Where Do LLMs Get Their Information? The Complete Source Guide

Understanding where Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Gemini source their information is crucial for AI visibility. If you want to be cited in AI responses, you need to be present where AI systems learn. Here's the definitive guide to LLM information sources and how to optimize for each.

The Big Picture: LLM Training Data Hierarchy

Primary Sources (Highest Impact)

1. Wikipedia - The universal truth source
2. Reddit - Real conversations and opinions
3. Academic Papers - Authoritative research
4. News Sites - Current events and analysis
5. High-Authority Websites - Trusted domains

Secondary Sources (Moderate Impact)

• Quora - Q&A knowledge base
• Stack Overflow - Technical knowledge
• GitHub - Code and documentation
• Forums & Communities - Niche expertise
• Books & Publications - In-depth knowledge

Tertiary Sources (Supporting Impact)

• Social Media - Trending topics
• Blogs - Personal insights
• Company Websites - Product information
• Government Sites - Official data
• Educational Resources - Structured learning

Platform Deep Dives: Optimization Strategies

Wikipedia: The Foundation of AI Knowledge

Why It Matters:

• Primary factual reference for all LLMs
• Highest trust score in training algorithms
• Cross-referenced by multiple sources
• Structured data format

Optimization Strategy:

1. Create Notable Brand Presence

   • Meet Wikipedia notability guidelines
   • Gather third-party coverage
   • Build verifiable achievements

2. Contribute Valuable Information

   • Edit relevant industry articles
   • Add citations to your research
   • Create missing topic pages
   • Update outdated information

3. Build Wikipedia-Worthy Content

   • Publish original research
   • Create industry reports
   • Generate newsworthy data
   • Achieve industry milestones

Key Metrics:

• Articles mentioning your brand
• Citations to your content
• Wikidata connections
• Cross-language presence

Reddit: The Conversation Goldmine

Why It Matters:

• Real user opinions and experiences
• Problem-solving discussions
• Product recommendations
• Authentic voice training

Subreddit Prioritization:

1. Tier 1 (Highest Impact):

   • r/technology
   • r/programming
   • r/entrepreneur
   • r/marketing
   • Industry-specific subs

2. Tier 2 (Strong Impact):

   • r/AskReddit
   • r/explainlikeimfive
   • r/IAmA
   • r/todayilearned
   • Niche professional subs

Reddit Optimization Tactics:

## DO:
- Provide genuine value first
- Build karma organically
- Participate consistently
- Share unique insights
- Answer questions thoroughly
- Use data and examples
- Engage in discussions

## DON'T:
- Spam promotional content
- Use multiple fake accounts
- Buy upvotes
- Ignore subreddit rules
- Post low-effort content
- Be overly promotional

Content Strategy for Reddit:

1. Educational Posts

   • Industry insights
   • How-to guides
   • Case studies
   • Data analyses

2. Community Engagement

   • Answer questions
   • Share experiences
   • Provide feedback
   • Solve problems

3. AMA Sessions

   • Expert knowledge sharing
   • Brand awareness
   • Thought leadership
   • Direct engagement

Quora: The Q&A Authority

Why It Matters:

• Direct question-answer format
• High-quality, detailed responses
• Topic expertise demonstration
• Google search visibility

Quora Optimization Framework:

Topic Selection:

• Industry-specific spaces
• Problem-solving topics
• Comparison questions
• How-to queries
• Best practices discussions

Answer Structure Template:

## Opening Hook
[Personal experience or surprising fact]

## Direct Answer
[Clear, concise response to question]

## Detailed Explanation
[In-depth information with examples]

## Supporting Evidence
- Statistics
- Case studies
- Research findings
- Expert quotes

## Practical Application
[Step-by-step guide or tips]

## Conclusion & CTA
[Summary and subtle brand mention]

Quora Success Metrics:

• Answer views
• Upvotes received
• Follower growth
• Space contributions
• Direct messages

Academic Papers & Research

Why It Matters:

• Highest authority signals
• Peer-reviewed credibility
• Citation networks
• Foundational knowledge

Publishing Strategy:

1. Research Papers

   • Original studies
   • Industry surveys
   • Technical innovations
   • Methodology papers

2. White Papers

   • Industry analysis
   • Best practices
   • Framework development
   • Solution comparisons

3. Case Studies

   • Implementation details
   • Results and metrics
   • Lessons learned
   • Reproducible methods

Distribution Channels:

• arXiv.org
• SSRN
• ResearchGate
• Academia.edu
• Industry journals

High-Authority News Sites

Target Publications:

• Tier 1: Forbes, WSJ, NYT, Guardian
• Tier 2: TechCrunch, Wired, VentureBeat
• Tier 3: Industry publications
• Tier 4: Regional news outlets

PR Strategy for LLM Visibility:

1. Newsworthy Angles

   • Industry-first achievements
   • Controversial opinions
   • Data-driven insights
   • Trend predictions

2. HARO Optimization

   • Daily monitoring
   • Quick responses
   • Expert positioning
   • Quotable insights

3. Press Release Distribution

   • PRNewswire
   • Business Wire
   • PR Web
   • Industry wires

The Stack Overflow Effect (For Tech)

Optimization Approach:

1. Answer Quality Questions

   • Complex problems
   • Common issues
   • Best practices
   • Tool comparisons

2. Create Canonical Answers

   • Comprehensive solutions
   • Code examples
   • Performance comparisons
   • Security considerations

