Google on AEO and GEO: It's Still Just SEO

If you've spent any time in marketing circles recently, you'll have noticed a surge in new acronyms. AEO. GEO. LLMO. Each one promising to be the thing your business needs to survive the AI search revolution. Google published something last week that cuts through all of it. On 15 May, Google released its first official guide to optimising for generative AI features in Search — covering AI Overviews, AI Mode, and what's coming next. It's worth reading. Not because it introduces a radical new strategy, but because it firmly closes the door on a lot of expensive noise. ## So what did Google actually say? The headline is this: **AEO and GEO are, in Google's own words, "still SEO."** Not a new discipline. Not a separate strategy requiring a new budget line. SEO, done properly. Google was also unusually direct about what you *don't* need to do for its AI features: - **No llms.txt files.** You don't need to create special machine-readable files to appear in AI search results. - **No content chunking.** Google's systems can understand nuance across a full page — you don't need to break everything into bite-sized pieces. - **No AI-specific rewriting.** There's no requirement to reformat your content for LLM consumption. - **No special schema.** Standard SEO practice is sufficient. This matters because a growing number of consultants and tools have been selling exactly these tactics — often at a premium — to businesses understandably anxious about being left behind. ## Why this is good news for SMEs The businesses most at risk from the AEO and GEO hype weren't the large enterprises with in-house teams who could evaluate the claims. It was smaller businesses — people running marketing departments of one, or owners doing it themselves — who heard "AI is changing search" and felt pressure to spend money they couldn't afford on strategies that, it turns out, weren't necessary. Google's guide is a reassurance. Its AI features work on the same foundations as traditional Search: your content needs to be indexed, trustworthy, relevant, and genuinely useful. The underlying technology — called Retrieval-Augmented Generation, or RAG — pulls from Google's existing search index. Pages that rank well traditionally have the best chance of appearing in AI-generated responses. The single most important thing Google emphasises throughout the guide is this: **create content that is unique, compelling, and useful.** Not content written for AI systems. Content written for real people, based on real experience. That's not a new idea. It's just a well-timed reminder. ## The one nuance worth knowing Google's guide applies to Google Search. If you're thinking about visibility in ChatGPT, Perplexity, or other AI platforms, those systems may weight signals differently — and that's a separate conversation. For most UK SMEs, however, Google remains the primary search channel by some margin. And for Google, the message is clear. ## What you should actually do Nothing dramatic. If you've been doing sound SEO — good content, a properly indexed site, a credible online presence — you're already on the right track. If you're not sure whether you are, here's what the fundamentals actually look like. This is the checklist Google's AI features are built on. None of it is new. All of it still matters. ### 1. Make sure Google can find and index your site Before anything else, Google needs to be able to crawl your pages and add them to its index. If it can't do that, nothing else matters. - Set up **Google Search Console** (it's free) and check your coverage report regularly. It will tell you which pages are indexed and flag any that aren't. - Check your **robots.txt file** isn't accidentally blocking important pages from being crawled. - Submit an **XML sitemap** through Search Console so Google has a clear map of your site structure. - Make sure key pages are eligible for a **snippet** in search results — pages blocked from snippets can't appear in AI Overviews either. ### 2. Get the technical basics right These are the foundations. They don't need constant attention, but they do need to be right. - **HTTPS** — your site should be secure. Most hosting providers include this as standard. If your URL still starts with http://, fix it. - **Page speed** — slow pages frustrate real visitors and signal poor quality to Google. Use Google's free PageSpeed Insights tool to check your scores. Aim for above 70 on mobile. - **Mobile-friendly design** — Google indexes the mobile version of your site first. If it doesn't work properly on a phone, you have a problem. - **Clean URL structure** — URLs should be readable and descriptive. `/services/ai-readiness-assessment/` is good. `/page?id=4823` is not. - **No broken links** — internal links pointing to missing pages are a trust signal in the wrong direction. A free tool like Screaming Frog will find them quickly. ### 3. Structure your content for people, not algorithms Google's systems are sophisticated enough to understand context, so write accordingly. - Use **clear headings (H1, H2, H3)** to organise your pages logically. One H1 per page, describing exactly what the page is about. - Write a **title tag and meta description** for every page. The title tag appears in search results; the meta description is the short summary beneath it. Both should be accurate, specific, and relevant to what someone searching might actually want. - **Internal linking** — link between related pages on your site. It helps Google understand the structure of your content and keeps visitors reading longer. - Keep your **most important information near the top** of each page. Don't bury the point. ### 4. Build genuine authority and trust This is where most SMEs have more to gain than they realise — and where AI search is raising the bar. - **Author information** — make it clear who wrote your content and why they're qualified to write it. A brief bio with relevant credentials on blog posts and articles makes a real difference. - **About page** — have a proper one. Google's quality systems look for signals that a real, credible business is behind a website. - **NAP consistency** — your business Name, Address, and Phone number should be identical everywhere they appear online: your website, Google Business Profile, directories, and social profiles. Inconsistencies create doubt. - **Google Business Profile** — if you serve local clients, this is non-negotiable. Keep it complete, accurate, and updated. It feeds directly into local search and local AI responses. - **Backlinks from credible sources** — links from reputable websites to yours are still one of Google's strongest trust signals. Guest articles, trade directories, and industry associations are all legitimate routes. ### 5. Produce content only you can write This is the part Google's guide emphasises most heavily — and with good reason. AI can generate generic content at scale. It cannot replicate your direct experience, your client stories, your professional judgement, or your point of view. Content that is genuinely useful, based on first-hand knowledge, and demonstrably written by a real expert is exactly what performs well in both traditional search and AI-generated responses. That's not a coincidence. It's the system working as intended. Write from experience. Take positions. Share what you've seen that others haven't. That's the kind of content no algorithm can commoditise — and no competitor can easily copy. ## FAQ ### Are AEO and GEO different from SEO? According to Google's own May guide, no. The principles behind AEO and GEO are the same principles that have always underpinned good SEO: indexable content, technical hygiene, trust signals, and genuinely useful writing. ### Do I need an llms.txt file for Google's AI features? No. Google has confirmed it doesn't use llms.txt to power AI Overviews or AI Mode. If you've been told you need one to appear in AI search, you've been mis-sold. ### Does this apply to ChatGPT and Perplexity too? Not necessarily. Google's guidance applies to Google Search. Other AI platforms may weight signals differently. For most UK SMEs, though, Google is still the dominant channel by a wide margin. ### What's the single most important thing to focus on? Unique, useful content written by someone with genuine expertise. Everything else is plumbing. ## Bringing it together The AI search story is still evolving, and there will be genuinely important developments to pay attention to. But the best response to a changing search environment has always been the same: be the most useful, credible, relevant source for the people you're trying to reach. Google just confirmed that hasn't changed. If you'd like a straight read on whether your current SEO foundations are doing what they should — and where AI search actually changes the picture for your business — [get in touch](/contact/) or take a look at our [WordPress SEO consultant](/wordpress-seo-consultant/) page.

This article was written by Peter Lowe. The ideas and opinions are his own; AI was used to assist with drafting and editing.