AI and indexing: how to optimize your site for Google and AI answers

When someone searches on Google, they may see an AI-generated answer above the traditional results, with a few links to explore further. For a site owner the question is: what changes? The short answer is that less changes than people say, and in a different way from how it is told.

In this guide we look, in plain words, at how it works, what Google tells site owners, how to use AI to work better and what you can safely ignore. The guidance is based on Google Search Central's official documentation, updated in July 2026: it changes often, so it is worth rechecking.

How AI has changed indexing

For years search engines have used AI-based systems, such as RankBrain and BERT, to understand what a searcher really means. They no longer just look for exact words: they weigh context and meaning. That is why SEO now focuses less on repeating keywords and more on creating useful, relevant content.

An example: someone searching for "best running shoes for a marathon" does not want a page that repeats those words, but one that really answers the question.

AI Overviews and AI Mode: what they are

They are the features with which Google places AI-generated answers alongside classic results. AI Overviews offers a summary of a complex topic, with links to learn more, and appears only when Google thinks it adds value. AI Mode is designed for more complex questions and allows follow-up questions. To build the answer they can run several related searches and show a wider variety of links. The first versions were called Search Generative Experience (SGE).

To appear as a supporting link, a page must be indexed and eligible to be shown in Google with a text snippet. Google states that there are no additional technical requirements.

What you really need to appear in AI answers

What matters, in practice:

• Content only you can write. Google calls it "non-commodity": first-hand experience, a point of view, your own data and cases. A summary of what is already found elsewhere carries little weight. To shape your texts, read Il tuo sito non convince? Come scrivere testi web che portano contatti.
• Organization designed for people. Clear headings, paragraphs and sections help readers. You do not need to write in any special way for AI.
• A solid technical base. Indexable pages, not blocked by mistake, linked to each other with internal links, with important content in text form and a good smartphone experience. We cover it in SEO di base: cosa non deve mai mancare and Sviluppo di piattaforme web su misura.
• High-quality images and video supporting the text.
• Up-to-date business and product information, for example in your Google business profile: read Come farti trovare dai clienti della tua zona con Google Business Profile.

What to do and what you can ignore

This applies to Google Search. A file like llms.txt, if you choose to create one for other services, neither harms nor helps your visibility on Google; other assistants have their own rules, which change quickly.

What about AEO and GEO?

You will come across these acronyms: AEO stands for answer engine optimization, GEO for generative engine optimization. They describe work aimed at visibility in AI-generated answers. From Google's point of view, optimizing for generative search means optimizing for the search experience, that is, doing SEO: they are SEO applied to AI experiences, not an alternative. It is also why you should be wary of anyone promising guaranteed positions in AI answers: no external tool has access to Google's internal systems. Our approach is described in SEO: visibility on Google and AI.

How to use AI tools for SEO

AI-based tools can save time on many tasks, as long as they remain support and not an autopilot.

• Researching topics and questions. They help you discover the questions tied to a topic and the more specific searches that tend to be overlooked. Caution: creating a page for every possible variant, in order to manipulate results or answers, goes against Google's rules on mass-produced content.
• Drafts and supporting text. Useful for product pages, meta descriptions and first drafts. Google does not forbid the use of AI, but publishing many pages with no added value can violate its policy against "scaled content abuse". Every text should be reread, corrected and enriched by an expert person.
• Page optimization. They flag readability problems and errors, and point out where to improve texts without falling into "keyword stuffing", that is, repeating keywords unnaturally.
• Analysis and monitoring. They process large amounts of data and bring out anomalies and trends. Be wary of tools that claim to know Google's internal metrics: no external tool has access to them.

The goal is not to replace the author but to empower them. Think of a cook using a food processor: it speeds up preparation, but the recipe and the finishing touch stay with the cook. To dig deeper, read Blog aziendale SEO: come indicizzare servizi e prodotti and SEO e promozione: come verificare risultati e crescita.

Five steps to get going

A simple path for using AI in your SEO strategy without shortcuts.

1. Start from what people really search for. Use Search Console to see the searches that bring people to your site and the questions you do not yet answer.
2. Write content only you can write. Add real cases, your own data and first-hand experience: it is what a generic summary cannot offer.
3. Have a person review every AI-assisted text. Check accuracy, originality and tone of voice, including in titles and meta descriptions.
4. Take care of the technical base. Make sure pages are indexable, fast and readable on smartphones, and that nothing blocks Google from crawling them.
5. Measure the results. Search Console has a report dedicated to generative AI features; pair it with Analytics to look at leads and conversions, not just visits.

The future: AI assistants and agents

Search experiences are moving toward assistants that do not just answer but take actions on people's behalf, such as booking a table or comparing the features of two products. Google flags the topic as emerging and advises following its evolution if it is relevant to your business.

These agents can analyze how a page looks and how it is structured: readable text, simple forms and pages that work therefore matter. The quality and usability of the site become even more important.

If you want to bring AI inside your company too, with chatbots and assistants for teams and customers, look at AI agents and assistants and AI integration and workflows.

Frequently asked questions