How to get mentioned in LLMs in GEO?

LLMs are transforming information search by generating synthetic answers. Is your brand or company visible in them? Mentions in these tools are becoming a major issue for your digital awareness. How do you earn a presence (citation or mention?) in ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity? Which levers should you activate so your name appears naturally in their answers? Here is how.

Mentions in GEO: definition and importance

A mention is the explicit presence of a brand, product, or service name in an AI answer without a clickable link. It delivers visibility, awareness, traffic, and conversion. It differs from a citation, which attributes a source (with a link or reference) to the generated content.

These mentions appear mainly on certain types of queries:

“Best brand of…”;
“Alternative to…”;
Product comparisons;
Tool or service recommendations.
“Top 10…” or rankings;
Questions such as “Which company should I choose for…”;
“Who does…” or “Who offers…” queries;
Requests for opinions on brands;
Questions such as “Is [brand] reliable/good?”;
Searches for a solution to a precise problem.

LLMs favor brands that are recognized and frequently cited on the web when they answer these queries. Your goal: become one of those unavoidable references.

Do not confuse mention and citation. A citation attributes the content to an identifiable source, often with a link. A mention highlights your brand without a source proof or a direct benefit. Simply put, it does not generate direct click traffic.

Why do mentions in LLMs matter?

Mentions play a fundamental role in the visibility and ranking of entities in generated answers, letting you capture qualitative traffic through AI engines.

Mention = visibility. Potential traffic from appearing in LLM answers.
Mention = awareness. The influence of mentions on credibility and the trust users perceive.

Authority and reputation: the essentials for being mentioned in LLMs

Building strong awareness on your site and beyond increases the probability of being retained and named by LLMs. To appear in LLMs, your brand has to exist. Not only on your site, but everywhere on the web. LLMs rely on millions of sources to build their answers. The stronger and more consistent your presence, the better your chances of being retained and mentioned.

Understanding how LLMs work

LLMs rely on both pre-training data and grounding sources (RAG). To appear, you have to “exist” in both worlds, on-site and off-site.

Be present in recurring pre-training sources
Be present in RAG / grounding sources
Be present on-site: about pages, author pages, testimonials, case studies, certifications… The site and the content must also be fast to access and readable (technical)
Be present off-site: authority sites, directories, press, studies, community sites…

Presence in RAG sources: the detail that makes the difference

LLMs consult certain sources in real time to update their answers. Make sure you are present on those sites.

On-site optimization

Your site must present a clear identity:

Detailed “About” pages.
Complete author profiles.
Customer testimonials.
Case studies.
Certifications and labels.

The technical dimension also matters. Your site must be fast, accessible, and easy for bots to crawl. As usual for this part, you can test your site with Google’s tool: https://pagespeed.web.dev/?hl=fr

Off-site reach

Multiply your presence beyond your site:

Authority sites in your field;
Professional directories;
Press articles;
Sector studies;
Thematic forums and communities.

The more visible you are on the web, the more chances LLMs have of knowing you.

Netlinking and authority: critical for being in the mentions

geo linking

Qualitative netlinking strengthens your awareness and favors mentions in LLMs. The goal: be recognized as an unavoidable authority.

Start from your existing link-building strategy

You already run netlinking campaigns for your SEO? Good news. That base is a solid foundation for GEO. The principles stay similar, but the objective evolves. If that is not the case, now is the time to start.

In classic SEO, you look for backlinks to pass authority and improve your rankings. In GEO, you aim for visibility and brand mentions to feed what LLMs know.

Adapt your approach for GEO

Your link-building strategy can be redirected toward GEO with a few adjustments:

Prioritize LLM source sites (Wikipedia, authority media, academic publications)
Look for explicit brand mentions, not only links
Target high-value content (studies, guides, comparisons)
Diversify your presence sources (directories, forums, communities).

Anchor text matters less than in SEO. What matters: that your name appears in a relevant, positive context.

Building authority

Earn backlinks in volume, but above all in quality:

High-authority sites in your field
Strong thematic relevance
Natural, varied anchors
Strategic target pages.

Overall awareness

The more people talk about you on the web, the more your awareness grows. Each link is a vote of confidence. Each mention strengthens your presence in the digital ecosystem LLMs analyze.

Mention campaigns: the new lever

Beyond classic link building, mention campaigns become a GEO lever in their own right. The goal: get your name onto as much quality content as possible, with or without a link. These mentions feed the data LLMs use for their answers.

Identity, entity, and knowledge graph

A clear, consistent identity, backed by a well-structured knowledge graph, is a pillar for avoiding ambiguity and making recognition by LLMs easier.

A consistent, official name on every platform
schema.org markup: Organization / Product / SameAs etc.
Wikipedia page
Reduce ambiguity as much as possible

LLM-friendly content and topical authority

Create content that is easy for AI to synthesize and extract while establishing the brand as the ultimate reference on a topic.

