How to perform SEO for AI Overviews and AI Mode, according to Google

Google is revolutionizing the “classic” way in which users interacted with search results by introducing AI-based experiences, such as AI Overviews and the new AI Mode, recently launched in the United States. A radical paradigm shift has already led to observable outcomes, like the drop in CTR in organic results, which can leave many online store managers, media outlets, or blogs understandably confused.

In response to the criticism that has arisen in recent weeks (including from the head of the Daily Mail, one of the UK’s leading media outlets), Google has aimed to ease the situation by deploying one of its most authorized spokespeople, John Mueller, the visible head of the company’s search team. Through a statement on their blog, Mueller intended to reinforce the idea that the principles governing good search engine positioning have not changed and that, therefore, the essential remains to offer original, useful, and user-focused content.

Let us review the key points of that statement on how to do SEO in the new era of AI in Google.

1. Create unique and user-centered content

According to Mueller, one of the pillars of success in search engines remains the creation of valuable and non-generic content. This not only improves positioning in the classic “ten blue links”, but also increases the chances of being cited in AI summaries. In his statement, he explains that users are increasingly making longer and more specific queries, implying the need to create content that resolves doubts with greater depth and clarity.

2. Improve page experience

Great content can go unnoticed if your site offers a poor user experience. Mueller reminds that Google values aspects such as:

• Responsive design for mobile devices.
• Loading speed.
• Clarity and visual hierarchy to facilitate reading.

It is essential that the main content is well differentiated from other elements, such as banners or calls to action. The experience should be intuitive and smooth.

3. Ensure content indexability

For Google to display your content in its results, it must be able to crawl, interpret, and index it correctly. In this regard, Google’s advice includes:

• Do not block Googlebot in the robots.txt file.
• Ensure your pages return an HTTP code 200.
• Ensure the content is indexable and not hidden using techniques like display: none.

For Mueller, this point is crucial for both traditional SEO and AI-based formats.

4. Control visibility using snippet tags

Google allows you to manage how your content is displayed in results through tags like nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet or noindex. These tags are not new, but Mueller reminds us that they also affect how your site appears in AI formats.

Using these tags, you also limit the use of your content in AI-generated summaries.

For example, if you mark a section with data-nosnippet, Google cannot include that part in an AI Overview. This can be useful to protect valuable fragments, but may also reduce your presence in enriched results. The nosnippet tag prevents Google from displaying any snippet of the page’s content, useful if you want just the title and URL to appear, but it can significantly reduce visibility. On the other hand, the noindex tag prevents the page from being indexed entirely. It is a more drastic tool, useful if the content is not relevant to search engines or is under development, for example.

5. Align structured data with visible content

Structured data help Google better understand the content of your pages: “Structured data are useful for sharing information about your content in a machine-readable format, allowing our systems to consider your pages for specific search features and enriched results. If you use structured data, make sure to follow our guidelines, ensuring that all the content of your markup is also visible on your web page and to validate the structured data markup.”

In this case, Mueller recommends validating the markup with official tools like Rich Results Test. Correct implementation can enable enriched features both in classic and new AI-generated results.

6. Aim for multimodal content

Searches are no longer limited to text: with tools recently announced by Google, users can ask questions using images or even videos. To adapt to this, the advice is quite logical:

• Include high-quality images and videos. This will also enhance the experience of your visitors and probably the time spent on the page.
• Keep your business profile and listing updated in Google Merchant Center.
• This will position you better for visual or multimodal searches, where users combine text and image.

7. Evaluate the real value of your visits

Mueller argues that traffic coming from AI results is usually more qualified: users who spend more time, interact more, and convert better. Therefore, it is crucial not to focus solely on clicks, but on conversion metrics such as sales, completed forms, time on page, or contact queries. This approach will allow you to understand the true return on your investment in content.

8. Adapt to the pace of user evolution

Search behavior is constantly changing. Just as we once moved from desktop to mobile or text to voice, we are now facing the generative search revolution. This new paradigm offers an opportunity for content creators to reach a wider and more engaged audience.

As Mueller explains, “As an owner, publisher, or creator of a website, you may wonder how to optimize our AI-powered search experiences, such as AI Overviews and our new AI Mode. The basic principles of Google’s recommendations apply to these new experiences. Focus on your visitors and offer them unique and fulfilling content. In this way, you will be well-positioned as Google Search evolves, as our main goal remains unchanged: helping users find original and exceptional content that provides unique value.”

Image: Flux Schnell