How to do content marketing that works for LLMs and GPTs

Sep 11, 2025 | #GEO #AISEO #LLMS #CONTENT-MARKETING #EEAT

TL;DR: GEO extends SEO — write clear, evidence-backed content and add machine-friendly structure (headings, Q&A, JSON-LD) so LLMs can find and confidently cite your pages.

Imagine an assistant confidently citing your page as the definitive answer. As Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Gemini increasingly handle queries, content must serve both people and machines. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) means structuring pages and adding the right markup so LLMs can find, understand, and reliably cite your content.

GEO builds on good SEO: strong technical fundamentals, clear E‑E‑A‑T writing, and machine-friendly elements like schema.org and concise Q&A blocks.

Why GEO matters ➥

SEO isn’t dead — it’s still the foundation. But GEO adds an extra layer: making content machine-readable and directly answerable by LLMs. If an assistant can confidently cite your page, you’re more likely to be shown as a source in AI-generated answers.

Key signals for GEO:

  • Clear, descriptive headings and short lead summaries
  • Explicit question-and-answer blocks or FAQ sections
  • Structured data (JSON-LD) for articles, products, organizations, and FAQs
  • Demonstrated first-hand experience and author attribution (E‑E‑A‑T)

1. Write for humans first, structure for machines ➥

Practical guidance:

  • Start each article with a 1–2 sentence summary that answers the main question.
  • Use H2/H3 headings that match likely user queries (example: “How do I set up X?”).
  • Add short, copyable answers (1–3 sentences) before deeper explanation — LLMs often surface short extracts.
  • Include internal links to topical clusters to build topical authority.

2. Use schema.org (JSON-LD) appropriately ➥

Schema helps LLMs and search engines understand your page quickly. At minimum, include an Article JSON-LD with @context, @type, headline, datePublished, author, and description.

Minimal example:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "How to do content marketing that works for LLMs and GPTs",
  "datePublished": "2025-09-11",
  "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Your Name" },
  "description": "How to optimize content for humans and large language models (GEO): structure, schema, KPIs, and practical workflow tips."
}

Add other schema types where relevant: Organization, WebSite, Product, FAQPage, and BreadcrumbList. Keep markup concise and correct — bad schema is worse than none.

Hugo tip: place JSON-LD in your page bundle head partial or use {{- $json := .Site.Data.schemas.article | jsonify -}} then render it inside a <script type="application/ld+json"> block so it’s included in the page head.

3. Q&A and examples ➥

LLMs prefer exact or near-exact question matches. Add short Q&A blocks and label them clearly. Example:

Q: What is GEO?

A: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the practice of structuring content and metadata so LLMs can find, extract, and cite it accurately.

Follow the Q&A with a 2–3 paragraph explanation and a short, copyable answer before deeper detail.

4. Build topical authority ➥

Topical authority means grouping many related, high-quality posts under a subject and linking them together. Use case examples:

  • If you sell a SaaS invoicing product, write posts like: “How VAT works for small businesses”, “Integrating X with QuickBooks”, “Troubleshooting VAT errors”. Use authors with first-hand experience and cite internal data where possible.

Practical checklist (GEO-ready) ➥

Quick GEO-ready checklist

  1. Lede: 1–2 sentence clear answer to the main question.
  2. TL;DR near the top (1–3 sentences).
  3. H2 headings that map to likely user queries.
  4. JSON-LD Article schema present and accurate.
  5. Short Q&A or FAQ blocks for common queries.
  6. Author byline or evidence of first-hand experience (E‑E‑A‑T).
  7. Internal links to related cluster pages.
  8. Fast, mobile-friendly HTML and valid markup.

Measure and iterate ➥

Track: organic traffic, click-through rate (CTR), time-on-page, and whether pages are cited by AI answers (if available). Iterate on pages that get traffic but low engagement or few citations.

Notes and limitations : GEO improves the chance an LLM will cite your content, but assistants may still draw on other sources. Keep schema accurate and human-review any AI-generated summaries or content before publishing.