A customer might search for “digital versus traditional marketing,” ask an AI assistant what a strategy should include or compare two services directly on a website. The questions can be similar, even if the interfaces give different answers.
For a business, the useful goal is to be found in connection with relevant needs and to be able to back up the information presented. Appearing often in the wrong context is not the same as commercial progress.
SEO, AEO and GEO: what we are trying to improve
SEO stands for search engine optimization. AEO is used for optimizing content for systems that provide answers, and GEO for visibility in generative experiences. In practice, the use of the last two terms varies; they are not certifications or guarantees of inclusion.
It helps to separate four things: a page can be accessible to a system, it can be indexed, it can appear as a source in an answer and it can receive a visit. No step automatically guarantees the next one. A brand mention, a page citation and referral traffic are distinct outcomes.
What the platforms document
Google states that SEO best practices remain relevant for AI Overviews and AI Mode. It does not require special optimization or an additional AI file. To be eligible as a supporting link, a page must be indexed and eligible to be shown with a snippet in Search; inclusion is not guaranteed. Google: AI features and your website
Update checked on October 7, 2026: Google AI eligibility
Beyond indexing and eligibility to be shown with a snippet, we check whether the website is included through the “Search generative AI” control in Search Console. Google documents this control for AI Overviews, AI Mode and generative AI features in Discover. It concerns inclusion in these experiences and is separate from the control for model training. Source: Google Search Console, Search generative AI control.
This addition updates the eligibility conditions described above. It does not mean that inclusion or citation is guaranteed.
OpenAI distinguishes OAI-SearchBot, used for search, from GPTBot, associated with content that may be used for training. The controls are independent. Allowing search should not be confused with consenting to training, or with a promise of citation. OpenAI: Overview of OpenAI Crawlers
These explanations describe those specific systems, not every AI platform. Access is checked in the website’s implementation, including configurations that may block requests. We do not automatically change every control on the grounds that “we have to let the AI in.”
Do articles need to be rewritten to appear in AI answers?
A useful article can be extended with a clear answer to the main question, the conditions in which it applies and a verifiable example. We keep the explanations that support the conclusion. The information should be organized to help the reader, and being selected as a source remains the platform’s decision.
Do you need a page for every way the question can be phrased? We group questions that call for the same answer. We create a new page when there is a distinct need and enough original information to explain it. Google’s guide to generative AI features in Search supports useful original content and warns against multiplying pages for search variations.
A short answer should not hide the limits. If price or duration depends on context, we explain the variables and show how to reach an estimate. That way, the reader gets a direction they can evaluate.
What information your business can bring
A general definition can be useful at the start. To help a decision, it is worth developing the conditions too: when it applies, what differences exist, what needs checking and where the conclusion ends.
For example, an article about the 5Ps can define the components and then apply them to a specific service. A piece about pricing can explain why two proposals include different deliverables. A demonstration can show what a working integration means without inventing results.
Google recommends content created for people, with original value, sources and accurate information about the author. It does not indicate a preferred word count. The amount of text and artificially changing the date do not replace usefulness. Google: helpful, reliable, people-first content
A structure that allows verification
We can start with a clear answer, then explain the reasoning and the example. Subheadings should describe the sections. A table makes sense when we compare the same criteria, and an image has to add information, not just decoration.
| The reader’s question | What they should be able to find |
|---|---|
| What does the term mean? | A precise definition, with the sense used in the article |
| When does it apply to me? | Situations and conditions, explained |
| What is the claim based on? | The source, the demonstration or a fictional-example label |
| What can I decide after reading? | Criteria and a relevant next step |
| Is it still current? | Reviewed information and a date that reflects real work |
This is an editorial proposal for readers, not a proven formula for AI citation. From a single appearance, we cannot tell which element led to a source being selected.
The website has to support the content
A useful page can be hard to discover if it has no relevant links within the website. Clear titles, logical organization and descriptive links help people find their way and help pages get discovered. We also check what content the search engine can actually access. Google: SEO Starter Guide
Structured data can describe certain information explicitly for search engines, in the supported formats. It has to reflect the real content and does not guarantee a special result. We do not invent authors, ratings or FAQs to fill in markup. Google: Introduction to structured data
For NOT MORE., a link between an article and a service makes sense if it helps the reader continue with the same problem. We do not add every service to every page, and we do not produce dozens of near-identical variations just for slightly different phrases.
How we measure without inventing a universal ranking
We track discovery in search, visits, relevant actions and inquiries separately. Google’s dedicated “Generative AI performance (Search)” report provides impressions for AI Overviews and AI Mode. These data are also included in the overall Web reporting.
Google AI reporting
Google says the dedicated report was rolled out to all websites worldwide on August 31, 2026. It may be missing if the website does not have enough impressions. Google Search Console: Generative AI performance report
Impressions show how often links were displayed in the experiences the report covers. They are not visits, customers or conversions, and they do not describe visibility on every AI platform. We check the available commercial results separately.
For observations in assistants, we can keep a set of relevant questions, along with the date, language, platform and sources cited. We repeat the check under recorded conditions and treat the results as a sample, not as a percentage of all user conversations.
An answer can vary with the wording, context and timing. The absence of a visit in analytics does not prove the absence of any mention, and an observed citation does not demonstrate commercial impact. We do not turn selected screenshots into a market indicator.
What we can build and maintain
At NOT MORE., we can connect research into the questions with editorial architecture, writing, comparisons, design and technical implementation. We check sources, access and links, then evaluate the available signals within the agreed collaboration.
Social media content can open up topics. For claims about platforms, we use the relevant documentation, and the examples and explanations have to make a contribution of their own. Visibility is pursued through sustained editorial and technical work, not through promising an appearance frequency we do not control.
The information about platforms was checked on October 6, 2026, and should be reviewed when the documentation or implementation changes.