Google Just Settled the AI SEO Debate - But Most Sites Miss This Detail

Key Details

Sullivan said there is currently nothing new that site owners need to do specifically for Google's AI-powered search formats compared with classic Search. He explained that Google engineers reviewed creator questions about AI search and concluded that existing guidance still applies.

• Google's ranking systems across traditional results and AI features share the same core objective: to reward content created for human readers, not for algorithms or large language models.
• The company wants to rank content that people find satisfying and that effectively meets their information needs, regardless of whether it appears in standard results or AI-driven experiences.
• Sullivan cautioned that trying to optimize for specific AI systems can pull creators away from this primary goal of serving users.
• He stressed that his comments apply only to Google products and not to AI search tools from other companies.

Sullivan also commented on new acronyms for AI-focused SEO tactics, such as "generative engine optimization" and terms like GEO or AEO. He joked about the growing list of labels and said Google's advice for search optimization remains unchanged.

There is "not a lot you actually really need to be worrying about" regarding AI search changes.

He acknowledged that evolving search formats can cause concern but repeated that Google's guidance has not materially changed.

Background Context

Danny Sullivan serves as Google's public Search Liaison, responsible for explaining how Search works to site owners and users. John Mueller works on Google's Search Relations team, which communicates guidance to webmasters and publishers.

Sullivan referenced a Google blog post from May that addressed what creators should consider as AI search features expand. He said Google staff, including engineers, collaborated on that post and agreed the underlying guidance had not fundamentally changed.

Google's published search guidance describes its goal as promoting "helpful, reliable, people first content." The company has repeatedly advised creators to focus on meeting user needs rather than on targeting specific ranking formulas, and Sullivan indicated that this approach continues to apply as AI-driven search experiences roll out.

Source Citations

• Public discussion on SEO and AI search featuring Danny Sullivan and John Mueller, as quoted in Search Engine Journal.
• Google Search Central guidance on creating "helpful, reliable, people first content," available on the official Google Developers site.
• Google blog post published in May that consolidated Google engineer input on AI search questions, referenced by Sullivan during the discussion.