If you’ve spent any time online recently, you’ve probably seen the term LLM floating around.
AI this. AI that. ChatGPT everywhere. Suddenly, everybody’s talking about prompts, machine learning, and artificial intelligence like they’ve got a computer science degree tucked away somewhere.
But what actually is an LLM?
And more importantly, why should businesses care?
At GrowTraffic, we’ve noticed more businesses asking questions about AI, SEO, and how search is changing. Understandably so. The way people find information online is shifting quickly, and LLMs are a huge part of that.
So let’s get to the bottom of ‘What is an LLM?’.
What Does LLM Stand For?
LLM stands for Large Language Model.
In simple terms, it’s a type of AI trained to understand and generate human language.
Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude all use LLMs to answer questions, generate content, summarise information, and hold conversations that sound somewhat human.
And don’t worry if you find it strange and unsettling, I (Lani) work with it every day and still find it weird.
LLMs are trained using massive amounts of online data, including books, websites, articles, and other written content (maybe even this blog, one day). Over time, they identify patterns in language, allowing them to predict and generate responses based on what users ask.
It’s less like a search engine, more a prediction machine for language, if that makes sense.
How Does An LLM Actually Work?
Without turning this into a lecture nobody asked for, here’s the simple answer to that question.
An LLM analyses huge amounts of text to understand:
- Language patterns
- Sentence structure
- Context and meaning
- Relationships between words and topics
When you type a question into an AI tool, the LLM predicts what response is most likely to answer that question based on everything it has learned.
It’s not “thinking” in the human sense. It’s identifying patterns incredibly quickly and responding in a conversational way.
Which, creepiness aside, is very impressive. And yes, if you haven’t already gathered, I am a technophobe who works with AI and SEO.
Why Are LLMs Important For Businesses?
Because they’re changing how people search for information online.
If we think back to the old days (I’m talking 2 years ago), you would search for something on Google, click through some websites, puzzle together the answer to your question, and hopefully that would get you buy.
Sounds easy enough. Beats heading to the library or passing search queries on by carrier pigeon, or you know, whatever they did in the ACTUAL website. Well… apparently not.
Now?
People are increasingly asking AI tools direct questions instead.
Things like:
- “What’s the best CRM for startups?”
- “How can I improve my SEO?”
- “What does an LLM do?”
Instead of showing ten blue links, AI tools generate one answer, summarising all that information for you.
That changes things massively for businesses trying to get visible online.
What Is AIO And GEO?
You’ll probably hear these terms more and more over the next couple of years.
AIO (AI Optimisation)
AIO focuses on creating content that AI tools can easily understand, summarise, and pull into responses.
In other words, it’s about increasing the chances of your content being referenced inside AI-generated answers.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)
GEO is similar, but focuses more broadly on optimising content for AI-driven search experiences.
This is why blog structure matters more than ever.
Clear headings, direct answers, helpful explanations, and conversational language all make content easier for AI systems to interpret.
Conveniently, they also make content far easier for humans to read. Funny that.
Does SEO Still Matter If AI Is Taking Over?
We’re SO glad you asked.
Yes, it absolutely does. If anything, strong SEO matters now more than ever.
AI tools still rely heavily on well-structured, trustworthy online content. If your website has:
- Helpful information
- Strong authority signals
- Clear structure
- Relevant keywords/answering real questions
Then you’re already moving in the right direction.
What Type Of Content Performs Well For LLMs?
The same type of content people actually enjoy reading.
Helpful content. Clear content. Content that answers questions properly without sounding robotic.
Generally speaking, content performs better when it:
- Uses question-based headings
- Answers queries directly
- Explains concepts clearly
- Avoids unnecessary jargon
- Structures information logically
In other words, writing for humans, by humans, is generally the way to go.
Should Businesses Be Worried About AI Content?
Not necessarily. This is an opportunity to adapt, not a threat.
This has been true for quite some time now, but businesses should be careful about relying entirely on AI-generated content without human input.
Think about it… If AI uses information and sources that already exist, and then AI is being used to generate new content, then you’re eventually just going in circles. Nobody’s adding anything new to the conversation or a ‘fresh perspective’.
The more familiar we become with AI, the easier it is to notice. There’s a lack of authenticity to it. Almost an unwillingness to be genuinely helpful, and rather solely focused on improving rankings.
We’re not saying don’t use AI at all, by the way. It’d be silly not to, at this point. The businesses standing out right now are the ones combining AI tools with actual expertise, personality, and experience.
How Is GrowTraffic Adapting To AI Search?
At GrowTraffic, we’re already helping businesses adapt their SEO and content strategies for AI-driven search.
That means creating content that works for:
- Human readers
- Search engines
- AI-generated search experiences
Last quarter, for one of our clients, we helped them achieve:
- Enquiry Form submissions up 137%
- Engagement up 34%
- Traffic up 20%
- Backlinks up by 25
- Impressions up by 30k
- Traffic from AI overviews up 60%
- The average keyword increased by 11 places
- Mentions in AI overviews up by 437K
Find out what else we have done for our clients here.
If you’d like to find out more about how we did this or what we could achieve for your business, drop us a line.