From Google’s Rise to AI’s Reign: Why LLMO Could Be Your Next Big Win
Picture this: It’s the early 2000s, and Google’s search engine is flipping the internet upside down. Businesses that cracked the code—stuffing keywords and snagging backlinks suddenly shot to the top of the rankings, raking in traffic and sales.
Fast-forward to 2025, and AI-driven search is rewriting the rules again. Enter Large Language Model Optimization (LLMO), the art of making your content a go-to source for AI tools like Google’s AI Overviews or ChatGPT.
Being cited by these AI tools can skyrocket your visibility, driving clicks and trust from millions of users. What would it mean to win this new LLMO race, just like those early SEO pioneers? Let’s dive into why LLMO is your next big chance to dominate search rankings.
The SEO Glory Days: A Lesson in Winning Early
Back in 2000, Google’s PageRank algorithm was king. It rewarded sites with smart keyword use and backlinks, like e-commerce pages ranking for “buy online.” Early adopters—think small retailers or blogs - saw massive wins, often doubling traffic overnight, as Search Engine Journal recalls. These trailblazers didn’t just rank; they owned the SERPs, grabbing attention and revenue before competitors caught up. Today, AI search is creating a similar moment. LLMO is your ticket to lead the pack, offering a fresh shot at top rankings in a world where AI calls the shots.
What’s Happening Now: LLMO and the GoogleQuake Wake-Up Call
Large Language Model Optimization (LLMO) is about making your site AI-ready, combining technical health and content structure to be cited by tools like Google’s AI Overviews or Perplexity. It’s not just content - think fast load times, mobile-friendly design, schema markup, plus bullet points and summaries that AI can parse. Search Engine Land notes 60% of searches are zero-click, making AI citations key for visibility. Unlike old-school SEO, LLMO blends tech and content to win rankings. The GoogleQuake (main hit on May 20–21, 2025) proved this, with ranking swings of -60% to +90%, per Semrush Sensor’s 9.2–9.3 scores when AI Overviews and AI Mode expanded in the U.S., it hit sites hard. Technical debt - slow load times, poor Core Web Vitals (e.g., Largest Contentful Paint >2.5s), and mobile issues—was the main culprit. Marie Haynes highlighted Google’s AI prioritizing user experience, tanking sites with crawl errors. Low E-E-A-T and AI-generated spam hurt too, especially in finance or health niches, but technical debt led the chaos. LLMO’s tech-content mix is your path to lead AI search.
Your Move: Start Optimizing for LLMO Now
Want to win the LLMO race? Start by checking your site’s health. Like slow load times, mobile issues, Duplicate Content, markup errors. Then, structure your content for AI: add bullet-point summaries, clear headings to boost citations.
Your Chance to Be the Winner
The 2000s showed us that getting in early pays off big. LLMO is that new frontier, where being AI-ready can land you at the top of search results. By tackling technical debt and optimizing for AI citations, you’ll be not just recovering from GoogleQuake (to hit Australia between now and sometime in September) - you’d be setting up to dominate.
If unsure what your website issues are, a comprehensive report auditing circa 100 reporting on almost 70 AI compatibility most relevant elements (tech SEO, Core Web Vitals, content duplication, schema and many others) can pinpoint what "under the hood" is holding your site back. Check our Digital Deep Dive Report to learn more