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What should you tell clients who want “AI SEO”?
Danny Sullivan (Google’s Search Liaison) gave SEO professionals specific advice on handling client demands for AI search optimization:
- Tell them it’s the same fundamentals – “These are continuing to be the things that are going to make you successful in the long-term”
- Don’t chase shiny new tactics – “The fancy new type of thing doesn’t always stick around”
- Keep doing what works – “The best advice I can tell you is that we continue on doing the stuff that we’ve been doing”
- The ROI doesn’t justify it – ChatGPT (0.2-0.5%), Perplexity, and Claude combined drive less than 1% traffic
- Dramatic shifts add complexity – “The more you dramatically shift things around, the more you may be making things far more complicated”
- Technical SEO matters less now – Modern CMS platforms handle basics out of the box
Bottom line: Sullivan acknowledged SEOs are in a tough spot with clients demanding “new AI stuff.” His advice: reassure them that continuing proven strategies is what works for AI search too. Dramatic pivots to AEO/GEO optimization risks complicating what should stay simple.
Danny Sullivan addressed a problem every SEO consultant is facing right now: clients demanding to know what you’re doing about “AI SEO.”
He acknowledged it’s easier to give advice than actually tell clients. But he also gave specific language SEOs can use.
What To Actually Tell Clients
Sullivan knows SEOs are getting pressure. Clients see AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT responses and think something fundamental changed.
Here’s what he suggested telling them:
“These are continuing to be the things that are going to make you successful in the long-term. I get you want the fancy new type of thing, but the history is that the fancy new type of thing doesn’t always stick around if we go off and do these particular types of things.”
Continue with: “I’m keeping an eye on it, but right now, the best advice I can tell you when it comes to how we’re going to be successful with our AEO is that we continue on doing the stuff that we’ve been doing because that is what it’s built on.”
Sullivan admitted this is easier advice to give than to execute: “Which is easy for me to say ’cause I don’t got someone banging on the door to say, Well, actually we do.”
That’s the reality. Clients see headlines about generative AI and assume their SEO strategy needs complete overhaul.
Sullivan’s message: “Just because the formats are changing didn’t mean you have to change everything that you had to do and that everything you had to shift around.”
The Math That Kills AEO/GEO Priority
Here’s why dramatic pivots to “AI search optimization” make no sense right now.
Traffic share from AI chatbots:
- ChatGPT: 0.2% – 0.5%
- Perplexity: fraction of a percent
- Claude: close to zero
Combined, these platforms drive less than 1% referral traffic.
Some SEOs are recommending fairly spammy tactics to rank in these platforms. Creating listicles that recommend themselves as best whatever. Keyword stuffing tactics we stopped using in 2005.
The ROI is terrible. You risk losing significant Google and Bing traffic (which still dominate) to chase fractional gains from chatbots.
Google AI Overviews and AI Mode are different – but underlying ranking systems for both remain Google’s classic search algorithms.
Sullivan warned about overcomplicating strategy:
“The more that you dramatically shift things around, and start doing something completely different, or the more that you start thinking I need to do two different things, the more that you may be making things far more complicated, not necessarily successful in the long term as you think they are.”
Translation: don’t create separate “AI SEO” strategies. The fundamentals that work for traditional search work for AI search.
Technical SEO Matters Less (Sort Of)
John Mueller brought up an interesting point about how SEO has evolved.
Early days required tons of technical work just to make sites accessible to search engines. Now, if you’re using WordPress, Wix, or any popular CMS, technical basics are handled out of the box.
Mueller: “That technical side of things is a lot less in the foreground now, and you can really focus on the content, and that’s really what users are looking for.”
Sullivan agreed, noting he’s seen people saying things like “I don’t even want to think about this SEO stuff anymore. I’m just getting back into the joy of writing blogs.”
His response: “Yes, great. That’s what we want you to do. That’s where we think you’re going to find your most success.”
This echoes Google’s broader message: focus on content quality, not technical tricks.
But this doesn’t mean technical SEO is dead. Site speed, crawlability, schema markup, mobile optimization – these still matter because they affect user experience.
What changed: you don’t need to manually fix these anymore if you’re using modern platforms. They handle it automatically.
The Client Conversation Framework
Here’s a practical framework for the client conversation based on Sullivan’s guidance:
Acknowledge their concern: “I understand you’re seeing a lot about AI search and want to make sure we’re ahead of it.”
Explain the reality: “The underlying systems for Google’s AI features are the same search algorithms we’ve been optimizing for. The traffic from standalone AI chatbots is less than 1% right now.”
Reassure with strategy: “We’re continuing the proven approach: high-quality content that answers user questions, good site structure, building authority. That’s what ranks in both traditional search and AI search.”
Commit to monitoring: “I’m tracking how AI search evolves and will adjust if something fundamental changes. Right now, the data shows our current strategy is what works.”
This gives clients confidence you’re informed and strategic without promising dramatic (and risky) pivots to unproven tactics.
What Actually Matters
Sullivan’s underlying message: Google’s ranking systems (traditional and AI-powered) reward the same thing – content that satisfies users.
If you’re already doing quality SEO:
- Creating helpful, accurate content
- Building topical authority
- Making sites fast and accessible
- Earning genuine links and mentions
You’re already optimized for AI search. Because AI search uses the same signals as traditional search to determine what content is worth citing and recommending.
The SEO industry tends to overcomplicate things when formats change. Sullivan’s advice cuts through that: stick to fundamentals, monitor developments, don’t chase fractional traffic gains at the expense of your core strategy.
That’s what you tell clients who want “AI SEO.”
