# Google says GEO needs no special tactics beyond SEO

Published: 2026-08-24T11:02:37.985Z · Source: Search Engine Journal (https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-answers-if-some-sites-can-ignore-geo-and-just-focus-on-seo/586737/)
Source date: 2026-08-24
Entities: google, ai-overviews

Google's John Mueller told a Bluesky user asking whether their industry could skip generative engine optimization and focus solely on SEO that "there's nothing really special you need to do for generative AI responses in search," per Search Engine Journal. Mueller's reply frames AI Overviews and AI Mode results as pulling from Google's standard search index rather than requiring a separate optimization target.

Why it matters: A Google spokesperson publicly rejecting GEO as a distinct discipline undercuts a core sales pitch of the AEO/GEO tooling market, even as the wire's own tracking shows AI Overviews behaving measurably differently from classic search on citation patterns and click-through.

## What this answers

**Do I need to do anything special to appear in Google's AI search results?**

No — Google's John Mueller said there's nothing special needed for generative AI responses in search beyond standard SEO, per Search Engine Journal.

**Is GEO (generative engine optimization) a separate discipline from SEO, according to Google?**

Not according to Mueller — he described generative AI search responses as drawing from the same index regular SEO already targets, with no separate optimization track.


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