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What Is an llms.txt File, and Why Should Your Website Have One?

AEO, AI, GEO, SMB / By /

 

Artificial intelligence is changing how people find information online. Instead of only searching Google and visiting websites themselves, people are increasingly asking AI tools to research businesses, products and services for them.

That means your website has a new type of visitor to consider: AI.

One way to make your website easier for AI systems to understand is with a llms.txt file.

What Is an llms.txt File? Think of it as a guide to your website created specifically for AI.

An llms.txt file is a simple file added to your website that helps participating AI systems find and understand your most important information.

For a small business, the file could point AI toward:

  • Your Business Name
  • Services or products
  • Areas you serve
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Helpful articles and resources
  • Contact information

Instead of leaving an AI system to figure out which parts of your website are most useful, llms.txt can provide a clearer path to the information you want it to find.

Will llms.txt Improve Your Google Rankings? No. Google has stated that it does not use llms.txt files for Google Search or its AI search features, and that adding one won't improve your Google rankings. So why have one?  Because in today's world, Google isn't the only way people are using AI to find information. llms.txt is an emerging method designed to help AI systems and agents that choose to support it.

At WebWise Design & Marketing, we believe businesses, organizations, and municipalities, shouldn't have to become technology experts just to keep up. That is why we write blog posts like this.

A llms.txt file is a relatively simple addition that can help make your website's important information easier for participating AI systems to find and understand.

As more customers turn to AI for answers and recommendations, being ready for them is a good idea.

Call 608-822-3750 or 800-281-9993 or Email  for more information about llms.txt files.

Happy 30th Work Anniversary, Aimee Mullarney!

Announcement / By /
Aimee:

Thank you for 30 years of great graphics and web design work at WebWise Design & Marketing!

I am so thankful you took a chance and joined me doing what people told us WebWise Design & Marketing couldn't do back in 1996. Your incredible talent, willingness to learn in an ever changing online world, and loyalty allowed WebWise to survive and grow in those early years. There are reasons our websites continue to look great 30 years later, and those reasons start with you.

Thanks for 30 years of extraordinary work, and putting up with the boss!

New Scenic Hideaways Website!

Announcement, Web Design, Web Development / By /

Scenic Hideaways Home Page screenshot - imageThe WebWise team has had the pleasure of working with Mike and Skippy Leibfried, owners of Scenic Hideaways since 2002, when we developed their first website.

Web development and websites have certainly changed considerably in the last 24 years, but the Leibfried's commitment to providing two exceptional, charming, quaint cottages in their separate uniquely scenic, pristine, and private locations has not.

The Cottage on Lake Galena is a spectacular retreat property with a very private and beautiful lake-view setting of beautiful Lake Galena in the heart of the Galena Territory Resort just minutes south of Galena, Illinois. The property is a cozy 2-bedroom, 2½ bath custom log and masonry cottage, packed with amenities, including an outdoor, year-round hot tub.

Your stay at The Scenic Hideaways' The Cottage on Lake Galena property provides full access to all of the Galena Territory Resort amenities as well.

Their The Cottage at Streamwalk retreat property is located in a beautiful pristine valley, in the heart of Southwest Wisconsin's Driftless Area. Your visit will find you in a exceptional, charming, romantic stone cottage with high end furnishings and architecture.

While there are too many amenities to list here, this exceptional cottage includes a full kitchen with modern appliances. The cozy living room includes a stone fireplace and smart tv with access to all main streaming services. The spectacular sunroom includes a seating area to enjoy a book or your morning coffee while looking out at the surrounding bluffs. The entire cottage is wired to a Bluetooth compatible stereo system. A private wood fire pit is located just outside of the cottage, along with a gas grill.

Enjoy exceptional privacy in a secluded, scenic environment. The cottage sits on 100 private acres located in the heart of Wisconsin's Driftless Area, all of which you will have access to for your enjoyment and relaxation.

