There’s a scene in Brother Bear where an older bear yells at his wife,
“Quit telling everyone I’m dead!”
That’s exactly how I imagine SEO feels right now.
Everywhere you look someone is announcing:
“SEO is dead.”
“AI replaced Google.”
“You need this new GEO strategy.”
“You need an AEO hack.”
Meanwhile, SEO is standing in the corner screaming,
“Quit telling everyone I’m dead!”
Google Just Settled the Debate
Google recently published its official guidance for optimizing content for AI-powered search experiences.
Naturally…
I put on my nerd glasses and read the whole thing.
So you don’t have to.
Here’s the short version.
SEO didn’t die.
AI didn’t replace it.
And a lot of people selling “secret AI search strategies” probably had a rough week.
What Google Actually Said
Google’s advice wasn’t revolutionary.
It was familiar.
Create useful content.
Share first-hand experience.
Say something original.
Build a website that’s fast, crawlable, and easy to navigate.
In other words…
Stop chasing hacks.
Start creating value.
Yes, technical SEO still matters.
Your website should load quickly.
Your pages should be crawlable.
Your content should be well organized.
And if you’re a local business, your Google Business Profile should stay updated because AI search experiences often pull information directly from trusted business listings.
Your Experience Is the Competitive Advantage
This is the part that stood out to me.
Everyone is looking for an AI shortcut.
Meanwhile, they’re sitting on years—sometimes decades—of experience that nobody else has.
Commercial real estate professionals do this all the time.
And it drives me just a little batshit crazy.
You’ve negotiated deals.
Walked properties.
Solved problems.
Watched markets shift.
Helped shape communities.
Built relationships that took years to earn.
Then you sit down to write…
“7 Tips for Leasing Retail Space.”
No.
Just…
No.
Tell the Stories Only You Can Tell
Tell me about the deal that almost fell apart.
Tell me about the market shift nobody saw coming.
Tell me about the negotiation that changed your perspective.
Tell me about the lesson you learned after twenty years in the business.
That’s the content AI can’t manufacture.
Because it didn’t live it.
You did.
The Hacks Were Never the Strategy
Google isn’t asking businesses to become AI experts.
It’s asking them to become better experts.
The same advice that worked before AI still works today.
Create content that helps people.
Share what you’ve actually experienced.
Demonstrate expertise.
Build trust.
Whether someone finds you through Google Search, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, or another AI search experience, the principle is the same.
Your experience is the content.
And the hacks?
They were never the strategy.
Deuces,