What grounding queries are

E957: We break down Bing Webmaster Tools' new AI Performance report and explain how to use grounding query data to increase your visibility in large language models (LLMs).

Bing is now showing citation data from Copilot, Bing AI summaries, and select AI partners, possibly ChatGPT. This includes grounding queries - the sub-searches LLMs generate when they break a prompt into multiple web lookups.

We walk through what grounding queries are, how they differ from prompts, and how this data reveals a new layer of keyword behavior that traditional SEO tools don't show.

One key takeaway: LLM citations are often driven by specific language patterns inside query fan-outs. If you understand those patterns, you can create content that aligns with them.

David Quaid joins the show once again!

We cover: - What grounding queries are and how they work - The difference between prompts and query fan-outs - Why one site with minimal traffic generated 33,000+ AI citations - How GEO tools are generating brand evaluation reports - Why words like "evaluate" are triggering large volumes of LLM citations - How to identify language drift inside grounding queries - When to create a new page vs. expanding an existing page - How to use AI Performance as a new keyword research layer - The overlap between GEO and traditional SEO - How to influence LLM brand evaluations responsibly

We also discuss: - Whether GEO is actually different from SEO - How LLMs rely on search engines for grounding - How to reverse engineer query patterns - Risks around narrative control and reputation manipulation - How this data may expose weaknesses in some GEO tools

If you're an SEO, SaaS founder, marketer, or content strategist, this episode shows how to use Bing's AI Performance data to uncover new search patterns and improve your visibility across AI systems.

⭐️ David Quaid on 𝕏 - https://x.com/DavidGQuaid ⭐️ David Quaid on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidquaid/ ⭐️ David Quaid's agency - https://primaryposition.com/

📈 My write up: How to Use Bing's New AI Performance Report to Increase AI Visibility & LLM Citations - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/bing-webmaster-tools-ai-performance-report-grounding-queries-get-more-llm-citations/

💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/

🧑‍💻 More Edward Sturm - Edward Sturm on Grokipedia - https://grokipedia.com/page/Edward_Sturm

00:00 Bing's New AI Performance Dashboard 00:32 Why Social Media Links Don't Build SEO Backlinks 01:23 ChatGPT, Bing, and Copilot Data 02:33 Perplexity Example 03:26 75 Bing Clicks vs 31K+ AI Citations 05:50 Grounding Queries Explained 08:18 Why 'Evaluate' Triggers Citations 12:45 On-Screen Pages 14:08 Negative LLM-SEO Risk 17:26 Using Grounding Query Data For LLM Citations 19:55 GEO vs SEO 22:35 Practical Tactics 37:12 Should You Use GEO Tools? 38:56 Wrap-Up

The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #generativeengineoptimization #digitalmarketing