Debunking llms.txt with 'cats.txt': Why Much of AI Search Optimization is Pseudo-Science
lilyraynyc · x · 2026-08-08
SEO expert Mark Williams-Cook wrote an article refuting the hype around the llms.txt file and certain GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) tactics. He points out that many people use flawed logic to prove llms.txt works, such as "AI bots crawled it" or "ChatGPT said it helps."
To demonstrate the absurdity of this reasoning, he invented a joke standard called cats.txt (for declaring office cats) and found it passed the exact same four "proofs": it was crawled by AI bots, indexed by Google, returned by ChatGPT, and even endorsed by ChatGPT as helpful for ranking. The author warns developers and marketers that many current GEO strategies lack substantive evidence and risk misleading clients.
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