Everyone has an opinion on how to increase brand visibility in LLMs right now, and honestly, it’s exciting to see the SEO community so focused on this new (ish) area of search. At StudioHawk, we’re constantly testing, learning, and adapting in real time, across small businesses, global brands, and everything in between.
So here’s my two cents from the work we’ve been doing, and what’s stood out so far.
1. Brand Authority Is the Lock, Digital PR Is the Key
When it comes to LLMs recommending sources, we've noticed they’re far more conservative than traditional search engines. This makes sense, AI platforms are under pressure to minimise risk and cite only reliable, high-quality sources.
But here’s the good news: we’ve seen platforms becoming slightly more comfortable recommending lesser-known brands, as long as they’re backed by authority signals.
Our response? Double down on Digital PR.
Earning high-quality backlinks through original insights and useful content has helped our clients demonstrate real value to LLMs. It’s not about gaming the system, it’s about becoming the kind of source AI actually wants to recommend.
2. Tracking LLM visibility at scale is…a nightmare (until it’s not)
Visibility in AI tools is hard to measure, especially across dozens of clients. We’ve gone through it all: spreadsheets, tool-hopping, and late-night brainstorming sessions with an aim to automate LLM tracking.
But lately, the team at peec.ai has helped us simplify this process. Their visibility tracking tool gives us a clearer picture of how our clients stack up in LLMs, and it’s been a game-changer. The space is evolving fast (literally daily!), but having a dedicated tool makes documenting progress actually doable.
3. Traditional Search is still king (for now)
You often hear people tell you it's all over for traditional search engines with their ‘outdated’ showcase of ten links per page. Yes, AI-generated answers are great for quick, broad questions like “What’s the most popular flavour of ice cream?” But when someone is putting their hard-earned cash on the line, they want control. That’s why traditional search still dominates high-intent, transactional queries. Google’s evolving shopping experience and Amazon's long-time-tested experience offer a ‘safe’ option for shoppers.
I expect this to change — eventually. There’s no doubt that the future lies in merging the utility of LLMs with the visibility and trust of search engines. But for now, SEO fundamentals still drive conversions. So don’t throw out your SERP strategy just yet...
What’s Working for You?
The industry has never moved so fast, but has also never been more fun to work in.
At StudioHawk, we’re obsessed with being on the front line of innovation in the search space, particularly when it comes to how AI is reshaping search.
As Google experiments with AI Mode in Search, understanding how LLM-driven experiences reshape SERP visibility is crucial.
If you're testing LLM visibility strategies or have case studies to share, we would love to hear from you. Got a client who's aiming to show up in AI Overviews or ChatGPT? We’re already helping brands do just that; now is the time to reach out.
