Digital Marketing Insights

Search is changing. Fast.

We’re moving from a world where users clicked links… to one where AI generates answers directly.

And that shift changes a fundamental question for marketers:

How do you create content that AI chooses to use?

This is where LLMO (Large Language Model Optimisation) comes in.

But structure alone isn’t enough anymore.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is the combination of structure (LLMO) and cognition (how people think).

To understand how to optimise for AI, you need to understand both.

This is the basis of the ethinos GEO Framework: Structure (LLMO) + Cognition (Archetypes).

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Why Most LLMO Advice Falls Short

A lot of LLM optimisation advice today looks like SEO with a new label.

But there’s a fundamental difference.

Search engines rank pages. LLMs don’t.

They generate responses by combining and synthesising information.

LLMs don’t retrieve pages, they reconstruct answers.

Once you understand this, most traditional optimisation approaches start to break down.

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How LLMs Actually Use Your Content

From what we’ve observed across AI-driven search, LLMs process content across three layers.

The 3-Layer LLMO Model

1. Retrieval — Can your content be found?

• Crawlable and indexable
• Aligned to entities and topics

2. Interpretation — Can it be understood?

• Clear structure and hierarchy
• Context-rich explanations
• Minimal ambiguity

3. Response — Can it be reused?

• Extractable insights
• Standalone clarity
• Decision-ready information

In practice, most content performs reasonably well at the first two layers.

The biggest drop-off happens at the response layer.

If your content can’t be lifted into an answer, it won’t be used.

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The 80/20 Pareto Principle of LLMO (What Actually Matters)

Not all optimisation efforts deliver equal impact.

In practice, the highest leverage comes from:

• 1. Structure: Clear headings and hierarchy (fastest win)
• 2. Reasoning: Explaining why, not just what
• 3. Extractability: Writing ideas that can stand alone

Structure drives visibility. Reasoning drives reuse.

If you do only one thing:

Write every key idea so it can stand alone.

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The Missing Layer: Cognitive Archetypes

As we analysed how different prompts produced different answers, another pattern emerged.

The same content was used differently depending on how the question was framed.

Content is selected not just for what it says, but for how it thinks.

We recognise that different cognitive mindsets (archetypes) shape how prompts are framed and interpreted. In response, we’ve developed a LLMO + Cognition framework that enables content to be designed for maximum usability across these archetypes.

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Ethinos’ 6 Cognitive Archetype framework

The 6 Cognitive Archetype Framework is a content design approach built around a simple shift: aligning content with how people think.

Instead of structuring content purely around topics or keywords, it focuses on the cognitive patterns that shape how users seek, interpret, and act on information. This ensures content is not only discoverable, but also usable within AI-generated responses.

Through our research, we’ve identified six distinct cognitive archetypes that influence how information is processed and consumed:

• The Operator: seeks clear, actionable steps
• The Systems Thinker: prefers structured models and frameworks
• The Truth Seeker: looks for first principles and underlying logic
• The Optimiser: evaluates trade-offs and outcomes
• The Reassurance Seeker: prioritises risk clarity and confidence
• The Explorer: values context, perspective, and ideas

Designing content with these archetypes in mind increases its ability to be understood, extracted, and reused, maximising its likelihood of being surfaced within AI-generated answers.

When we tailor our content to incorporate our LLMO + Cognitive framework we have clearly seen increases in AIs synthesizing responses with our content.

In short, AI doesn’t reward content that ranks it rewards content it can reuse.

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How do we Apply the ethinos Archetypes in Content

Arrrrgh! not more content I hear you say!

Don’t worry, you don’t need separate content for each archetype.

You need layered thinking.

• Systems: Introduce frameworks
• Operator: Add steps
• Optimiser: Include trade-offs
• Truth: Challenge assumptions
• Reassurance: Highlight risks
• Explorer: Add context

Great content has one dominant structure and multiple embedded perspectives.

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What This Looks Like in Practice

We’ve observed that content structured this way is more likely to be reused across AI-generated answers.

This article, for example, is built for a The Systems Thinker:

• Clear 3-layer model
• Logical progression
• Structured thinking

But it also includes:

• Operator → actionable guidance
• Optimiser → prioritisation and trade-offs
• Truth → challenging SEO assumptions
• Reassurance → limitations
• Explorer → broader context

Remember, if your content can’t support a decision, it won’t shape an answer.

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What This Doesn’t Solve

• It won’t fix weak ideas
• It won’t replace expertise
• It won’t guarantee traffic

What it does do is increase the probability your content is reused when the thinking is strong.

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The Bottom Line

Search is no longer just about ranking.

It’s about influence.

The content that shapes answers will ultimately shape decisions.

If you take one thing away

If your content can’t be quoted in one sentence, it won’t appear in AI answers.