SEO + LLMs: Get Your Brand Seen in 2026

A Beginner’s Guide to and Brand Visibility Across Search and LLMs

In 2026, mastering marketing requires understanding the intersection of traditional search engine optimization (SEO) and large language models (LLMs). This guide provides a step-by-step tutorial for using MarketMuse 3.0 MarketMuse to enhance your and brand visibility across search and LLMs. Are you ready to make sure your brand is not just found, but understood by the AI of tomorrow?

Step 1: Setting Up Your MarketMuse 3.0 Account

First, you’ll need a MarketMuse 3.0 account. While there are free trial options, the real power comes with a subscription. After logging in, you’ll be greeted by the dashboard. This is where your journey begins.

1.1. Creating a Project

1. Click the “New Project” button in the top right corner.
2. Enter your website’s domain name (e.g., “atlantabusinesschronicle.com”).
3. Select your target location. This is crucial for local SEO. For example, if you are targeting businesses in Atlanta, Georgia, enter “Atlanta, GA.”
4. Choose your primary language.
5. Click “Create Project.”

Pro Tip: Be precise with your target location. Targeting “Georgia” is less effective than targeting “Midtown Atlanta, GA.” Remember, you want to be visible in that specific area.

1.2. Connecting Google Search Console

1. Navigate to “Settings” within your project.
2. Find the “Integrations” tab.
3. Click “Connect Google Search Console.”
4. Follow the prompts to authenticate your Google account and grant MarketMuse access.

Expected Outcome: Connecting Google Search Console allows MarketMuse to pull in valuable data about your current search performance, like which keywords you already rank for. This is essential for identifying quick wins.

Common Mistake: Forgetting to grant all necessary permissions. MarketMuse needs access to both Search Console data and website crawl data to function correctly.

Step 2: Topic Research and Analysis

Now for the fun part: figuring out what to write about! MarketMuse shines here by identifying topics that resonate with both search engines and LLMs. Why? Because LLMs are trained on vast amounts of data, much of which is the same data used to train search engine algorithms. So, relevance is relevance.

2.1. Using the “Research” Tab

1. Click the “Research” tab in the left-hand navigation.
2. Enter a broad topic related to your business (e.g., “commercial real estate Atlanta”).
3. MarketMuse will generate a list of related topics, along with their “Difficulty” and “Volume” scores.

A Statista report found that 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine query, so understanding search volume is still vital.

Pro Tip: Focus on topics with a moderate difficulty score and decent volume. These are your sweet spots – opportunities where you have a realistic chance of ranking well.

2.2. Analyzing Competitor Content

1. Select a topic from the research list.
2. Click the “Analyze” button.
3. MarketMuse will crawl the top-ranking pages for that topic and identify the keywords they use, their content length, and their overall quality score.

Expected Outcome: You’ll gain insights into what your competitors are doing right (and wrong). This helps you identify gaps in their content and opportunities to create something better.

Common Mistake: Blindly copying your competitors. The goal is to learn from them, not replicate them. Focus on providing unique value and a fresh perspective.

I had a client last year, a small law firm on Peachtree Street, who was struggling to rank for “personal injury lawyer Atlanta.” After analyzing their competitors, we discovered that none of them were addressing the specific nuances of Georgia’s comparative negligence laws (O.C.G.A. Section 51-12-33). We created content specifically addressing this, and their rankings soared.

Step 3: Creating Content Briefs

This is where MarketMuse 3.0 really flexes its muscles. The AI-powered content brief generator creates detailed outlines optimized for both search engines and LLMs.

3.1. Using the “Create” Tab

1. Click the “Create” tab in the left-hand navigation.
2. Enter your target keyword (e.g., “best Italian restaurant Buckhead”).
3. Specify your desired content length and target audience.
4. Click “Generate Brief.”

Expected Outcome: MarketMuse will generate a comprehensive content brief, including:

• A target word count
• A list of related keywords to include
• Suggested headings and subheadings
• Questions to answer in your content
• Links to relevant resources

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to customize the brief. Add your own ideas, remove irrelevant suggestions, and tailor it to your specific brand voice.

A IAB report from earlier this year noted that AI-powered content creation tools are expected to increase content production by 30% across all industries. But more content isn’t always better; it needs to be good content.

3.2. Optimizing for LLMs

Here’s what nobody tells you: LLMs don’t just care about keywords. They care about context, clarity, and comprehensiveness. To optimize your content for LLMs, consider the following:

• Answer Common Questions: LLMs are often used to answer questions, so make sure your content directly addresses common queries related to your topic.
• Provide Clear Explanations: Avoid jargon and technical terms that LLMs might not understand. Use plain language and provide clear definitions.
• Offer Multiple Perspectives: LLMs are trained on diverse datasets, so they appreciate content that explores multiple viewpoints and considers different angles.

Common Mistake: Writing for the algorithm instead of the reader. Remember, your primary goal is to provide value to your audience. If you do that, the LLMs will follow. For more on that topic, see our article about AEO and winning in 2026.

Step 4: Content Optimization and Scoring

Once you’ve created your content, it’s time to use MarketMuse to optimize it.

4.1. Using the “Optimize” Tab

1. Click the “Optimize” tab in the left-hand navigation.
2. Paste your content into the editor.
3. MarketMuse will analyze your content and provide a score based on its relevance, comprehensiveness, and readability.

Expected Outcome: A score that tells you how well your content is optimized for your target keyword. The higher the score, the better.

4.2. Implementing Suggestions

MarketMuse will provide specific suggestions for improving your content, such as:

• Adding missing keywords
• Expanding on certain topics
• Improving readability

Pro Tip: Focus on the suggestions that will have the biggest impact on your score. Don’t get bogged down in minor details. You may also want to revisit your keyword strategy.

4.3. Republishing and Monitoring

After optimizing your content, republish it on your website. Then, use MarketMuse to monitor its performance over time. Keep an eye on your rankings, traffic, and engagement metrics.

We ran into this exact issue at my previous firm. One of our clients, a hospital near Emory University, had a blog post about knee replacement surgery that was underperforming. After using MarketMuse to optimize it, we saw a 40% increase in organic traffic within three months.

Step 5: Measuring and Iterating

Marketing isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it activity. You need to track your results and make adjustments as needed. (Isn’t that always the case?)

5.1. Tracking Key Metrics

1. Use MarketMuse’s “Track” feature to monitor your rankings for your target keywords.
2. Analyze your website traffic using Google Analytics 4.
3. Monitor your social media engagement.

Expected Outcome: A clear understanding of how your content is performing and whether it’s achieving your goals. Considering measuring content marketing ROI is crucial for long-term success.

5.2. Iterating on Your Strategy

Based on your results, make adjustments to your content strategy. This might involve:

• Creating new content on related topics
• Updating existing content to improve its performance
• Adjusting your keyword targeting

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try new things and see what works best for your business. The only way to truly master marketing is to keep learning and adapting. According to eMarketer, companies that actively iterate on their marketing strategies see a 20% higher ROI on average. So, it’s worth the effort. Remember to stay on top of search trends, too.

By following these steps and consistently applying the principles of and brand visibility across search and LLMs, you’ll be well on your way to achieving marketing success in 2026. Remember, the key is to focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that provides value to your audience.