Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan and Search Advocate John Mueller addressed AI-related SEO questions in a recent Google podcast. The conversation, covered by Search Engine Journal, focused on how SEOs should respond when clients request "AI SEO" strategies.
Google guidance for clients asking about "AI SEO"
Sullivan said SEOs are hearing from clients who want "the new stuff" related to AI in search results. His guidance: explain that long-term success still depends on the same core SEO work that has always mattered.
He said these ongoing efforts "are continuing to be the things that are going to make you successful in the long-term." While he is closely monitoring AI-related changes, he advised against dropping proven approaches just because result formats evolve.
Sullivan said "the best advice I can tell you when it comes to how we’re going to be successful with our AEO is that we continue on doing the stuff that we’ve been doing because that is what it’s built on." He stressed that shifts in how results are presented do not automatically require major changes from site owners.
He added that the podcast was intended in part to reassure practitioners dealing with client pressure around AI, and to show that "just because the formats are changing didn’t mean you have to change everything that you had to do."
Comments on AI-focused SEO tactics and AI search share
The Search Engine Journal coverage described reports of SEO tactics aimed at AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Anthropic Claude. Examples include list-style content that recommends the publisher’s own site and renewed focus on narrow keyword tweaks. The article noted that some of these approaches resemble older SEO methods.
Author Roger Montti wrote that third-party estimates place ChatGPT’s search traffic share between 0.2% and 0.5%. He reported that Perplexity and Anthropic Claude currently account for a very small share, with Claude described as "close zero." These figures were presented as external estimates, not official data from the providers.
Sullivan cautioned against building separate strategies purely for AI features in search. He said that "the more that you dramatically shift things around, and start doing something completely different," the more complex and potentially less effective efforts may become. Running "two different things" for search, he warned, could complicate work without clear long-term benefits.
Technical SEO and content priorities in modern platforms
Mueller noted that many modern content management systems now handle routine technical SEO details by default. He cited platforms such as WordPress and Wix as examples where site owners "basically... don’t have to worry about any of those technical details," in contrast to earlier years when more manual technical work was required.
According to Mueller, this shift moves attention toward what appears on the page. He said the technical side is "a lot less in the foreground now" and that creators "can really focus on the content," which is closer to what users actually want.
Sullivan echoed this view, saying Google mainly wants creators to focus on what they publish. "We really just want you to focus on your content and not really worry about this," he said, adding that if content is on the open web and generally accessible, that is usually sufficient from a technical access standpoint.
He also referenced feedback from some publishers who have stepped back from constant SEO adjustments. Sullivan said he has seen people say they "don’t even want to think about this SEO stuff anymore" and are returning to "the joy of writing blogs." He characterized this renewed attention to writing as a positive direction.
Background context and sources
The comments from Sullivan and Mueller come from a Google-hosted podcast episode discussing AI-related changes in search. Search Engine Journal staff writer Roger Montti, who also publishes at Martinibuster.com, summarized the discussion and highlighted implications for agencies managing client expectations on AI search visibility.
Official Google resources that reflect the emphasis on accessible, helpful content include the Google Search Central documentation on search basics and content at Google Search Central. Google’s product blog has also detailed AI-related features in Search, including AI Overviews, at the Google Search blog.
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