The rise of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT is transforming how we search, discover and engage with brands. Traditional search, built on short, keyword-heavy queries and ranking battles is giving way to long-form prompts, contextual understanding and conversational results.

For brands, this means the old playbook will need dusting off and updating.

SEO is only going to get smarter. The fundamentals still matter, but the focus is moving to building authority in a more human, trustworthy way. That means expert-led content, digital PR that drives credibility, and showing up in places that LLMs are trained on like Reddit, Quora and specialist forums.

Google’s own AI-powered search mode is entering the game too, making this not just a ChatGPT shift, but an industry wide transformation.

So, what’s changed?

For years, the aim of the game was keyword, keyword, keyword. Short, stripped-down queries designed to feed Google exactly what it wanted.

Now we’re writing in full sentences, even paragraphs. We’re moving from “best mattress UK” to “I need a breathable mattress that helps with back pain and works for hot sleepers, what should I get?” as consumers know they’ll get better results asking in detail.

Not to mention that sometimes it’s easier to spill everything you’re thinking into the search bar instead of squeezing it into three words.

And this reflects in how people are using LLMs. Not everyone treats them like Google. Many searches are for idea generation, writing support or work tasks, not definitive answers.

That changes how brands need to show up. Content needs to be structured so LLMs can pull from it, while simultaneously feeling human: detailed, engaging and genuinely useful.

Think about what someone might actually ask and the context they are asking in and make your key points easy to find, with the most important information upfront.

The return of brand.com

All this means that with the rise of LLMs, branded content is back.

With search engines like Google, top rankings often felt like the correct answer or exactly what you were looking for. But that just isn’t the case with LLMs.

Answers are pulled from multiple sources. Sometimes conflicting, sometimes flat-out wrong. Which makes owning the narrative around your brand important than ever.

This is a huge opportunity (and one that your competitors may have already spotted). With the right KPIs in mind, branded content can guide the conversation rather than react to it.

This matters more than ever in an LLM search world where misinformation can easily be spread due to the mismatching sources. If you don’t own the conversation, chances are a competitor will and may use it to circulate it’s products at the expense of your own.

As a result, brand.com needs to become a single source of truth. This is our product, this is how we present it, and this is the information LLMs should be drawing from – not third-party sources with their own agendas.

It’s a business wide effort

But owning your narrative isn’t just about the website. Businesses need to think in channels, not silos as digital PR and authority building can’t be done by an SEO team alone.

You need to consider the wider brand perspective: what’s coming up, what’s performing well and how LLMs interpret your brand in the first place. That means understanding overall sentiment, the questions people are asking, and the conversations happening in your space.

In addition, it pays to know the landscape you want to play in. LLMs rely heavily on certain sources – Wikipedia, Reddit and major news publishers – because of their volume and authority so it’s critical to boost your presence in those spaces.

Similarly, usage differs by demographic too. While younger generations use tools like ChatGPT regularly, 58% of those under 30, in contrast those aged 65 or older don’t have the same exposure, only 10%.

Therefore, if your business appeals to those in an older demographic then you may need to reconsider your approach to LLMs. It may not be a priority.

While for those brands targeting younger age groups, this is a conversation you need to be having across your business as soon as possible.

Now brands can’t control this process end-to-end, so don’t expect any neat case studies showcasing your dominance. The play is about presence, credibility and guiding the conversation where you can.

But whether you like it or not, this is the next chapter of SEO.

One where the fundamentals still matter but the focus moves outward to digital PR, offsite SEO and expert-led content. Citing trusted third-party sources, highlighting expert opinions and structuring content clearly all signal authority that LLMs can recognise.

Yet at its core, SEO hasn’t changed.

After all, the goal is still to be found when someone searches. All that’s different is the search engine itself.

Sam Barker is Head of Omnichannel Search, Greenpark