In a recent session at Search Central Live Asia Pacific, Google engineer Gary Illyes confirmed that websites don’t need specialized “AI SEO” techniques, such as Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), to rank in Google’s AI-powered search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode. According to Illyes, traditional SEO remains the best approach for ranking, regardless of whether users see classic search results or AI-driven summaries. And yes, quality verbatim (unique) content that helps the end user is still king of the search engine optimization world, and the more quality content you put out, the better rankings you will get. Plain and simple.
Google has gradually integrated AI into every stage of the search process, including crawling, indexing, ranking, and displaying results. Illyes pointed out that AI has been a cornerstone of Google Search for over a decade, beginning with RankBrain, and now continues via MUM (Multitask Unified Model) and other systems.
Essentially, AI Overviews and AI Mode—advanced features of Google Search—are built on the same foundation: Googlebot’s crawler, the core index, and existing ranking algorithms. The only addition is a layer of generative AI that synthesizes information into conversational summaries. Yes, links and social signals still matter. A lot!
In recent years, marketers and SEOs have coined terms like AEO and GEO, suggesting that standing out in AI-generated summaries requires unique strategies. AEO involves structuring content with schema, Q&A formats, and conversational text to attract featured answers, while GEO focuses on optimizing content to be referenced or cited by generative AI systems. However, Illyes and Google’s session leader Cherry Prommawin clarified that:
AI Overviews and AI Mode use the existing index and ranking mechanisms;
They rely on the same crawler and ranking signals;
AI simply adds synthesis layers—so “AI SEO = SEO.”
Prommawin said that these AI features behave like featured snippets or knowledge panels, drawing data from the same systems without needing a separate AI-specific crawl or rank process.
Clarifying Google’s stance further, Illyes emphasized that Google does not attempt to differentiate between human-written and AI-generated content. The algorithmic goal is to reward high-quality, helpful, and reliable material—regardless of its origin.
Google’s systems are tuned to identify content based on quality, not the method of creation. Illyes stressed they aim to “identify and reward high-quality, helpful, and reliable content, regardless of whether it was created by a human or with the assistance of AI.”
Illyes explained that AI now influences every stage of search:
Crawling – Googlebot continues to gather content as usual.
Indexing – Text, images, and videos are catalogued; RankBrain interprets tricky queries, and MUM deals with multilingual or multimodal challenges.
Ranking – Content is ranked based on relevance, quality, and credibility.
Serving – For AI-generated results, Google uses two key processes:
Query fan-out: The original query is broken down into multiple subqueries to gather comprehensive information.
Grounding: The generated summary is cross-referenced with indexed sources to ensure factual accuracy, reducing hallucinations.
These added layers enhance answer reliability without creating a separate ranking system. It’s still worth noting that technical SEO (speed optimization, tags, onsite linking, structural enhancements, and the general layout of the site) matters. The same applies to content, which should be created and delivered to improve the experience of your site for your visitors, helping them find answers, products, services, or advice they need. Content, and especially quality content, is as always, still the deciding factor between peers or similarly ranked websites out there.
Google’s message is clear:
Focus on standard SEO—quality content, robust metadata, fast page speeds, mobile optimization, secure connections, and a strong backlink profile.
Don’t chase trendy acronyms or niche tactics like AEO or GEO.
Craft pages that are comprehensive, authoritative, and user-focused.
If your content ranks well in classic SEO, it will likely also surface in AI Overviews and AI Mode. There’s no need to reinvent your strategy—stay rooted in best practices.
There is no need to develop a separate SEO strategy for AI Overviews or AI Mode. Techniques like AEO and GEO may sound appealing, but Google has made it clear that the same foundational principles of traditional SEO still apply. The systems behind AI-generated results rely on the existing Google index and ranking algorithms. That means if your content already performs well under everyday SEO practices, it stands a good chance of being featured in AI-enhanced search results as well.
AI is deeply integrated into every layer of Google Search—not as a replacement, but as an enhancement. From understanding complex queries with RankBrain to processing information across multiple formats and languages with MUM, AI is simply making Google better at surfacing relevant, accurate information. Even in AI-generated summaries, the platform employs techniques such as grounding and query fan-out to ensure that responses are factual and drawn from trusted sources. These improvements benefit users without changing the underlying ranking mechanics.
Ultimately, the most important thing remains the same: produce high-quality, helpful, and reliable content. Whether content is created by humans, AI, or a combination of both, Google’s systems are designed to reward value. Rather than chasing SEO fads or worrying about algorithm-specific tweaks, focus on the fundamentals—clear writing, accurate information, good site structure, and strong user experience. These core efforts will continue to pay off, even as search becomes more AI-driven.