Have content optimized for AI readability
Chunking: Hn markup, short sentences, definitions
QAT: Quality, Accuracy, and Transparency. Be precise, reliable, and transparent
Data that is easy to extract and reuse
Work thematic clusters: pillar page, supporting content, semantic mapping
Goal: be a topical authority
Snowball effect: relevant content (especially studies, white papers, and the like) makes natural mentions or citations on other sites easier.

Working toward a positive AI sentiment

A positive AI sentiment, close to 100, increases the chances of being mentioned by AI chatbots.

Audit and improve your AI sentiment (score out of 100)
The score is calculated from the overall tone and context of your brand mentions in all AI answers. Positive indicators: words such as “trustworthy,” “reliable,” “innovative,” “leader,” “expert”
Neutral indicators: factual language with little emotional tone
Negative indicators: critical language, concerns, or negative associations)
Positive sentiment = a better chance of being visible

Reviews and online presence: working on your e-reputation

A solid social presence strengthens credibility and positive sentiment, both essential for appearing in LLMs.

Collect authentic reviews: tone, response, volume
Brand social sentiment, especially on social networks and community platforms
Monitoring: brand + topic watch, positive/neutral/negative tags, corrective actions.

Activate strategic review platforms

Do not limit yourself to Google. Multiply your presence:

Trustpilot for international credibility
Avis Vérifiés or Trusted Shops depending on your sector
Industry platforms (Capterra for SaaS, TripAdvisor for travel, and so on)
Product comments on your site with Review Schema.

These reviews feed the databases LLMs consult. The more you accumulate, the more your legitimacy takes hold.

Optimize your Google Business Profile listing

Your GBP listing is a major contact point between your brand and the engines. Take particular care with it:

Complete, up-to-date information
Professional photos, posted regularly
Fast replies to reviews (within 48h)
Frequent posts (news, offers, events)
Questions/answers filled in.

Google feeds Gemini with this data. An optimized listing increases your chances of appearing.

A communication strategy suited to your sector

Your digital presence has to adapt to the codes and platforms of your industry. A SaaS publisher does not communicate the way a restaurant or a law firm does.

Identify where your audience and your competitors are active. Invest those spaces with a coherent strategy.

Create a content ecosystem

Develop content that highlights customer feedback:

Blog articles such as “Customer testimonial” or “Case studies”
Pages dedicated to success stories
Mini-sites or thematic landing pages with use cases
Comparisons where your solution appears naturally.

Some companies even create mini PBNs (Private Blog Networks) of comparison sites in their sector. These third-party sites generate brand mentions and strengthen your overall presence. Be careful, though: this content must bring real editorial value if it is to stay credible and ethical.

Watch your image on social networks and community platforms:

Reddit, Quora, or thematic forums
Facebook or LinkedIn groups in your sector
YouTube comments if you produce video content
Twitter/X or Threads mentions.

Discussions around your brand feed how LLMs perceive you. An active, positive presence on these spaces strengthens your visibility.

Continuous monitoring and corrective actions

Put permanent monitoring in place:

Google Alerts on your brand and executives
Social listening tools (Mention, Brandwatch, and so on)
Forum and community surveillance
Positive/neutral/negative classification of each mention
An action plan to handle negative feedback quickly.

Action plan for being mentioned in LLMs

Audit: measure your current visibility

The initial audit evaluates your presence in LLMs and identifies your areas for improvement. Without this step, you are flying blind. You cannot progress without knowing your starting point.

Why a GEO audit is an indispensable base

The audit reveals three capital pieces of information:

Where do you currently appear in LLMs?
On which types of queries are you mentioned?
How do you stand against your competitors?

These data steer your strategy. You identify strengths to consolidate and weaknesses to close.

A 5-step audit methodology

Follow this structured approach to get a complete view of your visibility.

Step 1: list your target queries

Identify 15 to 30 strategic queries for your activity. Vary the types:

Brand queries: “What is the best [your sector] solution?”
Comparative queries: “Alternative to [competitor]”
Informational queries: “How do I choose a [your product/service]?”
Recommendation queries: “Which tool for [customer need]?”

Prioritize queries with strong business potential. A “Top 5 CRMs” ranking is worth more than a generic query if you sell a CRM.

Step 2: test across several LLMs

Test each query on the main LLMs:

ChatGPT (GPT-4)
Perplexity
Gemini (Google)
Claude (Anthropic)
Copilot (Microsoft).

Each LLM has its sources and its biases. Appearing on ChatGPT does not guarantee a presence on Gemini.

