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Abiruzzaman Molla
Abiruzzaman Molla

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RIP SEO. Welcome to AIO: The Rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

#seo #ai #llm #webdev

For over 20 years, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) was the dominant strategy for online visibility. Entire industries were built around backlinks, meta tags, and keyword stuffing.

But the game has changed.

AI-driven search is here. And unlike Google, it doesn’t play by the old rules.

Instead of “ranking” websites, Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini crawl the web, digest information, and generate direct answers.

This shift has given rise to a new discipline:

👉 GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)

👉 Also called AIO (AI Optimization)

And here’s the secret: it only takes one file to start.

That file is called llm.txt.

Why SEO is Dying (and AIO is Rising)

Traditional SEO relied on Google’s algorithm:

  • Backlinks = authority
  • Keywords = ranking
  • Meta tags = discoverability

But LLMs don’t use these signals. Instead, they crawl, parse, and learn from raw content.

This means:

  • If your site isn’t structured for AI, you may be ignored
  • Outdated information could be used in answers instead of your current data
  • Competitors who prepare now will show up in AI-generated responses before you

In short:

  • SEO was for Google.
  • AIO is for AI models.

What is llm.txt?

llm.txt is the AI-era version of robots.txt.

It’s a simple text file placed in your website’s root directory to:

  • Tell AI crawlers what they can/can’t use
  • Point them to structured data (facts, summaries, product info)
  • Ensure your content is accurate, accessible, and AI-ready

How to Create an llm.txt File

Step 1: Create the file

  • Open a plain text editor (Notepad, VS Code, Sublime, etc.)
  • Save as llm.txt

Step 2: Add crawler rules

Here’s a template you can start with:

# Allow major AI crawlers to use your content

User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /

User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /

User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /

User-agent: Google-Extended
Allow: /

# Direct AI to important resources
Sitemap: https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml
Data-source: https://yoursite.com/ai-dataset.json
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✔️ Replace https://yoursite.com with your actual URLs

Step 3: Create AI-friendly data sources

AI models prefer structured, factual information. You can provide this via:

  • JSON files
  • CSV spreadsheets
  • Markdown summaries

Example JSON (ai-dataset.json):

[
  {
    "name": "Your Company",
    "description": "AI-powered platform that helps businesses automate workflows.",
    "founded": "2023",
    "website": "https://yoursite.com",
    "products": [
      {
        "name": "AI Assistant",
        "description": "Smart chatbot for customer support",
        "price": "49 USD/month"
      }
    ]
  }
]
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Keep it concise, factual, and regularly updated.

Step 4: Upload the file

  • Place llm.txt in your website’s root directory (where robots.txt lives)
  • Example:
    • ✅ https://yoursite.com/llm.txt
    • ❌ https://yoursite.com/blog/llm.txt

Step 5: Test it

  • Open a browser
  • Navigate to https://yoursite.com/llm.txt
  • Ensure it loads and is publicly accessible

A Bonus Prompt to Auto-Generate Your File

Instead of writing everything manually, you can use ChatGPT or Claude with this prompt:

I want to create an LLM.TXT file for my website so it ranks across all Large Language Models (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, etc.).

Ask me for:
- Website URL
- Sitemap URL
- Structured data URLs (JSON, CSV, Markdown)
- Any content I want to restrict from AI crawlers
- Which AI crawlers to allow or block

Then generate a complete LLM.TXT file with:
- Allow/Disallow rules for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, etc.
- Links to sitemap(s) and structured data
- Comments explaining each section
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Why This Is Urgent

  • Google SEO took 20 years to mature
  • AI SEO is just starting
  • Early adopters will dominate AI-generated answers

If you want your brand, product, or knowledge to appear in:

  • ChatGPT responses
  • Perplexity answers
  • Claude summaries
  • Gemini search

…you need llm.txt now.

Final Thoughts

The internet is entering a new era.

The “10 blue links” model of Google is fading.

AI-generated answers are taking over.

Brands that act now will:

  • Control how AI models see them
  • Ensure their data is accurate in AI responses
  • Stay ahead of competitors who are still playing the SEO game from 2010

📂 Add llm.txt today.

📊 Tomorrow → you’re the AI default answer.

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