We’re in a tricky place where history is repeating itself. Do not get scammed in the crossfire.
When Google released ‘Page Rank’ in 1998, a new world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) opened where there were very few experts to start with in understanding all that was developing. In the past 28 years, being an expert in SEO has grown into a new world of professional knowledge, having over 1 Million SEO experts in the US listed on LinkedIn as part of their profile.
Then look at 2006 when Facebook was launched to the masses, history repeated itself. There were less than zero experts in what would become social media management and metrics. Today, approximately 400,000 professionals on LinkedIn list themselves within the field of social media expertise here in the US.
Here we are now in 2026 with the rise of AI and the general population attaching themselves to their LLM (Large Language Model) of choice such as ChatGPT, Grok, Google AI and others to search questions and needs. How do you find a real expert to guide you through this transition and not someone looking to make a quick buck?
It is important for ALL businesses big and small to be paying attention to a massive shift in how consumers seek information. Here are the Top Three Hard Truths for you to know when looking to bring in an expert to help your business shift from SEO to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
1. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is too good to be true. Short term ‘wins’ do not last, authority positioning does.
If I see another ad of ‘we can have you listed in two weeks on ChatGPT!’, you will hear my scream from wherever you are. LLMs prioritize authority, not speed. Authority accumulates over time when LLMs observe patterns. RAG systems (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pull from established sources in the traditional search engine search. Your newly hired firm for a quick-win may have AI write a couple of blog posts and articles that pop up in odd places that gain traction now, but LLMs are training to look for postings of authority. Here is what a GOOD expert or firm should be telling you:
- Build long-standing domain trust
- Refine your entity clarity (who you are, what you do, where you operate)
- Check your consistency across the open web (does your Google Business match your Apple listing)
- Citation frequency in trusted contexts is important (you are going to need to hustle and get your content out there)
- Topic depth over time (quick wins will not be long-lasting)
2. Good Lord, you CANNOT ‘rank’ on LLMs!
The core issue with this false promise is that LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude do not operate on a live ranking index the way Google Search does. LLMs generate responses from pre-trained knowledge, retrieved trusted sources (RAG systems), and authority patterns across the open web. Unlike search engines, LLMs have no fixed search engine result page and placement of your business is never guaranteed.
LLMs do not work off of direct submissions from a company (think Google Business and Apple Maps) and there is no instant index. LLM visibility is gained by providing quality content to valued sources in your industry consistently over time for the best opportunity to appear in LLM results. Also, having your website optimized for LLMs to pull information is also of great importance.
If ANYONE says ‘I’ll get you ranked’, please run.
3. For this low monthly price, you can use our LLM dashboard and see where you stand! This is VERY limited.
There is NO LLM dashboard at this time from any LLM on the market or private company that could be compared to Google Analytics or the backend of Meta. Up until this point of search in history, the internet has been based on a call and response methodology. A question is asked and the answer is built from a finite list of sources that you are then directed to choose from to seek more information. For LLMs, questions can be layered, causing an answer to be constructed from an ecosystem of information available and built upon.
There are companies who are building dashboards to help monitor prompt testing, source monitoring, and content gap analysis that are important pieces of the puzzle. This baseline of information can certainly help basic decision making and measure some form of progress over time. The limitation is there are no apples-to-apples comparisons as all results are still inferential, evolving and not standardized. Just know what you are getting!
What is FocusPoint Communications aiming to do differently?
Here at FocusPoint, we understand that the world keeps changing, but we honor and value relationships and authenticity that have stood the test of time. We start by getting to know you, your team, your products and services, your goals, and complete what is called an AI Audit. What information about you and your business needs to appear in LLM searches when a potential customer needs you most?
FocusPoint has the business background, tech knowledge, and proper B.S. detector to make sure that you and your business are taken care of in this wild world of LLMs. Please let us know how to be in touch, we always answer with a human!