If you're looking for a getaway that you won't forget, do yourself a favor and visit one of Scenic Hideaways amazing rental cottages.

 

 

Two Things You Can’t Ignore: Landing Pages and Quality Score

Ads - Pay-Per-Click, AEO, Google, Search, SEO / By /

I am quite certain some of our clients, and others who take advantage of advertising using Google Ads, wonder why we frequently talk about landing pages and quality score. Well, they are simply two things you can’t ignore!

The experts at Google and elsewhere write about understanding the landing page experience, and it is important to know what they say about it. It is also important for anyone wanting to maximize their investment in Google Ads to use the advice they offer.

It today’s AI search world, landing page success relies heavily on message match. If a user searches for “same-day emergency dental implants,” your ad should say it, and your landing page headline must immediately echo it. When a page immediately validates the user’s intent above the fold, bounce rates plummet, and trust goes up.

How Landing Pages Dictate Quality Score

Your landing page accounts for a massive portion of your Quality Score evaluation. Google judges your Landing Page Experience based on concrete technical and behavioral indicators:

  • Mobile-First Design & Speed: Google places severe weight on mobile responsiveness and page load times. A single-second delay in mobile load time can drop conversions by up to 20%. If your page is slow, your landing page experience rating drops to “Below Average,” tanking your overall score.
  • Transparency and Trust: The page must clearly feature privacy policies, clear pricing/terms, contact information, and security signals (like reviews or certifications).
  • User Engagement: If users consistently click your ad and instantly hit the “Back” button to return to the search results page (known as pogo-sticking), Google notes that your page failed to answer their query.

What is Quality Score and Why it Matters: 

Quality Score (QS) is a 1-to-10 diagnostic rating Google assigns to your keywords. It measures how relevant and helpful your ad and landing page are to someone performing a search. It is determined by three core components:

  • Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR): The likelihood that users will click your ad.
  • Ad Relevance: How closely your ad text matches the intent behind a user’s search query.
  • Landing Page Experience: The value, speed, and clarity your website provides once they click.

The Financial impact: The “Quality Score Discount” 

Quality Score directly dictates your Ad Rank and your Cost Per Click (CPC). Google penalizes low-quality experiences and rewards highly relevant ones. If you have a poor Quality Score, you pay a steep penalty (Google calls it a Premium)  for traffic; if it’s high, you get a massive discount.

  • Rank: 10/10 ~50% Discount
  • Rank: 5/10 Baseline (No discount / no penalty)
  • Rank 1/10 400% Penalty

A low “Quality Score” forces you to over-bid just to maintain visibility, effectively bleeding your ad budget dry.

To succeed in today’s rapidly changing search world,  you can’t treat your landing pages as an afterthought to your keyword strategy.

Here is more from Google on Quality Score.

Don’t forget. When it comes to Google Ads campaigns,  there are “Two Things You Can’t Ignore: Landing Pages and Quality Score.”

P.S. Creating every page on your website with landing page experience in mind will serve you well in organic searches as well.

The Lineman – New SMB Website

Announcement, SMB, Web Development / By /

THE Lineman imageJordan Fritche, a full-time utility lineman for the City of Fennimore, Wisconsin stopped in the Webwise Design and Marketing office to discuss developing a website for his new business, The LINEMAN. It didn't take long talking with Jordan for us to agree that one of Webwise Design and Marketing's Small Business Starter Websites was a good fit for him.

The LINEMAN provides professional parking lot striping, re-striping, and ADA compliance services for businesses and property owners throughout Southwest Wisconsin. If you live anywhere in the area and your business, apartment building, school, hospital, or church has a parking lot in need of striping, re-striping, and ADA compliance services, have them contact The LINEMAN.

If you have or are starting a new small business, email or Call Us. 800-281-9993 or 608-822-3750

The WebWise SMB Starter Websites (including hosting) are sold as a Monthly Subscription for a year and then you own your website entirely.