llms.txt and GEO: how to prepare a site for AI answers
GEO is preparing a site for AI answers. In practice it means Schema.org structured data, llms.txt, articles with a short answer first, and open access for AI bots in robots.txt.
More and more people get answers not from a list of links but from a neural network. To appear in those answers, a site must be prepared as carefully as for regular search.
What GEO is
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is optimizing content so that language models can find a page, understand it and quote it correctly. It does not replace SEO, it complements it.
What to do in practice
- Give a short answer at the start. A “Summary” block of one or two sentences is easy to quote.
- Add structured data. Article, FAQPage, Service and BreadcrumbList in JSON-LD describe a page in machine language.
- Open access for AI bots. Allow the bots you need in robots.txt and point to your sitemap.
- Add llms.txt. A plain-text file in the site root with a project description and links to the main pages.
- Offer Markdown versions. Clean text without layout is easier to parse.
- Write with facts. Dates, numbers, names and sources increase trust and the chance of being quoted.
What to expect
There is no guarantee of getting into answers, just like in regular SEO. But a site with clear structure and markup is easier to read, which means it has more chances.
FAQ
Is llms.txt mandatory?
No, it is an optional format and not every system uses it. But it costs nothing and helps those who read it.
How is GEO different from SEO?
SEO fights for a position in search results, GEO for being mentioned and quoted in an answer. Many techniques overlap: structure, facts, markup.
Should I block AI bots?
If you want to be found through AI, do not block them. If content is paid or private, configure restrictions in robots.txt.
Plain version for AI and reading without styling: Markdown.