In 2022, my youngest daughter drew me a robot. She was 7 at the time, and said she wanted a robot because if she had one to play with, I wouldn’t have to stop working. (Yes, it made me cry.)
I kept the drawing (and yes, instilled a good deal of mindfulness into my time with her). But I still think about that drawing.
Now, four years later, everyone in our industry is talking about AI like it’s either going to save us or replace us (or both, simultaneously). The clients we work with are genuinely worried their websites are already falling behind. So it feels like the right moment to share what Google actually said about AI search visibility recently.
TL;DR the robots haven’t changed the rules and good work still wins. No, you don’t need two strategies. Let’s unpack.
Where the Confusion Comes From (Most Likely)
The rise of AI-powered search (Google’s AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT search, Perplexity, etc.) has created a flood of new terminology. You’ve probably seen phrases like “Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)” or “Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)” floating around.
The implication is that traditional SEO is outdated, and that AI search operates by a completely different set of rules. But, that’s not what’s actually happening.
What Google Actually Said
Google recently published official guidance on exactly this question and their position is pretty straightforward:
“From Google Search’s perspective, optimizing for generative AI search is optimizing for the search experience, and thus still SEO.”
In plain terms, Google’s AI features are built on top of the same core ranking systems that have always determined what shows up in search. The AI doesn’t evaluate your website by different standards. It uses the same signals of authority, relevance, content quality, technical accessibility that traditional SEO has always been built on.
There is no separate AI search algorithm to outsmart or new file to upload or a magic framework to learn.
What Does This Mean for Your Business?
It means the work you’ve already invested in your website isn’t obsolete [insert sigh of relief]. If your site is built on solid fundamentals, you’re already positioned for AI search.
Your content needs a point of view only you can offer
Google’s AI is specifically designed to surface content that goes beyond the obvious. Generic “tips and tricks” articles that could have been written by anyone are less likely to be featured. What the AI looks for is content that is rooted in genuine expertise and real experience.
Let’s turn this into a short exercise (get out that notebook).
- What do your customers ask you about all the time?
- What do you know that your competitors aren’t talking about? Put another way, if you had 15 minutes to talk about something you’re passionate about in your business, what is it?
- What happened behind the scenes of a project that taught you something valuable? Give your audience that real life vulnerability. We’re all out here learning as we go sometimes.
That’s the content AI search wants to share with people.
Your website still needs to be technically sound
If Google can’t crawl and index your pages, then AI can’t use them. A fast, well-organized, mobile-friendly site is the foundation, both for traditional search and for AI-powered results.
Your Google Business Profile matters more than ever before
For local businesses especially, AI search pulls heavily from your GBP when surfacing information about nearby services. A complete, accurate, regularly updated Google Business Profile is one of the most high-impact things you can maintain.
What You Can Stop Worrying About
There’s a lot of noise in the marketing world right now about “AI optimization hacks.” Google has specifically called most of these out as unnecessary and counterproductive. Here’s a quick rundown of what you can safely ignore:
- llms.txt files and special AI markup – Not required; Google doesn’t treat these as a ranking signal.
- “Chunking” your content for AI – Google’s systems are sophisticated enough to understand context without you breaking your pages into bite-sized pieces.
- Flooding your site with keyword variations – You don’t need a separate page for every way someone might phrase a question. Google’s AI understands meaning, not just exact matches.
- Chasing inauthentic mentions – Manufactured backlinks and paid mentions don’t work any better in AI search than they do in traditional SEO so quality still wins here, too.
The ONE Thing Worth Your Attention
If there’s a single shift worth making as AI search becomes more prominent, it’s invest more in content that demonstrates real expertise. Not keyword-stuffed service pages (eww). Not generic blog posts rehashing what everyone else has already said (boring). Create content that reflects what you actually know from your experience, your process, or your perspective as this is exactly what AI search is designed to find and recommend.
Yes, this is a higher bar than what used to work but it’s also a meaningful opportunity for businesses that are willing to show up authentically.
Where Does This Leave You?
If your website was built with good SEO fundamentals (quality content, clean structure, accurate local information) you’re already in the right position. AI search isn’t a threat to businesses like yours. It’s a chance to reach people who are actively looking for exactly what you offer.
If your site needs work, the priorities are the same ones they’ve always been – better content, stronger technical foundation, and a consistent presence in the tools people actually use to search.
Not sure where your site stands? That’s something we can help you figure out. Let’s chat thorugh it.
Obligatory disclaimer: Google reserves the right to change everything in this article at any time, without notice, and almost certainly on a Friday afternoon. We don’t make the rules, we just study them obsessively and do our best to keep you ahead of them. We’ll keep watching so you don’t have to.
