Traditional Search is Dying. How LLMs are Reshaping SEO, PR and Content

When was the last time you actually Googled something? 

More and more people are turning to tools like ChatGPT instead of traditional search. Whether they’re looking for product recommendations, expert advice, or startup tools, they’re asking LLMs (large language models) and not search engines.

For startups, this shift has major implications for how you approach PR, SEO and owned content.

LLMs Are the New Search Engine

Language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are changing how people ask questions and how they discover brands.

Unlike Google, these tools don’t just crawl and rank websites. They synthesize insights from credible sources: top publications, expert forums and real-time content.

That means your brand isn’t just competing for Google’s top 10 results anymore but instead competing to be relevant enough to be quoted by AI.

Where LLMs Pull Their Info

To show up in AI-generated answers, your brand needs to live in the places LLMs pull from. Here's where they look:

1. High-Authority Media: Think Forbes, TechCrunch, NYT, Bloomberg, Well+Good, Skift, Crunchbase News. If you’ve been quoted or featured here, you’re more likely to show up in AI summaries.

2. Wikipedia & Encyclopedic Sources: LLMs love clear, structured explainers in a neutral tone like Wikipedia, Investopedia, Healthline and Mayo Clinic. Even if you don’t have a Wikipedia page, getting referenced in encyclopedic-style explainers boosts your visibility.

3. Community Forums:  Reddit, Quora, and Stack Overflow are gold mines for LLMs because they include real human conversations that offer perspective, sentiment and authentic brand mentions. Startups mentioned repeatedly here benefit from social consensus. 

4.  Research & Trusted Data: Sources like Pew Research, WHO, Harvard Business Review and .edu papers provide trustworthy, quotable data.

5. YouTube & Podcast Transcripts: LLMs index show transcripts from How I Built This, TEDx, branded webinars and other thought leadership content.

6. FAQs & Product Docs: LLMs love clean, well-structured documentation. FAQs, "how it works" pages, and help centers get picked up, especially with schema markup.

7. Digital Footprint & Social Proof - Mentions in viral threads, LinkedIn posts, and influencer content (especially when cited in media) reinforce brand presence.

What This Means for PR Strategy 

1. Tier-One Coverage = AI Visibility 

High-authority media mentions increase your visibility in AI-generated responses. Don’t just chase backlinks but chase mentions that reinforce credibility and context.

2. Use Experts, Not Just Executives

LLMs love clear, authoritative voices. Leverage your entire team and prioritize quotes and thought leadership from founders or subject-matter experts in your company.

3. Podcasts & Reviews Count Too

Many LLMs reference podcast transcripts, influencer blog reviews and trusted YouTube channels. Your PR strategy should aim to plant flags across formats, not just articles.

What This Means for Owned Content

1. Format for AI, Not Just SEO

Use structured data (like schema markup) to help LLMs parse your content. Add FAQ sections to blog posts and product pages with natural-language questions and answers. Focus on educational content like how-tos, definitions and frameworks.

2. Use Clarity, Not Jargon

LLMs prefer straightforward explanations over fluffy marketing speak. Explain like you would to a smart 12-year-old.

3. Repurpose with Purpose

Reuse quotes, frameworks and answers from press features or interviews on your blog and LinkedIn. Consistency across platforms improves AI’s ability to associate your brand with specific expertise.

In the world of AI-first discovery, your next customer may never visit a search results page, but that doesn’t mean they won’t find you.

Be so valuable, clear, and credible that the algorithms want to quote you.