Step 3: create your tracking table

Document your results in a structured table. Here is a simple, effective model:

Query LLM Mentioned? Position Competitor 1 Competitor 2 Competitor 3 Type of mention Sentiment

Best CRM for SMEs ChatGPT Yes 3rd Salesforce (1st) HubSpot (2nd) Pipedrive (4th) List + description Positive

Best CRM for SMEs Gemini No – Salesforce Monday Zoho – –

Alternative to Salesforce ChatGPT No – HubSpot Pipedrive Zoho – –

Alternative to Salesforce Perplexity Yes 2nd HubSpot (1st) Monday (3rd) Zoho (4th) Simple mention Neutral

French CRM Claude Yes 1st Sellsy (2nd) Axonaut (3rd) – Recommendation Very positive

How to fill in the table:

Mentioned?: Yes/No, does your brand appear in the answer?
Position: your rank if several brands are cited (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on)
Competitors: note the 3 main brands cited with their position
Type of mention: simple list, detailed description, explicit recommendation, passing mention
Sentiment: Positive (strong recommendation), Neutral (factual mention), Negative (reservations expressed).

Step 4: analyze the results

Once your table is filled in, extract the trends:

Overall presence rate: on how many queries do you appear? (e.g. 12 mentions out of 30 queries tested = 40%)
Most favorable LLMs: on which LLMs are you most visible?
Winning query types: where do you perform best? (comparisons, recommendations, and so on);
Average positions: are you often at the top or at the bottom of the list?
Dominant competitors: who appears systematically ahead of you?

Step 5: build your strategy from the results

The audit draws a precise picture. You now know:

Which queries you need to improve on first
Which LLMs need particular effort
Which competitors represent the main threat
Which sources you need to activate to improve your visibility.

These insights feed your GEO action plan directly. You are no longer working blind.

mention llm

Mention strategy: define your priorities

The audit gave you a snapshot of your situation. Now comes the strategy. You need to define precisely where and how to increase your visibility in LLMs.

Identify your priority prompts

On which queries do you absolutely want to appear? Rank them on two criteria:

Business potential: can this query generate qualified leads?
Effort required: can you compete with the players already present, given the resources you have?

Concentrate your efforts on high-impact queries with reasonable accessibility. There is no point aiming for “best CRM” if you are a startup facing Salesforce.

Build your awareness strategy

List the sources and sites where you can earn mentions. Your audit revealed the platforms that matter. Now identify:

Gaps with your competitors: where are they present and you are not?
Opportunities to seize: which sites accept contributions?
Possible partnerships: which complementary companies can mention you?

Create a detailed action plan with, for each source: objective, actions, deadlines, owner.

Prioritize and aim for quick wins

Do not try to do everything at once. Prioritize your actions with an impact/effort matrix:

Quick wins (high impact, low effort): treat these first
Strategic projects (high impact, high effort): plan them over the long term
Secondary actions (low impact): postpone or drop them.

Quick wins generate fast results and motivate your teams. Lock in a first win before you take on the heavy work.

Operational actions: move to execution

The strategy is defined. Now move to action with a structured operational plan.

Technical and content optimization

Work in parallel on your foundation:

Improve technical performance (speed, crawlability)
Rework existing content according to LLM-friendly principles
Create new expert content (guides, studies, comparisons)
Implement schema.org tags.

These foundations condition your ability to be retained by LLMs.

Acquiring backlinks and mentions

Roll out your campaigns according to your strategy:

Press relations: releases, interviews, expert columns
Guest posting on authority sites in your sector
Strategic partnerships with complementary players
Participation in sector studies or collaborative white papers
Targeted mention campaigns on forums and communities.

Each mention, each link strengthens your digital presence and your perceived authority.

Improving AI sentiment

Actively manage your reputation:

Collect and reply to customer reviews
Handle crises and negative comments
Highlight your successes and positive testimonials
Communicate proactively on your innovations and commitments.

A positive sentiment amplifies your chances of appearing in LLM recommendations.

Strengthening brand image

Take care of your on-site and off-site presence:

Consistency of your identity on every platform;
Regular updates of your social profiles;
Production of quality content that demonstrates your expertise;
Active participation in discussions in your sector.

Your brand must inspire trust and competence everywhere it appears.

Tracking and measuring performance

Put a dashboard in place with your key KPIs:

Number of mentions earned per month
Presence rate on your target queries
Evolution of AI sentiment (score out of 100)
Average position in LLM answers
Traffic generated from AI tools (via UTM or behavioral analysis).

Analyze your results monthly. Adjust your strategy according to observed performance. GEO requires consistency and adaptation.

The value of expert support

A GEO audit takes time, rigor, and sharp expertise. Calling on specialists speeds up the process and guarantees reliable results.

GEO agencies have dedicated tools, proven methodologies, and a fine knowledge of LLMs. They quickly identify your opportunities and help you avoid costly mistakes.

If you are starting in GEO, investing in support pays for itself quickly. You save months of trial and error and leave with a solid base.

Getting mentions in LLMs requires a global, structured approach, which will also help you get citations. Authority, consistency, and reputation are your three pillars. Start with a rigorous audit, define a clear strategy, and deploy coordinated actions. Results take time, but your presence in LLMs will shape your visibility tomorrow.

Sources used to write this guide: