Matt Canyon explains that ranking in AI search like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews boils down to doing good SEO with a few important nuances. He covers content structure, technical SEO, schema markup, and authority signals. The key is to make your site unambiguous for AI consumption.
A short editorial from the SEONIB team on why this content matters.
The video convincingly argues that dominating AI search is simply about perfecting traditional SEO with a few tweaks—no secret hacks required.
Unlike many hype-driven GEO videos, this one grounds its advice in data (79.8% prefer traditional search) and practical tools like Surfer, making it actionable for SEOs.
Marketers and business owners should focus on building topical authority, implementing schema, and tracking AI mentions to stay ahead in 2026.
Generative Engine Optimization: optimizing content for AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews.
Answer Engine Optimization: a subset of GEO focused on providing direct, structured answers for AI systems.
Structured data code that helps AI and search engines understand the type and context of content on a page.
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness: key trust signals that AI models prioritize.
Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of a niche to signal deep expertise and relevance to AI.
Google's AI-generated summary snippets that appear at the top of search results, citing multiple sources.
The ability of AI and search engine crawlers to access, read, and index website content.
Microsoft Bing's web crawler, which also powers ChatGPT's search index.
Is GEO making Google obsolete?
No. Google still handles 16.4 billion daily searches vs ChatGPT's 1 billion, and 79.8% of Americans prefer traditional search.
How do I track performance in AI search?
Use tools like Surfer's AI Tracker to monitor brand mentions across major LLMs, as direct click tracking is limited.
What is the most important factor for appearing in AI search results?
Strong traditional SEO is the foundation. AI pulls primarily from top-ranking organic results.
How should I structure my content for AI?
Use clear headings, bullet points, numbered lists, FAQs, and tables. Write in natural, conversational language with semantic richness.
Do I need special schema markup for AI?
No special tags exist. Use standard schema like Organization and Article. Google confirmed there is no secret AI tag.
Does ChatGPT search use Bing's index?
Yes, ChatGPT search relies on Bing's index. Ensure your site is indexed in Bing and submit a sitemap to Bing Webmaster Tools.
How do I build authority for AI search?
Earn quality backlinks, get mentioned in industry roundups and best-of lists, and accumulate positive reviews across directories.
What role does EEAT play in AI rankings?
AI models favor content that demonstrates experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness through case studies, credentials, and citations.
Can multiple pages from my site appear in a single AI overview?
Yes. AI overviews often cite multiple sources from the same domain, so covering topics from all angles increases your chances.
Is technical SEO important for AI search?
Absolutely. Ensure robots.txt allows AI crawlers, use HTML text (not JS-only), add alt text, and maintain a clear site hierarchy.
SEONIB automatically generates AEO-optimized pages, embeds schema, and submits them to IndexNow — so your content gets discovered faster by Google and AI answer engines.