What is LLMO and Why Letchworth Businesses Should Care About Large Language Model Optimisation

Right, so what the hell is LLMO?

LLMO. Large Language Model Optimisation. Sounds properly technical, doesn't it?

I've been getting asked about this a lot lately. Business owners around Letchworth and Hitchin who've heard the term thrown around, usually by someone trying to sound clever at a networking thing. And look, I get it. The whole AI space moves so bloody fast that by the time you've figured out what ChatGPT does, someone's invented three new acronyms.

But here's the thing. LLMO isn't just another buzzword that'll be gone by next year. It's actually what happens when you take SEO (which you probably understand) and AEO (which you might have heard me bang on about) and push them into the world where AI is answering questions instead of just showing links.

Let me put it this way. When someone in Stevenage asks ChatGPT or Perplexity or Claude "who should I use for commercial electricals in North Herts", there's a process happening behind the scenes. The AI is pulling information from... somewhere. Training data, real-time searches, specific sources it trusts. And LLMO is about making sure your business is part of that somewhere.

It's optimising FOR language models. Not for Google's algorithm. Not for human readers scrolling through search results. For the actual AI that's giving the answer.

Why this matters more than you think

In 2026, we're past the point where AI search is a novelty. It's not people playing around with ChatGPT anymore. It's built into everything. Microsoft's got it in Bing and Windows. Google's got AI Overviews everywhere. Apple's doing their thing. And the actual AI tools? Perplexity's doing 100 million queries a week. Maybe more.

Your customers aren't typing "electrician near me" into Google and clicking through ten blue links anymore. Well, some are. But increasingly they're asking Siri or ChatGPT or whatever AI thing they've got, and they're getting ONE answer. Or maybe three answers.

If you're not in that answer, you don't exist. Simple as that.

And here's what's different from normal SEO. With Google, you could rank on page two and still get the occasional click. Someone might scroll down. There's always another chance. With AI answers? You're either mentioned or you're not. There's no page two. There's barely a page one. It's "here's what you should do" and then the conversation moves on.

That's why Letchworth businesses need to care about this. You might have great Google rankings. Your website might be lovely. But if an AI doesn't know you exist, or doesn't trust you enough to recommend you, you're invisible to a chunk of your market that's growing every month.

What actually goes into LLMO

OK so what does this look like in practice? Because it's not the same as just having good SEO. Overlap? Yes. Same thing? No.

Large language models form opinions about businesses (weird to say it like that, but it's true enough) based on a few things:

Structured presence across the web. This means consistent information everywhere. Your NAP (name, address, phone) matching on your website, Google Business, directories, everywhere. AI models hoover up data from all over. If your business address is different on Yell than it is on your website, that creates uncertainty. Uncertainty means you don't get recommended.

Semantic context about what you actually do. This is where most businesses fall down. Your website says "quality service" and "trusted experts" but it doesn't actually explain, in clear language, what problems you solve and for who. AI models need that context. They need to understand that you're not just "a builder" but specifically "a builder who does commercial fit-outs in Hertfordshire for retail and office spaces". The more specific and clear you are, the better.

Authoritative mentions and citations. If your business gets mentioned in news articles, industry directories, local business features, or on other trusted websites, that builds authority in the eyes of AI. It's sort of like traditional SEO backlinks but broader. Any mention counts. Any citation counts. AI models weigh that stuff heavily.

Actual human language, not SEO word salad. Here's a big one. AI models were trained on human conversation and natural text. They understand language really well. So that thing where you stuff your homepage with "best plumber Baldock affordable plumber near Baldock emergency plumber Baldock 24/7"? That actually works AGAINST you with AI. It sounds wrong. It reads as spam. AI models are smart enough to spot that and downgrade you.

You need to write like a human. Explain what you do. Tell stories. Use natural language. Which, by the way, is also better for actual humans who visit your website, so there's that.

The AEO connection (because it's all the same thing really)

If you've read any of my other stuff about AEO, you'll notice this sounds familiar. That's because LLMO is basically a subset of Answer Engine Optimisation. Or maybe AEO is a subset of LLMO. Honestly depends who you ask.

The point is, they're solving the same problem. How do you get AI systems to recommend your business when someone asks a question?

AEO tends to focus on the broader picture. AI search, voice assistants, AI overviews, all of it. LLMO is more specifically about the language models themselves. The actual AI that's processing the query and generating an answer.

But in practice? For a business in Letchworth trying to get more customers? It's the same work. You need:

Clear, specific information about what you do and where you do it
Consistent presence across the web
Content that answers real questions in plain English
Authority signals that tell AI you're trustworthy
Reviews and social proof that back up your claims

That last one's important. AI models absolutely factor in reviews. Not just the star rating, but what people actually say. If twenty reviews mention how reliable you are, that word "reliable" becomes associated with your business in the model's understanding. If your reviews are all "great service" with nothing specific, there's less signal there.

What this looks like for actual local businesses

Let me give you an example. There's a garage in Royston I know. Solid business, been around for years, good reputation locally. But if you ask ChatGPT "where should I take my car for MOT and service in North Hertfordshire", they don't come up. Why? Because their website is basically a phone number and an address. No detail. No explanation of what they do. No reviews linked. No mentions anywhere else online.

Compare that to another garage I worked with last year. We built out their content properly. Service pages that explained each thing they offer. Blog posts answering common questions (why's my check engine light on, when do I need new brakes, that sort of thing). Got them listed properly on industry directories. Encouraged reviews and made sure those reviews were visible and linked.

Now when you ask AI tools about mechanics in the area, they come up. Not every time, but often. And that's translating to actual enquiries. People saying "ChatGPT recommended you" or "I asked Perplexity and you came up".

That's LLMO working. It's not magic. It's just making sure the information about your business exists in a way that AI can find it, understand it, and trust it enough to recommend it.

The bit where I tell you what to actually do

If you're running a business in Letchworth or anywhere in North Herts and you want to show up when people ask AI for recommendations, here's where to start:

Make sure your basic information is consistent everywhere. Same business name, same address, same phone number. Check your website, Google Business, Facebook, any directories you're on. Fix the discrepancies.
Write proper content about what you do. Service pages that actually explain things. FAQs that answer real questions. Use the language your customers use, not jargon.
Get reviews and respond to them. Google reviews, Trustpilot, whatever's relevant for your industry. The content in reviews matters, not just the stars.
Look for opportunities to get mentioned. Local news, business features, industry directories. Any legitimate mention helps.
Stop writing for search engines and start writing for humans. AI can tell the difference now.

Is it more work than just chucking some keywords on your homepage? Yes. Does it matter more in 2026 than traditional SEO? Honestly, yeah, I think it does. Or at least it matters as much, and the gap's only getting bigger.

So what now?

If this all sounds like a lot, it is. But it's not complicated once you understand it. And it's definitely not optional anymore, not if you want to be visible to the chunk of customers who are using AI to make decisions.

We do this stuff day in, day out. AEO, LLMO, whatever you want to call it. Getting North Hertfordshire businesses visible in AI search. If you want to figure out where you stand and what actually needs doing, book a call and we'll have a proper look at your situation.

Or if you want to read more about how this works specifically in North Herts, I've written a whole thing about AEO in North Hertfordshire that goes deeper into the local angle.

Either way, this isn't going away. Better to sort it now than wake up in six months wondering why your enquiries have dropped off.