Ranking Locally: Your Guide to GMB & SEO (Unknown Secrets Revealed!) Ep. 580
Are you struggling to rank for local search terms? Have you ever wondered if creating separate local landing pages for various locations could be the…
AI Search
What Actually Drives Citations in LLMs With Solomon Thimothy
LLM citations are driven by consistent brand mentions across media, structured website content, schema markup, and podcast or press appearances, not just traditional Google rankings or backlinks.
Key takeaways
- Podcast appearances and press releases count as media citations that LLMs ingest and use to learn about a brand.
- Schema markup, FAQ sections, and structured data are foundational requirements before pursuing any LLM visibility strategy.
- LLMs cannot read iframe embeds, so important content buried in iframes is invisible to AI systems unless labeled with schema markup.
a focus beam of light attracts more moths in the darkness
About this episode
We unpack how search is shifting from blue links to AI-driven answers and why clean data, focused positioning, and public citations now decide who gets recommended. Solomon Timothy joins us to share practical frameworks for AEO, prompt mapping, and measurable AI visibility. • why prompts replace keywords across the funnel • how to make content machine-readable with schema and FAQs • why entity clarity and niche…
Questions this episode answers
What actually drives citations and brand mentions in LLMs like ChatGPT?
According to Solomon Thimothy, consistent brand citations across quality media sources drive LLM mentions. This includes podcast appearances, press releases, YouTube videos, and structured website content with schema markup and FAQ sections. LLMs follow patterns similar to traditional SEO but pull from a wider range of media beyond just indexed web pages.
Do Google rankings determine whether you show up in ChatGPT or Perplexity?
No. Solomon Thimothy found that Google AI overview, ChatGPT, and Perplexity each produce different brand visibility percentages for the same prompt. A brand can appear frequently in ChatGPT while barely appearing in Google, meaning Google rankings do not automatically transfer to LLM visibility.
How can a small business improve its visibility in AI search tools?
Solomon Thimothy recommends adding schema markup, building out FAQ sections with clear answers, launching a YouTube channel, earning press mentions, and appearing on podcasts. He also stresses defining exactly who you serve and what you do so LLMs can match your brand to specific prompts at the top, middle, and bottom of the funnel.
Why does content in iframe embeds hurt LLM visibility?
LLMs cannot read iframe embeds, so any important content placed inside an iframe is invisible to AI systems. Matt Bertram noted this during the episode, adding that unless the iframe content is labeled with schema markup, it will not be picked up or cited by generative engines.
In their words
the searches became prompts, and prompts are now in three different forms, right? The top of funnel prompts, the middle of funnel prompts, and then the bottom of funnel prompts.
Solomon Thimothy
just because you show up in AI overview, you don't automatically show up in ChatGPT or Perplexity. We are seeing three different visibility percentages depending on the same prompt.
Solomon Thimothy
this podcast right here is considered media. And so when I show up to this podcast, it is actually being transcribed. If you put this on Apple or on Spotify or anywhere, YouTube, it's getting transcribed and it's getting used in in AI training.
Solomon Thimothy
Terms defined in this episode
- AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
- Optimizing content so it is surfaced by answer engines including Google, ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, treating those platforms as destinations that deliver direct answers rather than blue links.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
- Optimization focused specifically on generative AI engines and LLMs, overlapping with AEO but centered on how generative systems select and rank brand information.
- LLM Visibility
- A term used in this episode to describe how well a brand is recognized, cited, and surfaced by large language models across top, middle, and bottom of funnel prompts.
- Citations (in LLM context)
- Brand mentions in media, podcasts, press releases, and other sources that LLMs ingest during training or grounding to determine which brands to surface in response to a prompt.
Full transcript is being added.
This episode answers
Matthew Bertram
AI keynote speaker · Owner & CEO, EWR Digital · President, ModalPoint
Matthew Bertram is an AI keynote speaker, creator of DIG™ (Digital Information Governance), and owner and CEO of EWR Digital. He helps energy and industrial leaders win visibility in AI search (GEO and AEO), is President of ModalPoint and CMO of the Oil & Gas Global Network, hosts The Best SEO Podcast, and has authored eight books including LLM Visibility. More about Matthew Bertram.
Related episodes
AI in Content Marketing: Job Threat or Amplified Excellence? Interview with Larry Roberts Ep. 579
In this insightful episode of the Best SEO Podcast, host Matthew Bertram engages in a captivating conversation with Larry Roberts, an AI and…
AI Search
5 Enterprise SEO Trends To Watch In 2023 Ep. 570
SEO is changing. From search updates and algorithm changes to advancements in AI and conversational search, check out these trends to stay ahead.
AI Search
7 Ways To Use AI Writing Tools To Generate New Content Ideas Sponsored by Frase.io & SE Ranking Ep. 543
7 Ways To Use AI Writing Tools To Generate New Content Ideas Sponsored by Frase.io & SE RankingAuthor: Marcelo Beilin Source:…
AI Search
The show explains it. EWR Digital does it.
The Best SEO Podcast breaks down SEO and AI search; EWR Digital, the agency behind the show, implements it for operators. Start with a free, no-pitch audit of where you stand in Google and in AI answers.
Get a free AI visibility audit