For businesses wondering whether GEO (Generative Engine Optimization, the practice of optimizing content to appear in AI-generated search responses) and SEO require separate budgets and strategies: on Google Search, the answer appears to be no. Google’s John Mueller stated in a public exchange that there is nothing special brands need to do beyond standard SEO to appear in Google’s AI-generated results.
What did Google’s Mueller actually say?
The question came from someone asking whether GEO simply does not matter in certain industries, pointing to sectors like adult content and gambling where Google still drives most discovery. Mueller’s response, as reported by Search Engine Journal, was direct: “I’m not quite sure what you’re asking; from our POV there’s nothing really special you need to do for generative AI responses in search.”
How does Google build its AI responses?
Google’s AI-generated answers are drawn directly from Google’s regular crawled index (the same database that powers standard search results). According to Search Engine Journal’s analysis, Google selects from the top results for a given query, plus additional results for “query fan-outs” (related or follow-up searches that Google generates automatically to give users a more complete answer). There is no separate AI index to rank in.
In other words: the ranking signals that determine where you appear in standard search, quality content, inbound links, technical health, are the same signals that determine where you appear in Google’s AI responses.
Why has a GEO industry grown up anyway?
Despite Mueller’s position, demand for GEO-specific services has been substantial. According to Search Engine Journal, consultants focused on AI search optimization have emerged as a distinct category, and established SEO professionals have begun offering those services, while simultaneously arguing that the work largely overlaps with standard SEO.
One concrete example of this dynamic: most major SEO plugins now offer the ability to generate an LLMs.txt file (a file intended to point large language models toward specially formatted content). However, according to Search Engine Journal, no search engine or AI chat platform actually uses this file in any documented way. The feature exists because customers are asking for it, not because a technical need has been established.
Does Mueller’s answer make GEO irrelevant?
Mueller was responding to a question specifically about Google-driven discovery, and his answer stays within that scope. He is not addressing whether GEO matters for AI platforms outside Google’s ecosystem. That boundary matters.
Mueller’s answer applies specifically to Google’s AI-generated search responses, which pull from Google’s own index. AI tools outside Google’s ecosystem fall outside the scope of his answer. Ranking well in Google Search does not automatically translate to visibility in those tools.
Quick check before splitting a GEO vs SEO budget
- Identify which AI platforms your target audience actually uses to research your product or service category.
- Check whether your analytics show referral traffic from AI tools beyond Google.
- Confirm whether your primary discovery channel is Google Search or other AI tools, since Mueller’s answer applies only to the former.
- Audit any GEO-specific services you are currently paying for and ask whether they produce measurable outcomes, such as documented citations or referral traffic, rather than unverified assumptions.
- Treat LLMs.txt generation as a low-priority item until a major AI platform documents active use of the file.
What this means for AI-search visibility
If your business runs primarily on Google, this is straightforward good news: you do not need a separate AI strategy. Your SEO work and your GEO work are the same pipeline. But “AI search” now describes at least two different things, and Mueller’s answer only covers one of them.
Think of it this way. A bakery that ranks well on Google for “best sourdough in Austin” will likely show up when someone triggers an AI-generated response for that same search. No extra work needed. But if that same person uses an AI tool outside Google’s ecosystem for a sourdough recommendation, Google’s index is not powering that answer. The two questions look similar. The plumbing behind them is different.
GEO-specific services, including LLMs.txt generation, are largely targeting a Google use case that Google itself says requires no special treatment. That is a meaningful gap between what the market is selling and what the largest AI search platform says it needs.
One thing the source does not address: even within Google, the relationship between standard ranking signals and AI response selection is not fully transparent. Mueller’s statement describes the current architecture, not a permanent guarantee. Google’s AI products are still evolving, and the selection logic for AI responses may become more distinct from standard ranking as those products develop.
Hingewise’s assessment: for Google specifically, Mueller’s answer is credible and consistent with how its AI-generated search responses have been documented to work. For non-Google AI platforms, what it takes to appear in responses varies by platform, query type, and retrieval method, and that question remains genuinely open. The most useful step for most brands right now is to identify which AI tools actually drive discovery in their specific category before deciding which optimization investment applies to them.
What to watch next
Google’s AI search capabilities are still expanding, and the relationship between standard ranking and AI response selection could shift as the product develops further. At the same time, as standalone AI assistants capture more search intent in specific categories, the definition of “AI search” in any GEO conversation will continue to matter more. Mueller’s answer is accurate for today’s Google product. The broader landscape it sits within is still in motion.
Source: Search Engine Journal, “Google Answers If Some Sites Can Ignore GEO And Just Focus On SEO,” 2025
Lam Nguyen · Hingewise