AI search
SEO for AI search
SEO for AI search is ordinary search engine optimization, done well and then checked against what AI tools actually say. Google's own guidance says its AI features in Search rely on the same core systems as its regular results.
Covered in the SEO plan
The difference
How AI search differs from classic SEO
The main difference in AI search is what the result looks like. A classic search returns a page of links and the person chooses; an AI answer returns a few sentences and a handful of names, so the tool has already done most of the choosing.
The way Google's AI features get there is less different than it looks. Google says they use retrieval-augmented generation, which pulls fresh pages from the Search index using Google's main ranking systems, and query fan-out, where the model runs several related searches to gather more results before it writes the answer.
So for a business that serves one area, a single question can trigger several searches behind the scenes, about your service, your area and your reputation. For a Richmond or Coquitlam business, the area search is where an accurate profile and local pages count most. Being findable in all of them still depends on your own pages, your Google profile and your business facts being right.
Source: Google Search Central, "Google's Guide to Optimizing for Generative AI Features on Google Search". Page last updated 2026-07-10, read 2026-10-08 and re-read 2026-10-09.
What still counts
What stays the same
Three parts of ordinary local SEO still decide whether AI tools can find and trust a business, and AI SEO Vancouver's monthly work is built around them.
- 01
Accurate business facts
Name, service area, phone, hours and services that agree everywhere: on your website, your Business Profile and in directories. Conflicting details give a tool a reason to pick someone else.
- 02
Pages a crawler can read
Google says its AI features only use pages that are already in its index and allowed to show a snippet. Blocked, broken or thin pages never get that far.
- 03
A solid Google presence
Google's guide lists Business Profiles among the ways a local business gets into AI responses. We keep yours complete and matching your website.
Source: Google Search Central, page last updated 2026-07-10, read 2026-10-09.
From Google
What Google says about SEO and AI
Google's position is that SEO still applies to its AI features in Search. Its guide for site owners answers the question "Is SEO still relevant for generative AI search?" directly:
In short, yes! The best practices for SEO continue to be relevant because our generative AI features on Google Search are rooted in our core Search ranking and quality systems.
Google Search Central, "Google's Guide to Optimizing for Generative AI Features on Google Search". Page last updated 2026-07-10, read 2026-10-09.
That statement is about Google's own two AI surfaces, Overviews and AI Mode. ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini publish far less about how they pick sources, which is why AI SEO Vancouver checks their answers directly instead of assuming.
Shortcuts
The AI SEO tricks we skip
AI SEO Vancouver skips the shortcuts that Google's guide lists under "what you don't need to do" for its AI features. Some of them are still sold as AI SEO, so here is each one with Google's reason.
- llms.txt files and special AI markup. Google says Search ignores them, so they "neither harm nor help" your visibility there.
- "Chunking" pages into tiny pieces. Google says there's "no requirement" to do it, and that there is no ideal page length.
- Rewriting pages just for AI. Google says its systems understand synonyms, so you don't need every variation of a phrase.
- Paying for or planting mentions. Google says seeking inauthentic mentions "isn't as helpful as it might seem."
- Pages for every phrasing of a query. Google says making those mainly to game results breaks its spam policy on content made at scale.
Structured data is the one item on that list we still do, for a different reason. Google says AI features don't need it, but recommends keeping it as part of overall SEO because it helps with rich results. We add it where it fits, check it in a validator and don't sell it as a shortcut.
Source: Google Search Central, "Google's Guide to Optimizing for Generative AI Features on Google Search", section "Mythbusting generative AI search". Page last updated 2026-07-10, read 2026-10-09.
Also in SEO: Local SEO · Technical SEO · Related: Answer engine optimization
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Last reviewed 27 October 2026
What happens next
- We look at your site and how it shows in Google today.
- On a short call we say whether the standard plan fits or whether you need a quote.
- If it fits, the setup month starts with a baseline you can compare against later.
Still unsure? Send us your question and a person will answer it plainly, by email.
Send a questionQuestions about SEO for AI search
AI SEO is a sales label for making a business easier for AI tools to find and describe. Most of it is ordinary SEO. The part that is new, checking the answers AI tools give, is what AI SEO Vancouver sells as answer engine optimization.
Yes. Google says its AI features in Search are rooted in its core ranking and quality systems, so the pages that do well in ordinary search are the pages those features draw on.
Not for the groundwork; the SEO plan covers it. You need answer engine optimization only if you want monthly checks of what AI tools say about you and fixes aimed at those answers.