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Google’s Guide to Optimizing for Generative AI Features on Google Search
Posted by on May 15, 2026 at 6:27 pmGoogle Have released the first, official AI SEO Guide and the ONLY guide for AI SEO, GEO, AEO of any of the LLM/AI Vendors. Critically important – as Google is the main search engine for RAG/QFO and Gemini is the 2nd biggest and fastest growing AI/LLM in the public domain.
Some important myths are ommitted here that GEO folks should take notice of:
- No mention of LLMS.txt
- No mention of Special writing
- No mention of Chunking
- No mention of EEAT
Mythbusting generative AI search: what you don't need to do
As generative AI search evolves, so have the theories and practices—and sometimes, the misconceptions—surrounding it. While terms like Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) are common online, many suggested "hacks" aren't effective or supported by how Google Search actually works.
To help you focus on what matters for your website's visibility, we've collected some of the most prominent topics circulating the internet around generative AI and Google Search. Here are a few things you can ignore for Google Search:
- LLMS.txt files and other "special" markup: You don't need to create new machine readable files, AI text files, markup, or Markdown to appear in generative AI search. Note that Google may discover, crawl, and index many kinds of files in addition to HTML on a website: this doesn't mean that the file is treated in a special way.
- "Chunking" content: There's no requirement to break your content into tiny pieces for AI to better understand it. Google systems are able to understand the nuance of multiple topics on a page and show the relevant piece to users. However, sometimes shorter (or longer!) pages can work well depending on your audience and subject matter. There's no ideal page length, and in the end, make pages for your audience, not just for generative AI search.
- Rewriting content just for AI systems: You don't need to write in a specific way just for generative AI search. AI systems can understand synonyms and general meanings of what someone is seeking, in order to connect them with content that might not use the same precise words. This means you don't have to worry that you don't have enough "long-tail" keywords or haven't captured every variation of how someone might seek content like yours.
- Seeking inauthentic "mentions": Just like the rest of Google Search, our generative AI features can show what's being said about products and services across the web, including in blogs, videos, and forum discussions. However, seeking inauthentic "mentions" across the web isn't as helpful as it might seem. Our core ranking systems focus on high-quality content while other systems block spam; our generative AI features depend on both.
- Overfocusing on structured data: Structured data isn't required for generative AI search, and there's no special schema.org markup you need to add. However, it's a good idea to continue using it as part of your overall SEO strategy, as it helps with being eligible for rich results on Google Search.
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1 Reply
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So do all the stuff we’re been doing since penguin/panda
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“Not required” doesnt mean it’s not better if you do.
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Thanks for the news!
For those interested an article also describes what you should do:
– Apply SEO best practices to generative AI search: Continue prioritizing foundational SEO best practices, such as building a clear technical structure and creating unique, valuable content; these are the foundation for visibility in generative AI search experiences (and Google Search overall).
– Create non-commodity content that’s helpful, reliable, and people-first: Focus on developing unique, expert-led content that provides value beyond common knowledge.
– Prioritize effective SEO strategies over “AEO/GEO hacks”: For Google Search, you can ignore tactics like “chunking” content, creating unnecessary AI text files (like llms.txt), or pursuing inauthentic mentions.
– Explore agentic experiences: Stay informed about emerging technologies that allow AI agents to interact with your site, such as browser agents and new protocols
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“**What about “AEO” and “GEO”?** “AEO” stands for “answer engine optimization” and “GEO” for “generative engine optimization”. These are both terms you may see used to describe work specifically focused on improving visibility in AI search experiences. From Google Search’s perspective, optimizing for generative AI search is optimizing for the search experience, and thus still SEO.”
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Google itself just got into some people’s wallets. The hardcore myth salespeople will attempt to state Google is not telling the truth, then proceed to continue to sell unnecessary services using fancy three syllable words. I’ve actually collected some of the funnier made up terms that I’ll be posting here sometime.
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