How To Train Google's AI To Send You Customers

Summary

In this video, Neil Patel discusses how Google's new AI features are reshaping SEO, emphasizing the importance of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and the need for brands to adapt. While many are focused on traffic loss, Google’s AI overviews and AI mode are creating new opportunities to build brand visibility and authority. By understanding how Google's AI works—through multi-format content and strategic keyword targeting—brands can secure mentions, gain trust, and dominate the AI-driven search landscape. The key to success is not ranking, but being recognized as a trusted source by Google's AI.

Takeaways

• 😀 Google's AI features are transforming search, making it less about ranking and more about becoming a trusted source for AI-generated answers.
• 😀 With AI overviews, Google's search results are now more focused on curating answers from trusted content rather than just ranking links.
• 😀 Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the new approach to SEO, where brands must train the AI to recognize them as authoritative sources.
• 😀 Google's AI mode offers an interactive experience, replacing traditional search results with a conversation-style format that pulls from multiple sources.
• 😀 AI overviews are appearing most in informational and commercial search types, where users are in the research or decision-making phase.
• 😀 The rise in AI-powered search results has led to a surge in daily searches, offering more visibility opportunities for brands if they adapt to the new format.
• 😀 Google's AI mode uses query fan-out, running multiple hidden searches to gather a complete answer for the user, making traditional tracking and ranking less effective.
• 😀 Brand discovery is becoming a key part of SEO, as users are increasingly exposed to brands via organic search results, even if they don't click immediately.
• 😀 Visual content, such as videos, images, and diagrams, is becoming increasingly important in Google's AI results, as it helps convey information faster and more effectively.
• 😀 To get cited by Google's AI, brands must focus on producing rich, multi-format content that addresses user queries in a comprehensive and engaging way.

Q & A

What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of training AI to recognize your brand as a trusted source of information. It goes beyond traditional SEO by ensuring your content is cited in AI-generated answers, helping build brand authority.

How does Google's AI change the way search results are presented?

Google’s AI now curates search results by directly providing answers rather than just displaying a list of links. This shift means AI overviews and AI mode are becoming more common, and they pull from content that Google's algorithm trusts.

How has the search behavior of consumers changed with the introduction of AI features?

Consumers are now typing in full questions instead of basic keywords, expecting immediate and detailed answers directly on the search page. This shift has caused question-based searches to increase dramatically.

What are AI overviews and how do they impact search results?

AI overviews are concise, AI-generated summaries that appear in search results, typically when users are researching, comparing, or about to make a decision. These overviews pull from trusted content, meaning if your brand isn’t cited, you miss out on visibility.

What is AI mode and how does it differ from traditional search?

AI mode replaces the traditional search results page with a full conversation that answers multi-part, long-tail queries. It uses a technique called 'query fanout,' running multiple sub-queries in the background to provide a fully researched, authoritative response.

What does the concept of 'query fanout' mean in Google's AI mode?

Query fanout is when Google runs several hidden sub-queries behind the scenes to gather comprehensive information to answer a question. These micro searches focus on different aspects of the main question, giving the AI the ability to deliver an accurate, synthesized response.

Why is ranking no longer enough for SEO success in the age of AI?

Ranking is no longer enough because the AI might not include your content in its answers even if you're ranked. Success now depends on being cited in the AI-generated overviews and AI mode, which requires a strategic approach to content creation and brand positioning.

How does Google's AI contribute to brand visibility and recognition?

Google’s AI features increase brand visibility by citing your brand in AI overviews and AI mode results. Even if users don't click on the result, they still see your brand mentioned, boosting recognition and trust without needing direct engagement.

What role does multimedia play in being cited by Google’s AI?

Google’s AI values multi-format, multimedia-rich content because users prefer consuming visual content faster. To be cited, content should include videos, images, infographics, and diagrams to enhance the user experience and meet AI's content preferences.

How can a business use UberSuggest to identify content opportunities for AI citation?

UberSuggest allows businesses to analyze competitors’ content, identify high-value keywords, and spot content gaps. By creating better, more complete, and multimedia-enriched content around those opportunities, businesses can increase their chances of being cited by Google’s AI.