AI SEO: How to Succeed in the Age of Generative Search

Google’s rollout of AI Overviews marks one of the most significant evolutions in search and AI SEO to date — and it’s only the beginning. Backed by Gemini, Google’s large language model, the new AI Mode combines summarised responses, deep understanding, and citation-driven results to deliver answers in ways that traditional blue links never could.

For content creators and SEO professionals, this shift introduces a new challenge — and a new opportunity: AI SEO.

But let’s be clear: AI SEO isn’t about “hacking” AI outputs or writing for machines. It’s about creating genuinely helpful, clearly structured, and trustworthy content that real people — and search engines — can understand and rely on.

In this blog, we’ll explore:

• What AI SEO really means in 2025
• What Google’s own guidance says about AI-powered search
• How to align your SEO strategy with generative search principles
• What practical actions you can take right now to stay ahead

Whether you’re writing product pages, thought leadership, or lead-gen content, AI SEO is no longer a future-facing trend — it’s the new reality.

Let’s break it down.

What Is AI SEO, Really?

As Google rolls out AI Overviews across its core search experience, the meaning of SEO is changing. It’s no longer just about ranking for traditional blue links — it’s about being included, referenced, or cited within AI-generated answers that now appear at the top of many search results.

AI SEO is the practice of creating content that’s optimised not only for human readers and traditional algorithms, but also for Google’s generative AI systems, including Gemini — the large language model powering AI Overviews.
But unlike previous shifts in SEO (like mobile-first indexing or Core Web Vitals), this isn’t just a technical update. It represents a shift in how search engines understand, summarise, and trust content.

Google’s Own Definition

According to Google’s official developer blog, the key to success in AI search is simple:
The most helpful content will continue to stand out in Search — including in AI Overviews.

This means AI SEO isn’t a new playbook. It’s a recommitment to the fundamentals:

• Create content for people, not for search engines
• Demonstrate clear expertise, experience, and trust
• Structure content so it’s easy for AI to summarise accurately

What’s new is how that helpfulness is evaluated — and where your content shows up.

From Ranking to Referencing

In traditional SEO, the goal was clear: rank as high as possible in the top 10 organic results. But in the AI era, visibility depends on your content being referenced or cited by the AI model in its overview.

That means:

• A page ranked #3 in traditional search might not appear at all in an AI Overview if the model doesn’t see it as useful for the query.
• Conversely, a page that doesn’t rank on page 1 could still be referenced in a top-level summary, driving brand awareness and authority.

AI SEO is therefore about making your content summarisation-ready and trustworthy enough to be pulled into Gemini’s generated answers.

Where AI SEO Fits in the Search Ecosystem

It’s important to understand that Google’s AI Overviews:

• Are part of core Search, not a separate experience
• Appear primarily for complex or multi-step queries
• Cite source links inline to provide transparency and attribution
• Continue to evolve as Google tests feedback, quality, and reliability

This means your AI SEO efforts must coexist with:

• Traditional SEO (for organic rankings)
• Structured data and schema (for eligibility in product listings or rich results)
• Content strategy and UX (to ensure your site engages when users do click through)

AI SEO doesn’t replace your existing strategy — it augments it, demanding a higher standard of clarity, authority, and intent-matching.

What AI SEO Is Not

Let’s also be clear about what AI SEO isn’t, according to Google’s latest guidance:

• It’s not about using AI tools to rewrite or spin low-value content
• It’s not about creating AI-generated pages at scale to try and game the system
• It’s not about keyword density, token stuffing, or mimicking AI-generated phrasing

In fact, content designed to manipulate search ranking whether written by humans or machines is still against Google’s spam policies. So, AI SEO isn’t a loophole or a shortcut. It’s about meeting Google’s evolving definition of quality in an era where answers are summarised, not just listed.

In Summary: What Defines AI SEO?

AI SEO means:

• Creating content that solves real problems and answers specific questions
• Writing with enough clarity and structure to be summarised accurately
• Demonstrating first-hand experience and trustworthy sourcing
• Staying aligned with Google’s core ranking systems and helpful content guidelines

It’s a blend of editorial quality, technical structure, and strategic empathy — all underpinned by a deep understanding of your audience.

What Google Says You Should Do to Succeed in AI Search

With the rollout of AI Overviews, there’s been no shortage of speculation — but only one source truly matters: Google itself.

In its May 2025 update for developers and site owners, Google laid out clear, specific guidance on how to approach SEO in this new era. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel — but you do need to refine it.

Here’s what Google recommends — and what it means in practice.

1. Focus on People-First Content

Continue to focus on creating high-quality, people-first content that aligns with our long-standing guidance.
What this means for you:

• Prioritise real value over word count or keyword coverage
• Write to solve problems, not to attract clicks
• Make the answer clear in the first few lines — don’t hide it beneath filler
• Create content with a human purpose: educate, guide, compare, or reassure

In short, if your content is designed to genuinely help people, it’s already aligned with the AI future of search.

2. Write in a Clear, Structured Manner

Content that is well-organised and easy for people to understand also helps the systems better understand it.

Why it matters:

Google’s generative models (like Gemini) rely on understanding content semantically and structurally — not just topically. If your article is a wall of text, full of ambiguity, or bloated with jargon, it’s harder for the AI to parse and summarise accurately.

What to do instead:

• Use clear headings (H2s, H3s) for each point
• Write in short, digestible paragraphs
• Use lists, tables, timelines, or step-by-step instructions when appropriate
• Include short summaries or definitions early in the content
• Avoid clickbait or ambiguity — clarity wins

Think of your content as something that should be easy to quote.

