translate human complexity into AI-digestible chunks, then translate it back into a compelling brand voice. The ultimate truth remains: customers and prospects are the most important people to write for.
The AI is a powerful citation broker, but your human audience is still the one signing the cheques.
