I’ve been working in SEO for over five years, helping startups, local businesses, e-commerce brands, and global companies grow organic traffic, leads, and revenue.
Over this time, SEO has changed completely.
Ranking on Google alone is no longer the finish line.
Today, people discover brands through Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI-powered search experiences. And most traditional SEO strategies simply don’t work in this new environment.
I’ve personally worked on 550+ SEO projects, and over the last two years, a big part of my work has shifted toward AI SEO (GEO + AEO)—optimizing websites not just for rankings, but for AI visibility and citations.
That’s exactly why I’m writing this article.
This is not a generic “AI SEO guide.”
This is how I personally build SEO strategies that consistently get mentioned, summarized, and cited inside Google AI Overviews.
No theory.
No recycled tips.
Just my real framework, based on what’s actually working right now.
Let’s dive in.
How I Approach SEO for Google AI Overviews
Before talking about tactics, it’s important to understand how I think about SEO today.
Google AI Overviews don’t work like traditional SERPs.
AI doesn’t “rank” pages the way blue links do.
Instead, it selects, synthesizes, and cites sources it trusts.
So my strategy always starts with one question:
“Would an AI system trust this site enough to explain it to users?”
That mindset changes everything.
Here’s how I evaluate every SEO strategy before executing it.
1. Trust & Expertise First (Not Keywords)
If a site looks generic, thin, or purely keyword-driven, AI ignores it.
I focus on:
- Clear author identity
- Demonstrated experience
- Consistent topical expertise
- Real-world proof (case studies, examples, processes)
If trust isn’t established, nothing else matters.
2. Structured, Explainable Content
AI loves content that explains, not just ranks.
So I ask:
- Can this content answer “why” and “how,” not just “what”?
- Is it logically structured for summarization?
- Can each section stand alone as a mini answer?
If yes → high AI Overview potential.
3. Entity-Driven SEO (Human + Brand)
AI search is entity-based, not keyword-based.
I optimize:
- People
- Brands
- Services
- Processes
- Locations
Not just pages.
This is a massive difference most SEOs still miss.
My SEO Framework for Ranking in Google AI Overviews
This is the exact framework I use across client projects and my own website.
Step 1: Build Topical Authority (Before Content Volume)
I don’t publish random blog posts.
I build topic ecosystems.
Instead of:
“Let’s write 50 SEO articles”
I do:
“Let’s dominate one topic deeply, then expand”
Each main topic includes:
- Core pillar content
- Supporting subtopics
- Problem-solving articles
- Case studies
- Comparison pieces
This tells AI:
“This site understands this topic better than others.”
Step 2: Optimize for Questions, Not Keywords
Google AI Overviews respond to questions, even when users don’t type them explicitly.
So I reverse-engineer my intent.
For every topic, I map:
- What users are confused about
- What AI usually explains
- What follow-up questions appear in AI summaries
Then I structure content to answer those questions clearly.
This is why my articles often appear inside AI Overviews even without ranking #1 traditionally.
Step 3: Write Content AI Can Cite
This is where most content fails.
AI doesn’t quote fluff.
It cites:
- Definitions
- Step-by-step explanations
- Frameworks
- Processes
- Comparisons
- Real experiences
So my content always includes:
- Clear definitions
- Actionable frameworks
- Original terminology (my own processes)
- First-hand insights
If AI can’t extract value cleanly, it won’t reference you.
Step 4: Author-First SEO (E-E-A-T on Steroids)
I treat author optimization as seriously as on-page SEO.
That includes:
- Consistent author bios
- Personal experience signals
- First-person language where appropriate
- Cross-platform presence (site, social, YouTube, newsletters)
Google AI prefers people, not faceless websites.
That’s why personal brands win so often in AI Overviews.
Step 5: Technical SEO That Supports AI Crawling
AI systems still rely on technical foundations.
I always ensure:
- Clean site structure
- Fast loading pages
- Proper internal linking
- Schema that reinforces meaning (not spam)
- Clear headings and semantic hierarchy
Technical SEO doesn’t rank you directly in AI Overviews—but without it, you won’t be considered.
Why Traditional SEO Fails in AI Overviews
Most SEO strategies fail because they focus on old ranking signals.
Here’s what doesn’t work anymore:
- Keyword stuffing
- Generic “SEO optimized” articles
- Thin listicles
- Rewritten competitor content
- Tool-generated content without human insight
AI can detect sameness.
And it ignores it.
The sites getting cited are:
- Opinionated
- Experienced
- Specific
- Structured
- Trustworthy
How I Measure AI SEO Success
Ranking reports alone aren’t enough anymore.
I track:
- Brand mentions inside AI responses
- Citation frequency
- Prompt-level visibility
- Impression growth for informational queries
- Assisted conversions from AI-driven discovery
Sometimes AI visibility increases before traditional rankings improve.
That’s a strong leading indicator.
Who This SEO Strategy Works Best For
This approach works especially well for:
- Personal brands
- Consultants & experts
- Agencies
- SaaS companies
- Service-based businesses
- High-trust industries (law, healthcare, finance, education)
If your business relies on trust and authority, AI SEO is no longer optional.
Final Thoughts
Ranking in Google AI Overviews isn’t about chasing another algorithm.
It’s about becoming a source worth explaining.
Every SEO strategy I build today follows one rule:
“If Google AI had to teach this topic to someone, would it choose us?”
If the answer is yes—rankings, traffic, leads, and authority follow naturally.
If you want me to:
- Apply this AI SEO framework to your website
- Build an AI-first content strategy
- Optimize your brand for Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT & Gemini
You know where to find me.
No vanity SEO.
No shortcuts.
Just strategies that actually work.