3. Build Reputation

   • Consistent participation
   • High-quality answers
   • Community moderation
   • Tag expertise

GitHub: The Code Knowledge Base

Visibility Strategies:

1. Open Source Projects

   • Popular libraries
   • Useful tools
   • Documentation
   • Examples

2. README Optimization

   • Clear descriptions
   • Usage examples
   • Installation guides
   • API documentation

3. Community Building

   • Issue responses
   • Pull request reviews
   • Discussion participation
   • Star accumulation

Social Media's Growing Influence

LinkedIn (Professional Context)

• Thought leadership articles
• Industry discussions
• Company updates
• Professional achievements

Twitter/X (Real-time Information)

• Breaking news
• Trend discussions
• Expert opinions
• Viral content

YouTube (Video Knowledge)

• Tutorial content
• Expert interviews
• Product demonstrations
• Educational series

Optimizing for Future LLM Training

Emerging Patterns

1. Real-time Data Integration

   • Live web access
   • Current information
   • Dynamic updates
   • Fresh content priority

2. Multimodal Content

   • Text + images
   • Video transcripts
   • Audio content
   • Interactive elements

3. Structured Data Preference

   • Schema markup
   • JSON-LD
   • Knowledge graphs
   • API endpoints

Future-Proofing Strategies

1. Content Velocity

   • Regular updates
   • Fresh perspectives
   • Timely responses
   • Trend participation

2. Cross-Platform Presence

   • Consistent messaging
   • Platform-specific optimization
   • Integrated campaigns
   • Unified branding

3. Authority Building

   • Expert positioning
   • Citation accumulation
   • Media mentions
   • Industry recognition

Measurement Framework

Direct Metrics

• Wikipedia: Page views, citations, edits
• Reddit: Karma, mentions, discussions
• Quora: Views, upvotes, followers
• News: Articles, quotes, mentions
• Academic: Citations, downloads, references

Indirect Indicators

• AI response mentions
• Brand recognition growth
• Organic traffic increases
• Expert status indicators
• Community engagement

Your 90-Day LLM Source Optimization Plan

Month 1: Foundation

Week 1-2:

• Audit current presence across platforms
• Identify gaps and opportunities
• Create platform accounts
• Develop content strategy

Week 3-4:

• Begin Reddit participation
• Start Quora contributions
• Submit first HARO responses
• Plan Wikipedia strategy

Month 2: Acceleration

Week 5-6:

• Increase posting frequency
• Build platform authority
• Engage with communities
• Create cornerstone content

Week 7-8:

• Launch PR campaigns
• Publish research/data
• Expand platform presence
• Monitor AI citations

Month 3: Optimization

Week 9-10:

• Analyze performance data
• Refine strategies
• Scale successful tactics
• Build relationships

Week 11-12:

• Establish thought leadership
• Achieve platform milestones
• Document case studies
• Plan next quarter

Platform-Specific Best Practices

Reddit Best Practices

✅ DO:
- Read rules before posting
- Contribute 10x more than promote
- Use native Reddit formatting
- Engage authentically
- Provide proof when needed
- Respect community culture
- Build genuine relationships

❌ DON'T:
- Delete downvoted content
- Argue with moderators
- Use URL shorteners
- Cross-post excessively
- Ignore post timing
- Forget to follow up
- Be overly salesy

Quora Best Practices

✅ DO:
- Write comprehensive answers
- Include relevant images
- Cite credible sources
- Update old answers
- Follow topic spaces
- Build expertise slowly
- Engage with comments

❌ DON'T:
- Copy-paste content
- Over-promote products
- Write short answers
- Ignore question intent
- Use clickbait tactics
- Neglect formatting
- Spam multiple answers

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Over-Optimization

   • Appearing inauthentic
   • Gaming metrics
   • Ignoring community values

2. Platform Neglect

   • Inconsistent presence
   • Abandoned profiles
   • Outdated information

3. Quality Compromise

   • Prioritizing quantity
   • Generic content
   • Poor research

4. Measurement Gaps

   • No tracking system
   • Ignoring feedback
   • Missing opportunities

Tools & Resources

Monitoring Tools

• Google Alerts - Brand mentions
• Mention - Social listening
• Ahrefs - Backlink tracking
• SimilarWeb - Traffic analysis

Content Tools

• Grammarly - Writing quality
• Hemingway - Readability
• Canva - Visual content
• Loom - Video creation

Analytics Platforms

• Reddit Analytics - Subreddit stats
• Quora Stats - Answer performance
• Google Analytics - Traffic sources
• Genmark GEO - AI visibility tracking

The Genmark Advantage

Our platform helps you optimize for LLM sources:

• Multi-platform tracking across all sources
• AI citation monitoring in real-time
• Competitive intelligence on rival strategies
• Optimization recommendations based on data
• ROI measurement for all efforts

Explore Genmark GEO →

Key Takeaways

1. Wikipedia and Reddit are the most influential sources
2. Authority and authenticity matter more than volume
3. Platform-native optimization yields best results
4. Consistency and quality build long-term visibility
5. Cross-platform presence maximizes AI citations

Next Steps

1. Download our Platform Optimization Checklist →
2. Read our Reddit & Quora Strategy Guide →
3. Start your free Genmark trial →

Related Resources

• How to Get Cited by ChatGPT
• AI Visibility Guide
• Traditional SEO Foundations
• What is GEO?

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Last updated: September 15, 2025 | Part of Genmark's AI Visibility Learning Center