Many business owners ask whether appearing in generative AI responses requires a separate budget, a new specialist, or a different content format. Google’s position is that the signals powering standard search results are the same signals powering its AI features.
Google is putting more links inside AI answers
On October 15, 2026, Google said on its Keyword blog that "We’ve made continued and substantial increases to the presence of inline links in our AI experiences." Inline links are the links embedded inside words and phrases in an AI response. Google said it is also showing those links higher up in responses more often, so the source pages behind an answer stay clickable.
In the same post, Google said the number of people using its Preferred Sources feature has grown by more than 7x since the start of the year.
What Google said about optimizing for AI answers
Google’s John Mueller wrote on Bluesky, "from our POV there’s nothing really special you need to do for generative AI responses in search." He acknowledged he did not fully understand the question being asked, but the comment matches what Google has said before.
Google has repeatedly stated that optimizing for AI answers is not a separate discipline from SEO, whatever acronym gets attached to it, whether answer engine optimization (AEO) or generative engine optimization (GEO). Google’s Danny Sullivan has framed the point as myth-busting: the fundamentals that earn ranking in traditional results are the same fundamentals that earn placement in AI responses. Google has also advised against hiring a dedicated GEO or AEO specialist, against buying AI-optimization tools that promise shortcuts, and against reshaping content into bite-sized chunks purely for AI consumption.
Where Microsoft Bing takes a different view
Microsoft Bing disagrees with Google here. Anyone optimizing for Bing should check Bing’s own position separately.
What an agency checks when this comes up
When a client asks whether they need to spend on GEO or AEO, Google’s position is that this is the same work as standard SEO. A full technical and on-page audit is one way to see where a site stands.
What to do now
- Treat AI answers as part of standard SEO, not a separate project. Keep the existing content and technical plan rather than funding a parallel GEO budget.
- Review the pages you want cited for clear structure and accurate information.
- Be cautious with tools and specialists sold purely as AI-optimization shortcuts.
- Keep full articles intact rather than chopping them into bite-sized fragments for AI, which Google has warned against.
- If you also target Bing, check Bing’s own position separately.
FAQ
Does Google require separate optimization for generative AI responses?
No. Google’s John Mueller said there is nothing special site owners need to do for generative AI responses in Google Search, and Google’s position is that standard SEO covers that work.
Is GEO or AEO different from regular SEO?
According to Google’s repeated public comments, no. Google has described SEO for AI as the same as SEO for traditional Google Search, regardless of the acronym used.
Do Bing and Google agree on AI search optimization?
No. Google’s position is that there is nothing special to do for generative AI responses in search, while Microsoft Bing disagrees.
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