ChatGPT Meets Google: A Playbook for AI-Ready SEO

Remember when “doing SEO” meant cranking out blog posts and begging Google to notice? Yeah, those days are fading fast. In a previous article we showed how generative AI can shoulder the grunt work of keyword research, meta-tag tweaks, and endless content ideation, while still needing a human hand on the wheel.

Today we’re talking about the next BIG shift: people aren’t just Googling anymore, they’re chatting with bots and scanning AI-generated “quick answers.” 

Enter Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Think of AEO as teaching AI assistants to cite your content when they spit out answers, while GEO is about making sure large language models (LLMs) can remix your pages into those flashy AI overviews.

Even if you already consider yourself an SEO expert, if your brand isn’t optimized for the way AI surfaces information, you’ll watch competitors zip past. Let’s break down what AEO and GEO really mean, why they matter right now, and how you can start baking them into your SEO playbook before everyone else catches on.

How AI Search Is Rewriting the Rules

Remember the classic SEO loop? You tuned page speed, wove in keywords, earned backlinks, climbed the rankings, got more clicks, then Google nudged you even higher. Rinse and repeat.

AI-powered search snaps that feedback loop. 

Today two forces are reshaping how people discover content:

1. Google’s AI Overviews: Those boxed summaries sitting above paid and organic results parse queries like natural-language prompts, fuse info from multiple pages, and serve up a synthesized answer, complete with small citation links. 

Your mission: be one of those sources.

2. Chat-Style Search in LLMs:  Users are now asking questions at ChatGPT, Claude, or Grok (think of how people are responding to tweets with the now classic “@grok is this real?”)  instead of scrolling ten blue links themselves. To respond to user’s queries, AI models look for authoritative content to ground their responses so that they are (somewhat) accurate. 

If your page isn’t in their retrieval set, you’re invisible.

Don’t get us wrong, traditional on-page hygiene (a fast site, clear structure, and fresh content) still matters. But you also need to court the algorithms that power AI summaries and conversational engines. Think of it as SEO 2.0: same fundamentals, new distribution channels.

Cater to AI Search: Stay on Top

If you are wondering how to get AI models to quote your site, we got you. The quick tips below will help you shape content that plays nicely with AI-powered search and keeps your pages in the mix when assistants dish out answers: 

1. Lead with the answer: Open pages with a short, plain-language summary, then expand. AI Overviews pick up the first 50–60 words most often cited as a source. Phrase sub-headings as full questions that users might speak aloud.
2. Add smart schema: Mark up FAQs, How to, and speakable sections using JSON-LD. Google’s own docs confirm that speakable helps the Assistant read your content in voice results, while FAQPage markup feeds both AI Overviews and voice devices. 
3. Write for natural-language queries: Insert conversational phrases, who-what-where-why questions, and location cues like “in Vaughan” or “near Toronto.” This matches the way people talk to voice assistants, which now account for about one in five searches worldwide. 
4. Build authority signals:  Cite primary data, link to reputable sources, and earn quality backlinks. LLMs weigh authority when selecting citations, so strong E-E-A-T factors improve your odds of appearing in an AI answer.
5. Monitor AI citations and adjust: Tools such as Google’s AI Overview Impact report and third-party trackers alert you when your brand appears in AI summaries. Test common prompts in ChatGPT or Claude, note which pages surface, and refine titles or schema where you are missing. 

Why It Pays to Optimise for AEO and GEO

• Prime visibility: Up to 13 % of all search queries now trigger an AI Overview, and those boxes sit above every organic link.
  Traffic that competitors lose: Studies show click-through rates on traditional listings drop by roughly one-third when an AI Overview appears, while some sites report overall organic declines of 15 to 64 percent. Being cited flips that trend in your favor.
• Better user experience: Concise answers satisfy intent quickly, which lifts engagement and conversion when users click through sources for detail.
• Early-mover advantage. Businesses that align with AEO and GEO now will lock in rankings before rival SEO companies figure out the playbook-

So, Is It Really Just SEO + AI?

Yea, but no. Some of the tips we just shared above might feel familiar (opening with a clear answer, or adding smart schema) because AI learned from the classic SEO playbooks. The key difference is that AI features amplify their impact and shift which type of content stays on top. You can think of it like how search engine algorithms are always changing, and so the rules they abide by. 

Also, AI is not tearing SEO down; it is bolting new features onto a solid frame. So, please don’t fall for the “SEO is DEAD” headlines. The real challenge is staying current as AI reshapes how algorithms rank pages and how users phrase questions. Keep the fundamentals tight, watch how AI surfaces content, and adjust. That is the game now.

Ready to Put AI to Work for Your SEO?

MRKT360 is the best seo company in Toronto that never stops testing. We track every algorithm update, every AI rollout, and turn those insights into real traffic gains. Whether you need:

• Full-funnel SEO services for an eCommerce brand in Vaughan
• Affordable SEO services for a local shop in Richmond Hill
• Or just a partner who understands AEO, GEO, and everything in between…

Our SEO consultants are ready to build a strategy that keeps you visible, even as search keeps evolving.

Book a quick call, send a message, or drop by our Toronto office. We will audit your current setup, spot fresh opportunities, and build a strategy that keeps you ahead of competitors while search keeps evolving. 

Let AI do the heavy lifting while MRKT360 makes sure it lifts your business.