From Director Dan Sim
As a consumer, I haven’t searched for a product on Google in weeks. I just ask ChatGPT.
It gives me one or two brand names. I choose. I buy. Done.
As a marketer? That’s honestly a bit scary.
Because I know most eCommerce brands still think they’re winning SEO… but they’re not even part of the answer.
This is where LLM or Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) comes in.
What is LLM & Answer Engine Optimisation?
LLM Optimisation involves optimising your site for AI or LLMs (Large Language Models) like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
At Kia Ora Digital, we help you to get your business visible for AI & LLM Search results.
Also referred to as Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) or Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), this ushers in a new era of search. LLM Search is taking off, and if you’re not optimising for AI, you’ll get left behind.
A New Era of Search
Since the Battle for Search kicked off in 2024, a variety of LLMs have entered the space as they try to dismantle Google’s position as top search engine.
With 25 years of established trust behind it, could these new players topple Google from its post? The growing shift has been fast and unrelenting, as more and more consumers ask ChatGPT first when searching for products or information.
Queries are much more conversational:
“Best sustainable shoe brand?”
“Gifts for minimalist home decor?”
“Top-performing supplements for runners?”
No ads. No links. No “ranking.”
Just one AI-generated answer.
And unless your brand is structured, trusted, and cited by AI… you don’t exist.
That’s why we’ve evolved into a Blended Search agency.
What is Blended Search?
Blended Search brings together SEO, Paid Search, and AI/ LLM Optimisation as part of one powerful, combined strategy to lift your overall web presence.
As part of our Blended Search offering, we no longer treat SEO, Paid, and AI Search as separate channels. We make sure these channels are all working together in harmony, rather than competing against each other, to reduce your ad spend and eliminate channel cannibalisation.
We help eCommerce and SaaS brands to:
- Show up in ChatGPT, AI Overviews, Perplexity and Gemini answers
- Get cited – not just ranked
- Reduce Paid spend with smarter, AI-driven allocation
- Forecast revenue across all types of search (not just Google).
In the old model:
- SEO = rankings
- Paid Search = clicks
- Teams in silos
The new model:
- One search strategy
- Built for AI
- Lower CAC. Higher margin. Predictable scale.
If your customers are already asking AI… why are you still only optimising for just Google?
The Role of GPTBot in AI Discoverability
OpenAI’s GPTBot began crawling the web in 2023, indexing websites and learning which sources to trust for future responses.
If your website is being visited by GPTBot, it means you’re potentially in the mix for ChatGPT’s answers. But visibility doesn’t equal citations. And that’s the real opportunity: to be chosen, not just seen.
GPTBot is designed to help LLMs learn about your brand, your products, and the quality of your content. If you’ve structured your content well, with clean HTML, authoritative signals, unique value, and clear topical depth, there’s a higher chance it’ll get picked up.
How to Write Content for OpenAI’s GPTBot
GPTBot doesn’t work like Googlebot. There’s no index. No ranking. No Page 1.
It’s all about quality, trust, and context.
GPTBot doesn’t just scan for keywords; it looks for entities, semantic relationships, and relevance across a wider topic. In other words: traditional keyword stuffing won’t cut it.
You need to structure your content to:
- Clearly communicate who you are and what you do
- Demonstrate expertise and experience (E-E-A-T still matters)
- Be referenced externally with links, mentions, and citations
Our Approach To LLM Optimisation
At Kia Ora Digital, our Blended Search approach builds in AI discoverability from day one. We:
- Optimise your content architecture and internal linking for LLM readability
- Use structured data to enhance understanding
- Build topical authority through content clusters that AIs can interpret with confidence
We’ve also built AI visibility reporting to help track mentions, citations, and coverage across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
This helps our clients move from ranking-focused to answer-focused strategies.
The Future of Search
The future of search isn’t about being first.
It’s about being chosen, and standing out from a sea of competitors vying for top spot in AI Search results.
Here at Kia Ora Digital, we’re helping SaaS and eCommerce brands to optimise their sites for LLM Search while growing profit and reducing their ad spend.
Don’t waste any more on Paid Search unless it’s working together with your organic search channels. With our unified Blended Search approach, we’ll show you how to maximise profit and ROI. Get started with a Revenue Forecast today.