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July 2, 2025
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Google’s Gary Illyes has made it clear there’s a growing confusion in the SEO industry. You don’t need any special optimization tactics such as AEO (AI Engine Optimization) or GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) to rank in AI Overviews or AI Mode. The good old SEO standard SEO is enough.
Old-fashioned search, in which algorithms relied heavily on people linking to other pages, has changed. Today, AI is heavily integrated throughout Google Search, from the web crawling and indexing to ranking. This is not something new.
Google has been using AI since more than a decade, from RankBrain to building its AI models such as MUM. AI is now a part of every process of what Google does to rank content, according to Gary Illyes.
AI-driven search features operate on the same infrastructure as Google’s traditional search.
Some SEO professionals in recent months have suggested that ranking in AI search demands a new kind of optimization so unique that it deserves new acronyms such as AEO and GEO. Some think that the rankings of AI searches are just like the basics of SEO.
According to Google, you don’t need anything else other than normal SEO practice to show in AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Suzuki explains why AI search does not need new strategies:
“Their core message is that new AI-powered features like AI Overviews and AI Mode are built upon the same fundamental processes as traditional search. They utilize the same crawler (Googlebot), the same core index, and are influenced by the same ranking systems.
They repeatedly emphasized this with the phrase “same as above” to signal that a separate, distinct strategy for “AI SEO” is unnecessary. The foundation of creating high-quality, helpful content remains the primary focus.”
Google also emphasized that it does not discriminate against content based on its authorship, whether human-authored or AI-generated. It’s solely about how good the content is and how helpful it can be.
Gary Illyes was quoted as saying:
“We are not trying” to differentiate based on origin.”
According to Kenichi, the objective is 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.”
Suzuki points out that AI is used throughout the search process:
“RankBrain helps interpret novel queries, while the Multitask Unified Model (MUM) understands information across various formats (text, images, video) and 75 different languages.”
AI search operates under the same ranking system as the traditional search. However, AI overviews add some extra steps for better results:
AI Reviews create several related questions to provide more extensive answers.
Generated answers are compared to Google’s search index to validate information and prevent misguided results.
Suzuki explains this process:
“It then uses a process called “grounding” to check the generated text against the information in its search index, a crucial step designed to verify facts and reduce the risk of AI ‘hallucinations.’”
AI Overviews apply “query fan-out” and “grounding” to get accurate answers.
Google has confirmed, there is no reason why AEO, GEO need to win in AI Overviews, or in AI Mode. Practice good SEO, write well, and do it for a while. At a fundamental level, search is unchanged, even as AI becomes more central to the process.
If you need help regarding the SEO rankings, SEO or GEO, contact DigiEvolve today!
DigiEvolve is a full-service digital marketing agency dedicated to helping businesses grow and succeed in the digital world. We specialize in crafting data-driven strategies and creative solutions that drive real results.
Our team of experienced marketers, designers, and strategists work closely with clients to understand their goals and deliver customized marketing campaigns that boost visibility, increase engagement, and generate leads.
