The Rise of a New Search Engine And a New Kind of SEO
New Delhi [India], July 4: When most people think of SEO, they think of Google. But what if the next wave of visibility wasn’t on Google at all?
As AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude become the new front doors of the internet, one founder is helping companies get discovered before they ever rank on Google.
Meet Apoorv Sharma, the 27-year-old founder of Derivate X, the world’s first agency dedicated entirely to LLM SEO— a new approach to helping brands appear in AI search results.
From Book Blog to Building the Future of Search
Apoorv’s journey began in Haldwani, a small town in Uttarakhand. After dropping out of three degree programs and building a profitable book blog from scratch. He sold it in 2019. Then, built and sold an infotainment website in 2023 and took a short sabbatical.
What came next would flip traditional SEO on its head.
“I noticed something strange,” Apoorv shares. “When people asked ChatGPT for tool suggestions, company names would pop up. But not always the biggest players. I realized there’s an invisible internet forming inside these LLMs.”
LLM SEO: The Layer Everyone’s Ignoring
While agencies rush to game Google’s algorithm, Apoorv took a different route. He created a framework called Contextual Search SEO, designed specifically to influence what ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity show users.
He doesn’t rely on backlinks or keyword stuffing. Instead, his team creates digital evidence that these AI models can reference and trust (blogs, third-party citations, community mentions, prompt responses, and more.)
It’s working. Derivate X now works with fast-growing SaaS companies, helping them become the default recommendations for key AI queries.
Real Results. Real Inboxes.
“We had one client get mentioned inside ChatGPT responses within 30 days,” Apoorv says. “They saw direct sign-ups and demo requests before Google showed them on page one.”
Another client was recommended by Perplexity in a ‘Top Alternatives’ query, despite never ranking for that keyword traditionally.
For many SaaS startups, this is the edge they’ve been looking for.
Derivate X: Bootstrapped, Profitable, and Building a SaaS Layer
Photo: https://share.icloud.com/photos/0ac5-gyemKIYn7Ne2TS4uV_gw
With over $50,000/month+ in revenue, Derivate X remains lean, remote, and profitable.
But Apoorv isn’t stopping at services.
“I’m already tracking AI visibility for 10+ clients manually. We’re building a SaaS product to automate monitoring, alerting, and AI surfacing — so brands know when they show up inside LLMs.”
He’s now in early discussions for seed funding, aiming to scale faster and own the full 360° of AI discovery — from optimization to reporting.
What’s Next for LLM SEO?
Apoorv believes that AI SEO will become as essential as Google SEO in the next 18 months.
“Search is changing. People aren’t Googling everything. They’re asking AI directly. If your brand doesn’t exist in those responses, it’s as good as invisible.”
With a growing portfolio, a loyal audience on social media, and a product on the way, Apoorv is quietly shaping the new playbook for visibility in the age of AI.
Follow Apoorv’s insights on AI search and LLM SEO onTwitter or reach out for partnership opportunities on their website Derivate X.
