LLM (Large Language Model)
A type of AI that understands and generates human-like text - powers ChatGPT and similar tools.
The Tradie Take
An LLM is like the most experienced tradie in your industry who has read every manual, every forum, and every website ever written about your trade. You can ask them any question and they will give you a straight answer. When a customer asks ChatGPT "who is the best plumber in Cairns?", the LLM gives an answer based on everything it has read about local plumbers. You want your business to be the one it recommends.
Definition
An LLM (Large Language Model) is a type of artificial intelligence trained on massive amounts of text data that can understand, generate, and respond to human language. LLMs power tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. For tradies, LLMs are changing how customers search for services - instead of typing "plumber near me" into Google, they might ask ChatGPT "find me a good plumber in Brisbane who does bathroom renovations." Optimising your online presence for LLM responses (called GEO - Generative Engine Optimisation) is becoming as important as traditional SEO.
How It Works
- 1 LLMs are trained on billions of web pages, books, and documents to learn language patterns
- 2 When you ask a question, the LLM predicts the most likely useful answer based on its training
- 3 LLMs pull information from websites they were trained on - including your site if it ranks well
- 4 Unlike Google (which shows links), LLMs give direct answers - so your business needs to be cited as a source
Tips for Tradies
- LLMs pull information from the same sources Google does - good SEO helps you get cited by LLMs too
- Keep your Google Business Profile and website up to date - LLMs use this data when recommending businesses
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is the emerging practice of optimising for LLM recommendations