AI SEO means two different things. It can mean using AI tools to do SEO work, such as research, briefs and audits. Or it can mean optimising so that AI search engines, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews, name and cite your brand in their answers. The second meaning is the same as AEO and GEO.
The two get mixed up in vendor pages and job ads, and they need different plans. This guide separates them, lists the tactics that hold up for each, and shows how to tell whether they are working.
Meaning 1: using AI to do SEO
This is SEO with new tools. Language models now help with tasks that used to take hours:
- grouping keywords and drafting content briefs;
- writing first drafts, titles and meta descriptions for an editor to check;
- generating and validating structured data;
- auditing pages at scale for missing headings, thin answers or stale dates.
The rules of search do not change because a model wrote the draft. Google’s guidance on generative AI content says AI can be useful for research and for adding structure, but that generating many pages without adding value for users may violate its spam policy on scaled content abuse. It also notes that models can produce inaccuracies and that AI output should be fact-checked by hand. Use AI to go faster, and keep a person responsible for the facts.
Meaning 2: optimising for AI search
This is the newer and larger change. When someone asks an AI assistant which tool, agency or product to choose, the assistant writes one answer that names a few brands. Optimising for that answer is the meaning this guide focuses on, and it is the same work as answer engine optimisation (AEO) and generative engine optimisation (GEO). For how the three terms relate to classic SEO, see AEO vs SEO vs GEO.
Google says there are no extra requirements to appear in its AI features: its page AI features and your website says SEO best practices remain relevant for AI Overviews and AI Mode. Other engines differ in how much they search the web and how they pick sources, which is why the same brand can appear in one engine and not another.
Which AI SEO tactics work?
Let the crawlers in
An engine cannot cite a page it cannot fetch. Check robots.txt and your CDN for blocks on search and AI crawlers; the free AI crawler checker shows which bots each rule allows.
Answer first
Put a direct, self-contained answer in the first lines of the page, then the detail. Engines lift short, clear passages more readily than conclusions buried at the end.
Write for questions, not only keywords
People ask AI assistants longer questions with context, such as team size, budget or location. The free AI prompt finder turns Google search data for your category into the questions buyers are likely to ask.
Keep facts current and dated
Prices, plans, features and comparisons change. Show when a page was last checked, and update it when the facts move, so engines and readers are not quoting last year.
Earn mentions where engines look
AI answers often draw on reviews, lists, forums and comparison pages. Find which sources the engines cite for your category, then make sure you are on them and described accurately. Our guide on getting cited more often goes into detail.
Use structured data accurately
Organization, Product, FAQ and Article markup help engines read who you are and what a page says, as long as it matches the visible text. The free schema generator checks it.
How do you measure AI SEO?
For the first meaning, measure SEO as usual: rankings, organic traffic and the hours saved. For the second, measure the answers themselves for a fixed set of buyer questions:
- Visibility: how often each engine names you;
- Position: where you sit among the brands named;
- Share of voice: your share of mentions against competitors (see how AI share of voice is calculated);
- Sentiment and accuracy: how the answers describe you;
- Citations: which pages each answer cites, yours or others’.
Where Noma fits
Noma by Nurdd covers the second meaning. It asks ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude the questions your buyers ask, every day, across 13 AI engines in all, and reports visibility, position, sentiment and citations per engine, with the topics where competitors appear and you do not. It also audits a site for AEO readiness and drafts content briefs. To start without an account, run a free brand audit or the AI SEO checker.
See what AI engines say about your brand
Free · no account · or start a 3-day trial
Questions people ask
What is AI SEO?
AI SEO has two meanings. One is using AI tools to do SEO work faster, such as keyword research, briefs and audits. The other is optimising for AI search, so that engines such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews name and cite your brand. The second is also called AEO or GEO.
Is AI SEO the same as GEO?
When AI SEO means optimising for AI search, it is the same goal as GEO (generative engine optimisation) and AEO (answer engine optimisation): being named, described accurately and cited in AI answers. When it means using AI to do SEO tasks, it is a way of working rather than a channel.
Does Google penalise AI-written content?
Not for being AI-written. Google's guidance on generative AI content says AI can help with research and structure, but generating many pages without adding value for users may violate its spam policy on scaled content abuse. It asks for accuracy, quality and relevance, and says AI output should be fact-checked by hand.
Which AI SEO tactics actually work?
Tactics that hold up: let search and AI crawlers fetch your pages, answer the question in the first lines of each page, keep facts and dates current, add accurate structured data, earn mentions on the review and comparison pages engines cite, and measure answers per engine for a fixed set of buyer questions.
How do you measure AI SEO?
For AI tools in your SEO workflow, measure the usual SEO results: rankings, traffic and time saved. For optimising for AI search, measure the answers: how often each engine names you, your position, share of voice against competitors, sentiment and the sources cited.