How does visibility in AI search results work?

The AI features in Google are not a standalone system: they are built on top of the same ranking and quality systems that have determined regular search results for years. Two mechanisms are useful to know, because they explain why your existing SEO work certainly does not disappear.

The first mechanism is called grounding. Before the AI formulates an answer, Google first retrieves relevant, up-to-date pages from its index, using the exact ranking you are familiar with. Only then does the model write an answer based on what is on those pages. No index, no ranking = no place in the AI answer.

The second is query fan-out. With a complex question, the model thinks of a series of sub-questions all at once and retrieves extra results for them. If someone asks "how do I make my beauty salon more visible", Google can also search in the background for things like prices, reviews, and opening hours nearby. The more complete and reliable your content is in answering those sub-questions, the greater the chance that you will appear somewhere in that answer.

And what about AEO and GEO? From Google's perspective, optimizing for AI search is the same as optimizing for the search experience. In other words: it is still SEO, with a new look and a few new acronyms.

"The better the SEO foundation is in place, the easier it is to grow. It is rarely the exciting tricks that make the difference, but the fundamentals. Content that is genuinely about something, technology that opens the door for the bots, and data that is correct. We see that this truly makes the difference for our clients."

Jeremy van Wijk, Senior SEO Specialist at aizy

Start with content that an AI cannot replicate

If you only remember one thing from this guide, let it be this: unique, valuable content determines your long-term visibility in AI search more strongly than any technical trick. Google calls this non-commodity content, and the difference is easier to feel than to define.

Commodity content is the kind of piece anyone can write and that a query in ChatGPT, Claude, or another AI overview can generate within seconds. These are articles, for example, along the lines of '5 tips for glowing skin'. This involves general knowledge, no unique insights, and no real user reviews.

Non-commodity content is the opposite: a hand-on experience, an opinion that comes from somewhere, data from your own operations. "Why we removed our most expensive treatment from our practices and still generated more revenue" is something no one will read anywhere else, because it is yours.

That is immediately your greatest advantage over a generative model. An AI summarizes what already exists. You can add something that did not exist yet. So write from what you actually know, and do not recycle what the rest of the internet has already said.

A few practical tips that go with that:

• Write for people, not for the machine. Clear paragraphs, logical subheadings, a structure that a reader flies through. What reads easily for a human also reads easily for the system evaluating your content.

• Add good images and video. AI answers also display images and videos, so every strong visual is an extra chance to stand out. If you are already following standard image and video SEO, you are ready here.

• Do not create a separate page for every search variation. The temptation is major to build ten separate pages for ten ways someone asks the same thing. This may have worked 15 years ago, but Google will punish you for this in the rankings today.

Technical SEO for AI Overviews: what do you need to have in order?

The most beautiful content does nothing if Google cannot access it. The technical foundation is exactly what gives AI systems access to your pages, and that foundation has not changed. The page must be indexable and crawlable for the Google bots. Semantic HTML is also a good idea, especially for screen readers and accessibility. Ensure a strong page experience: with a page that loads quickly and is easily readable on any screen size. Verify your site in Search Console, so you see technical issues before they cost you traffic.

Local businesses and AI search results: extra opportunities via Google Business Profile

For local entrepreneurs and webshops, there is extra profit to be made. Where appropriate, AI answers also show product information, prices, and details of local businesses. That data does not fall from the sky: a well-filled Google Business Profile and a neat Merchant Center feed increase the chance that your products and your business appear in such an answer. 

"Our tip…growth lies in coherence, not in separate pages. One strong article does not make you an authority; a cluster that covers a theme from A to Z does. The more completely you cover a topic, with a clear main page and well-linked supporting articles, the more sub-questions from query fan-out you answer. That topical authority is what drives growth in the long run."

Jeremy van Wijk, Senior SEO Specialist at aizy

What does this mean concretely for your website

The good news and the difficult news are the same: there is no secret AI button. Keep creating unique content, keep your technology in order, keep local and product data accurate, and stay well informed of developments. That is the work we step into at Aizy. We combine our own AI software with experienced marketers and continuously keep your content, technology, and visibility in order: for classic search results and for the AI answers where your customer will soon make their choice. You do not have to keep up with every new acronym or development; that is what we are here for.

Curious about how visible your brand currently is in both Google and AI answers? Request an audit now, and we will show you concretely.