In short
- LLMs prioritize useful, trustworthy and authoritative content over traditional SEO logic.
- Combine UGC, YouTube and social signals to increase your brand’s visibility and recommendations.
- Publish authentic videos with creators, diversify formats and manage campaigns centrally.
In this article
I’ve been working in SEO for more than 15 years, but AI has completely revolutionized everything. Nothing is like it used to be—not how users search, as they can now start directly with LLMs like Gemini or ChatGPT, nor Google results, where AI often takes the top spot and users don’t even click… fuck Google.
If you want your content to be visible within LLMs, traditional SEO logic is no longer enough. These models don’t just analyze keywords: they prioritize reliable, useful content that demonstrates authority and relevance across the web and social media.
The good news is that Google has already shown the way: combine UGC + YouTube and social proof, and manage it all centrally. At HICARI, we’ve tested this with several clients and on ourselves, and the results are clear: more recommendations within LLMs and greater organic visibility.
1. How LLMs decide what to recommend
Next-generation LLMs, such as Google Gemini, work with vast amounts of information and trust signals. For your content to be considered relevant, these models indirectly “read” your online presence:
- Authentic and useful content: reviews, opinions and use cases that demonstrate real-world experience.
- Social signals: likes, shares and mentions on social media and YouTube.
- Diversity and volume of sources: the more people talk about your brand and how your product/service is used, the more trustworthy it appears.
Google confirms it: if you want to appear in Gemini (GEO), you need YouTube and UGC.
In plain English: if people speak positively about you, share your content and create videos showing how to use it, LLMs will notice, making them more likely to recommend you.
2. Why UGC on creator profiles is your best ally
User-generated content is pure gold for LLMs.
Clarification: today, UGC (UGC benefits) is used by brands to have UGC creators produce content for them to use, whether on their social media or in paid campaigns, and sometimes as collaborative content such as a collaborative Reel. In this case, however, Google is referring to “real” content generated by users and uploaded to their own social media.
- Real opinions and reviews: they serve as evidence of authority.
- Demonstration videos and use cases: especially when published on YouTube, where LLMs can index metadata, descriptions and subtitles.
- Publication volume: the more authentic content is generated, the more relevance signals your brand receives.
At HICARI, we manage this by creating campaigns in which users and microcreators share their experiences with the brand. Some are collabs, others aren’t, but all help make your content more visible to LLMs.
Sign up on the HICARI platform and launch your first UGC campaign.
This may be useful:
3. YouTube: content that LLMs read and recommend
YouTube isn’t just entertainment: it’s an indexable data source for LLMs. Strategies that work:
- Microcreators: videos of real people using your product or talking about your services generate trust signals.
- Consistent publishing: LLMs value fresh, active content.
- Titles, subtitles and descriptions rich in keywords: they help LLMs understand what the video is about and when to recommend it.
At HICARI, we manage campaigns as a UGC agency that combine Reels, user videos and posts on creator channels, maximizing both reach and relevance for LLMs.
Want UGC videos that work for your brand?
Create your free brand account and receive proposals from creators. You only pay per video.
4. A combined strategy to get LLMs to recommend your brand
Here’s a summary of the strategies we propose to some brands. Obviously, each case, sector and company needs to be assessed individually, but this will give you a reference point and a proven, effective framework to work from:
- Publish UGC on your profile and social media: opinions, videos and testimonials. Use video with UGC creators to give your posts greater social relevance.
- Collaborate with microcreators: Reels and short social-proof-style videos.
- Leverage YouTube: from regular user profiles to creator channels, generating relevance and authority signals.
Result: LLMs such as Google Gemini are starting to consider your content trustworthy and relevant, increasing the likelihood of appearing in recommended answers and searches within the model.
Ah... and yes, you can do it all from the HICARI platform.
And if you need help, we can do it together.
Final tips for being recommended by LLMs
- Create real UGC videos for your social media: authentic content generates more trust than any perfect video. It is already social proof for social networks themselves.
- Publish on creators’ profiles: run UGC campaigns where creators talk about your brand. Run large-scale campaigns with 10–50 creators.
- Diversify formats: reviews, reels, explainer videos and testimonials.
- Publish regularly and measure results: identify which type of UGC generates the strongest authority signals.
- Centralized and scalable management: coordinating creators and publications from a single place makes your strategy easier to execute.
With this strategy, brands working with HICARI can be recommended by LLMs, increase their visibility and build genuine trust with their audience. The question is, are you already creating UGC videos and implementing a video content strategy? This is no longer just about keywords…
Frequently asked questions
What signals do LLMs take into account when recommending a brand?
They indirectly analyse online presence through authentic and useful content, social signals such as likes, shares and mentions, and the diversity and volume of sources discussing the brand.
Why is it important to publish UGC on YouTube?
Reviews, demonstration videos and use cases provide evidence of authority. On YouTube, LLMs can index metadata, descriptions and subtitles to understand the content.
How can this content strategy be implemented?
Publish UGC on your profiles and social media, collaborate with micro-creators and leverage YouTube with user videos and creator channels. It is also advisable to diversify formats, publish regularly and measure results.
For brands
UGC videos for your brand
Free sign-up. Get proposals from creators and pay only per video.
Create a brand accountor talk to the team
