This guide will be continuously updated with new tactics, real-world examples, and platform-specific insights to ensure your organization stays ahead of the AI visibility curve.

• What is llms.txt?

llms.txt is a plain text file you place at the root of your website (like https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt) to tell AI platforms and especially large language models (LLMs) how to handle your content. Think of it like a guide or welcome note for AI search tools.

• Who should use llms.txt?

Anyone with a website who wants to control how AI interprets, cites, and shares their content.

If your content matters and you want it represented correctly in AI answers, you should use it.

• Do I need to be technical to use llms.txt?

Not at all. You just write some basic instructions in a text file (using a cheatsheet), and ask your web admin to upload it. No code required.

• Where do I put the llms.txt file?

It should be added to the root directory of your website.
For example: https://yourwebsite.com/llms.txt

Ask your web manager:

“Can you upload this file to the same place where our robots.txt lives?”

• What does llms.txt let me control?

You can give AI models guidance on:

• ✅ Which pages they can use

• 🚫 Which pages they should ignore

• 🏷 How to mention your brand or organization

• 📎 Which pages are most authoritative

• 🧠 Who your subject-matter experts are

• 📅 When the file was last updated

• Will AI platforms actually follow llms.txt?

Many leading platforms—like OpenAI (ChatGPT), Anthropic (Claude), and Perplexity—are beginning to check and honor llms.txt files. It’s still early, but it's becoming a new standard in AI-era content governance.

• Is this the same as robots.txt?

No, but it works in a similar spirit.

• robots.txt tells traditional search engines what to crawl and index.

• llms.txt gives language models guidance on what to learn from, use in answers, and how to attribute content.

Use both if you're serious about visibility and control.

• Does this protect my content legally?

Not directly. llms.txt is not a legal enforcement tool, but it can help you:

• Express your intent clearly

• Document content handling preferences

• Strengthen your position if issues arise later

For legal safeguards, you'll still want policies, licensing terms, and possibly watermarking or usage clauses.

• How often should I update llms.txt?

Update it when you:

• Add important new content

• Remove or restrict old pages

• Change how you want to be attributed

• Appoint a new expert or team lead

Best practice: review your llms.txt file every 1–3 months.

• How do I know if it’s working?

There's no universal dashboard yet, but you can:

• Visit https://yourdomain.com/llms.txt to verify it's live

• Ask AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity a question related to your brand and see how they respond

• Use tools like Mention, Brand24, or SparkToro to track AI-generated mentions over time

• What Is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?

GEO is the practice of optimizing your organization's web presence to appear in AI-generated responses—not just traditional search engine rankings. It includes:

• Structuring content for AI model comprehension (schema, metadata, prompt-style writing).

• Earning citations from high-authority, AI-referenced sources.

• Ensuring your brand is included in structured, searchable knowledge graphs and databases

Why It Matters: AI is not ranking pages. It's summarizing, selecting, and synthesizing information for users. Inclusion is the new metric of visibility

• Why Doesn’t My Organization Appear in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity?

AI engines prioritize:

• Citations from trusted domains like .org, .edu, or major industry publications.

• Structured content (e.g., FAQ schema, JSON-LD).

• Presence in data aggregators like Crunchbase, G2, or industry directories.

• Mentions in prompts or plugins commonly crawled by AI tools.

GEO Hack: Pitch “Top 10” list creators and ensure your brand is listed in expert roundups that LLMs crawl and quote.

• Why Don’t I Show Up in AI Snippets or Leaderboards?

AI engines extract content from:

• Structured lists like “Top Credit Unions in Texas”, "Top Banks in California", etc.

• Crowdsourced rankings (Reddit, Quora)

• Publisher reviews (e.g., U.S. News, Capterra)

Checklist:

• Have others listed your organization in credible sources?

• Is your site structured with location, awards, and customer quotes?

• Are you in the databases Perplexity or Claude reference?

• Why Doesn’t My Site Pass GEO Audits?

Common blockers include:

• Missing structured data (e.g., FAQ, Organization schema).

• Lack of AI-friendly formatting (e.g., prompt-question content).

• Weak citation footprint across the web.

Reality Check: If you're not showing up in GEO benchmarking tools, LLMs likely don’t recognize your authority.

• Top 3 Fastest GEO Wins

1. Earn High-Authority Citations:
   Get mentioned in editorial “best of” lists and forums crawled by LLMs.

2. Add Structured Content:
   Use internal linking hubs and FAQ schema to clarify topic relevance.

3. Answer Prompt-Based Queries Directly:
   Examples:

   • “What’s the best loan origination software in 2025?”

   • “Top AI tools for nonprofit fundraising”

• How do I measure visibility in ChatGPT, Claude, and other LLMs?

Sumit your site to Senso's GEO Tool

Review:

• Mention frequency (How often your brand appears).

• Prompt rank (Where your brand appears vs. competitors).

• Answer context (Are you cited as a primary answer or as a footnote?).

LLMs do not return fixed rankings, but frequent appearance in multiple phrasing variants shows strong share-of-voice.

• What is GEO ROI and how is it calculated?

GEO ROI (Return on Generative Optimization) = Visibility in AI-generated responses → Clicks → Leads → Revenue

Track:

• Visibility changes in top prompts.

• Traffic uplift from AI referrals (e.g., Perplexity click logs).

• Demo or form submissions following AI interactions.

GEO Hack: GEO traffic converts better due to high intent. Tracking ROI helps validate investment in LLM visibility tactics.

• How to Fix a Drop in AI Visibility?

1. Check for Broken Structured Data (FAQ schema, breadcrumbs)

2. Regenerate Backlinks by re-engaging with partner mentions

3. Refresh High-Traffic Pages with updated stats, embedded tools, calculators

Reality Check: LLMs penalize stale content and disappearing references. Recency matters.

• How to Appear in “Top X in Y” Lists?

• Publish your own rankings (e.g. "Top 10 Credit Unions in California", “Top 5 Community Banks in Florida”)

• Get featured by third-party journalists and bloggers

• Add reviews and ratings to build trust and ranking power

• How Do I Get My Content into ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, etc.?

• Be present in public, AI-trainable sources (e.g., Wikipedia, GitHub, StackOverflow)

• Ensure content is crawlable and updated frequently

• Publish in Q&A communities and on trusted review platforms

Final Word: GEO Is Not a Trend—It’s the New Baseline

Generative AI is now the first touchpoint for customer discovery. Traditional SEO is no longer enough. Organizations that adapt will stay visible. Those that don’t will vanish from the conversation. Start optimizing for where the conversation begins—not where it used to end.