I’ve been noticing more companies positioning themselves as “AI GEO experts” — and many of their recommendations make my soul cringe.
Things like:
- “Rewrite all of your content for AI search.”
- “Optimize your site for ChatGPT.”
- “Add FAQs to every page.”
- “Create quick-hit listicles for LLMs.”
- “Let our AI create and publish all your content for you.”
(Yes, these are all real examples that people in my Writers + Robots community shared or that I’ve heard from clients.)
I totally understand why this messaging is resonating right now.
Business owners are nervous. Marketers are trying to figure out what matters and what’s just hype.
Whenever the industry shifts this quickly, people naturally want a checklist or a shortcut.
“Just tell me what to do for AI!”
My clients are receiving an average of 5 GEO (the trendy new term for SEO – Generative Engine Optimization) agency calls a day, telling them they need to switch their SEO to a GEO strategy immediately…or else get left behind.
That’s why Google’s recent guidance around generative AI search made me smile.
Google said site owners don’t need to rewrite content for AI systems, create special AI versions of pages, or add special markup for generative AI search.
In other words, Google itself is pushing back on the idea that companies need an entirely separate “AI SEO” content strategy.
Google is reinforcing that optimizing for SEO helps pages appear in AI search.
GEO is SEO in a shiny new package.
Some things don’t change.
Is SEO writing still relevant in today’s world?
According to Google:
“Creating content that people find unique, compelling, and useful will likely influence your website’s presence in generative AI search in the long run more than any of the other suggestions in this guide.”
Not a magical new discipline. Not a complete reinvention of content strategy. And definitely not an excuse to flood the web with fast-fashion AI-generated copy.
That guidance makes complete sense to me.
Because good SEO copywriting has never been about writing for Google. And it’s not about writing for AI now, either.
Even in the early SEO days, the sites that consistently performed best weren’t the ones trying to “game the algorithm.” They were the sites that understood their readers, communicated genuine expertise, and created content that made people think:
“I need to work with this person.”
That’s still the goal.
That means steering away from top-10 listicles that AI can write (Google calls this “commodity content”) and steering toward thought leadership content and in-depth articles.
After all, AI can easily pull together a “10 Tips for Downsizing Seniors” post with general tips. What it can’t create is an in-depth guide filled with anecdotes, local knowledge, and quotes from other experts.
Granted, there are things I’ll do with AI search in mind. My clients are seeing leads from ChatGPT, and it makes them so happy.
At the same time, many SEO copywriting best practices remain the same. I’m not doing anything wildly different. If anything, I’m making sure my content resonates with my readers more than ever.
Over the years, SEO copywriting has evolved from writing sales pages for search engines into a broader content visibility strategy. Today’s SEO writers create content across multiple platforms — from communities and YouTube videos to LinkedIn newsletters — with the goal of making that content memorable and discoverable at key points throughout the buyer’s journey.
The one way to stand out in today’s very crowded content marketplace is to weave in compelling storytelling with persuasive writing – something AI can’t do.
Is it an AI visibility problem – or something else?
Some companies are so focused on “AI visibility” that they’re skipping the harder — and far more important — work of figuring out what makes their business memorable.
AI optimization sounds way more fun than developing a reader persona, researching voice-of-customer data, and creating content that clicks with readers.
These companies don’t actually have a GEO problem –or even an SEO problem – They have a messaging problem.
Their positioning sounds vague, interchangeable, and dull. Their site doesn’t clearly communicate why someone should choose them over 10 similar competitors.
Yes, search intent matters. Technical SEO matters. Site structure matters.
But if the content itself feels generic, forgettable, or disconnected from what your prospects actually care about, all the AI optimization in the world won’t help much.
After all, traffic alone doesn’t grow a business and drive conversions.
The right messaging does.
So when I hear companies leading with:
“We’ll optimize your site for AI…”
My first question is usually:
“OK…but how are you helping companies better connect with their customers?”
Because if the conversation skips over reader intent, positioning, trust, differentiation, and conversions — and jumps straight to “AI optimization” — the strategy is already drifting off course.
The SEO and AI landscape keeps changing. Strong messaging, persuasive writing, and understanding your audience never go out of style. Join my free newsletter for writers and marketers, Copywriting with Robots, for practical insights on SEO copywriting, AI, and content visibility.