LLM search visibility: a framework for ChatGPT and AI Overviews

9 July 2025


Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews are reshaping the way we find information and how brands show up in search.

We recently spoke about ways to get ahead in the new landscape of AI-powered search, and we’ve now gone a step further—Nikki Halliwell, our Senior Manager, Technical SEO, has put together 10 actionable tips for brands looking to increase LLM visibility.

These are broken down into four categories:

  1. Technical recommendations

  2. Content recommendations

  3. Brand recommendations

  4. Monitoring and optimizing


Nikki also covers some common pitfalls to avoid and introduces a framework, VISIBLE, to guide brands’ LLM strategies.

 

Technical recommendations


1. Ensure content is fully crawlable & indexable



  • Avoid JavaScript-rendered content—LLMs typically read raw HTML and may not see content hidden in JavaScript

  • Use server-side rendering (SSR) or static site generation (SSG).

  • Make sure robots.txt and meta tags aren’t unintentionally blocking key content and/or user agents.


2. Use clear, structured, and semantic HTML



  • Structure product pages with proper headings (<h1>, <h2>, etc.), alt attributes, and semantic markup.

  • Use descriptive anchor text and avoid vague CTAs like “Click here.”


3. Schema markup & structured data



  • Implement detailed schema.org markup (e.g., Product, FAQ, Review, Organisation, BreadcrumbList, etc.).

  • This helps LLMs understand the context of your content more easily.


 

Content recommendations


4.  Build a rich, helpful content hub



  • LLMs favor content that directly answers common user questions and demonstrates authority.

  • Create buying guides, comparison pages, size guides, and FAQs.

  • Consider “clustering” content into key topics to build authority and relevance.


5.  Answer-based formatting



  • Write in a way that directly answers questions, using natural language.Use question-based headings and concise paragraph answers.

  • This makes them ideal for being picked up in summaries or AI answers.


6. Use first-party data & expertise



  • Add quotes from in-house experts, staff, and/or customer reviews.

  • Unique perspectives help distinguish your content from generic retailer info and make it more appealing to LLMs.


 

Brand recommendations


7.  Grow your brand’s authority



  • Encourage mentions and links from reputable sites (work with experienced PR teams).

  • LLMs often reference content they’ve seen in highly linked or trusted locations on the web.


8.  Optimize brand entities



  • Ensure consistency across all brand mentions: Google Business Profile, Wikipedia, LinkedIn, schema.org, and third-party aggregators.

  • This increases the likelihood that the LLM “knows” the brand and can surface it confidently.



Monitoring and optimizing


9. Track emerging LLM mentions



  • Use tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and AI-powered SERPs to check if your brand is being cited.

  • Reverse-engineer competitor visibility in AI Overviews or Bing Copilot to identify what content performs well.


10. Monitor Bing and Google’s AI Overview changes



  • Look for triggers that cause your competitors to appear in AI-generated responses.

  • Optimize content around intent-rich queries that trigger these results.


 

Things to avoid



  • Thin affiliate-style content.

  • Product pages with no supporting context.

  • Over-optimized SEO content that lacks genuine utility.

  • Excessive use of internal jargon or acronyms that LLMs may misinterpret or not understand.


VISIBLE framework


Looking to increase visibility in LLMs and AI search? Nikki’s VISIBLE framework summarizes these tips in a simple, easy-to-remember acronym.

  • Visible & crawlable content: ensure your content can be seen and understood

  • Intent-matched, helpful content: create content that answers real-world questions

  • Structured data & semantic HTML: help AI understand your content context

  • Informal hubs & expertise: build topic authority

  • Brand authority & mentions: LLMs surface brands they trust

  • Leverage first-party insight: use what only you can say

  • Evaluate AI exposure & competitors: stay ahead of change


At a time when AI is developing rapidly and the way we search is fundamentally changing, this advice should be your first port of call in the AI storm, providing practical, actionable advice.

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