Short answer: AI changed where users get answers and how engines assemble them—but the fundamentals of technical access, quality signals and clear information architecture still decide who gets cited, ranked, and trusted.
The macro shift in one view
Large language models now compose answers directly in the results experience. For Google, that includes AI Overviews and AI Mode; Google states there are no extra technical requirements beyond Search fundamentals to be included as a supporting link—good pages are still discovered, crawled, indexed and cited when relevant (see AI features & your website — eligibility and inclusion).
What changed with AI
AI answers and zero-click behavior
Engines increasingly assemble a synthetic answer first, then show sources and paths to explore. Visibility now means being the evidence those answers rely on—in addition to ranking as a standalone result.
How engines choose and cite sources
Models look for compact, reliable facts, clean markup that mirrors visible text, and pages that explain concepts plainly.
Chat-based engines like ChatGPT explicitly expose inline citations when search is used—see Introducing ChatGPT Search — real-time results & citations and ChatGPT Search Help — citations & Sources panel—so the bar is “most quotable and safest to cite,” not just “highest blue link.”
New policies against scaled/parasite content
Google strengthened enforcement against scaled content abuse and site reputation abuse. If you publish thin, third-party or low-oversight content at scale, expect demotion or removal (see Spam policies for Google web search — scaled content & site reputation abuse).
What didn’t change
Crawlability, indexability, and eligibility
You still must meet Google Search Essentials — technical, content & spam basics: allow crawling, serve indexable content, and follow content/spam policies. No crawl → no inclusion in Search or AI features.
Structured data: still essential, not a guarantee
Structured data remains a key eligibility signal for rich presentations and clearer entity understanding. Google is explicit that structured data doesn’t guarantee appearance; it only enables eligibility and must match visible content (see General structured data guidelines — match markup to content).
Mini-summary: AI changed the surface (answers-first UX) more than the source rules (access, quality, relevance). Your job: become the safest, cleanest source to quote.
The AI Impact Matrix (2×2)
Use this 2×2 to locate a topic or page and decide the right investment.
- X-axis: Evidence density (Sparse → Dense)
- Y-axis: Ambiguity/variability (Low → High)
GEO/AEO vs classic SEO: how they meet in 2026
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Optimize to be selected and cited inside generative answers. Emphasize definitional blocks, short proof paragraphs, tables, and visible references. Keep HTML clean and accessible.
- AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): Structure content so an engine can extract a concise, correct answer plus links. Use scannable H2/H3s, definition → proof → reference patterns, and align entities.
- Classic SEO (Google/Bing): Maintain crawlability, internal links, page experience, and schema. There are no extra technical files or new schema required for Google’s AI features beyond Search Essentials and standard schema practice.
- Where they meet: The same clean IA and factual clarity that attract citations also reinforce rankings and rich results.
How to adapt now (playbook)
A. Content system
- Define 10–20 “evidence pages” (definitive terms, methods, checklists). Each page starts with a 2–4 sentence canonical definition, a short proof block, and a compact table of key attributes.
- Add comparison units for topics with high variability (e.g., product categories). Use explicit criteria and weights.
- Mirror every key statement in visible text first, then in JSON-LD (no links inside JSON-LD; keep schema consistent with copy).
B. Technical & IA
- Validate crawlability, snippets eligibility, and schema integrity.
- Keep internal links dense around each entity cluster. Use descriptive anchors, not generic “read more.”
- Ensure page experience basics: fast, stable, mobile-first.
C. Governance & policy alignment
- Ban scaled, low-oversight content on third-party subfolders or sections.
- Add editorial checks for quote-worthiness: Can a bot lift one sentence and be correct?
Example: one topic across SERP & AI answers
Topic: “rotating proxy vs residential proxy”
- Classic SERP intent: comparison; expects pros/cons, legality, risks.
- GEO/AEO angle: Provide a 3-row comparison table (definition, common use, risks), then a short verdict. Make the verdict a single, quotable sentence. Repeat the verdict (lightly reworded) in the conclusion for extra extractability.
- Measurement: Track clicks and time-on-page from AI features (Google notes these visits often have deeper engagement) and monitor citations/mentions in AI assistants.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Publishing scaled “programmatic” pages with shallow value.
- Hiding key facts in images only; keep text-first.
- Over-marking with schema that doesn’t reflect visible copy (risks manual action and ineligibility).
- Treating AI answers as “bonus traffic” rather than a core discovery surface.
FAQs
Do I need special schema to appear in Google’s AI answers?
No. Google says there are no additional technical requirements beyond Search fundamentals. Focus on crawlability, indexability, quality and accurate schema that matches visible text (see AI features & your website — technical requirements).
Will structured data guarantee a rich result or citation?
No. Structured data enables eligibility; it does not guarantee appearance. Keep it accurate, complete, and aligned with your visible content (see General structured data guidelines — “no guarantees”).
Should I block AI features with robots rules?
Robots directives for Googlebot control access to Search broadly. If you want to restrict preview/snippets, use standard snippet controls (robots meta & data-nosnippet). Separate controls like Google-Extended relate to training/grounding in other systems.
How do AI engines choose sources?
They prefer clean, concise evidence blocks, consistent entities, and trustworthy formatting. Make your definitions and proof paragraphs easy to lift and verify.
What’s the quickest win for GEO/AEO?
Publish 10–20 canonical definitions with a proof paragraph and a small attribute table per page. Add internal links and matching schema.
How do I measure impact from AI answers?
Use Search Console’s Performance report — impressions, clicks & CTR and annotate content designed for extractability. Track engagement on pages reached from AI features and monitor branded mentions/citations in assistants.
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