3. Demonstrate Experience and Expertise (E-E-A-T)

Google reinforces that E-E-A-T is still core to what its systems prioritise — including within AI Overviews.
Practical ways to implement this:

• Add author bios with verifiable credentials
• Include personal insights, data, or outcomes (e.g. “We tested this with X clients…”)
• Share case studies, original research, or screenshots
• Use specific examples from your niche or audience
• Link to trustworthy external sources where appropriate

This shows both humans and machines that your content is reliable and authoritative.

4. Include Supporting Evidence, Links, and Sources

Google is clear: AI Overviews include citations. And those citations are more likely to come from content that:

• Provides clear answers
• Is properly referenced
• Is trusted by existing ranking systems
• Back up claims with data, studies, or external sources
• Use internal links to support additional context or detail
• Don’t try to hoard information — provide it generously and transparently
• Ensure your content can stand as a credible source in its own right

This is not just SEO best practice — it’s a core feature of how AI Overviews choose what to show.

5. Stay in Line with Core Ranking Systems and Spam Policies

Importantly, Google says that AI Overviews are backed by its existing ranking systems. This includes:

• Helpful Content System
• Page Experience signals
• Core Web Vitals
• Spam detection and link quality systems

Remember, no matter how clever your content sounds… If it’s created primarily to manipulate search rankings — whether by humans or by AI — it’s still against Google’s policies.

The takeaway?

Don’t cut corners. Focus on quality, clarity, and helpfulness. And avoid trying to game the system — because the system is smarter than ever.

How to Optimise Content for AI Overviews

Appearing in traditional search results is no longer the only goal. With AI Overviews now summarising complex queries and citing sources, your content needs to be optimised not just for ranking — but for inclusion and attribution within these summaries.

Here’s how to make your content AI-ready in 2025 — without compromising on quality, user experience, or compliance.

1. Use Clear, Logical Structure (and HTML to Match)

Google’s Gemini model — which powers AI Overviews — pulls content from web pages that are well-organised and easy to summarise.

This means your page should:

• Use proper headings (H1, H2, H3) to break up topics
• Present each answer or idea in its own section
• Open with a clear summary before expanding into detail
• Use bullet points or numbered lists where appropriate
• Highlight key facts, definitions, or timelines early in the content

Tip: If your content looks like it would be easy to read aloud, it’s probably ideal for AI Overview inclusion.

2. Answer Specific, Multi-Part Queries Clearly

AI Overviews often appear for complex searches — questions with multiple layers, comparisons, or steps.
To optimise for these:

• Include FAQs or “People Also Ask”-style sections
• Address common comparisons (“X vs Y”, “best option for…”)
• Write clearly labelled sections like:
  “What are the pros and cons?”
  “Step-by-step guide to…”
  “Top tips for beginners…”

The goal: Make your content the ideal input for a Gemini-generated summary. If your writing already mimics the structure of an AI Overview, your chances of being cited increase dramatically.

3. Establish Credibility With E-E-A-T Signals

Google’s systems continue to assess Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust — and AI Overviews rely on those same principles to decide what content is worthy of summarisation.

To signal E-E-A-T:

• Include an author byline with credentials or industry experience
• Link to credible sources to back up claims
• Showcase real-world examples, outcomes, or case studies
• Use HTTPS, structured data, and proper privacy policies
• Avoid anonymous, AI-generated, or unverified content at all costs

Remember: The AI model isn’t choosing “clever copy” — it’s citing what it can trust.

4. Provide Verifiable and Supportive Sources

Google confirms that links in AI Overviews serve a purpose: to let users go deeper, validate claims, and explore next steps.

This means:

• Cite official data, government sources, or reputable publications
• Include outbound links where appropriate — they’re a trust signal, not a leak
• Update content regularly to ensure accuracy and relevance
• Avoid thin, generic content that adds nothing new to the conversation

AI Overviews aren’t looking for keyword matches — they’re looking for useful inputs they can explain, simplify, and cite.

5. Use Schema Markup and Structured Data Where Appropriate

While AI Overviews aren’t schema-dependent, structured data still helps search engines understand what your page is about.

Use appropriate schema for:

• Articles and blog posts
• Products, services, and reviews
• FAQs, how-to guides, and videos
• Author profiles and organisations

Combined with a clear content structure, schema ensures your content is machine-readable, even beyond the main copy.

6. Track AI Visibility — Not Just Rankings

AI Overviews change what visibility looks like. Your page might not rank #1 in organic results — but it could be the source Google uses for an AI-generated answer.

Emerging tools (and likely updates to Search Console) will help you track:

• Where your content is cited in AI Overviews
• Which queries trigger summaries
• Which page formats are most commonly referenced

This is your new benchmark for success: not just being seen but being used.

AI SEO Isn’t Optional — It’s the New Standard

The release of Google’s AI Overviews doesn’t mark the end of SEO — it marks the evolution of it.
In 2025, search isn’t just about ranking well — it’s about being referenced, trusted, and summarised accurately by AI. Your content needs to be written not just for people and algorithms, but for Gemini: the model sitting between users and the answers they seek.

Google has made it clear: the best way to succeed in this new landscape is to focus on clarity, credibility, and genuine usefulness. That means:

• Structuring your content so it’s easy to cite
• Demonstrating real-world expertise and experience
• Creating resources that solve problems — not just chase keywords

At Zeal, we’re already helping clients adjust to this shift — aligning content strategy, technical SEO, and E-E-A-T to ensure their brand is visible, credible, and ready for the next generation of search.

Want your content to thrive in an AI-first search world?

Get in touch with Zeal and let’s shape your AI SEO strategy — backed by real expertise, not speculation.