In a previous SEO case study, we already showed the results we achieved for our client in search engine optimization. Since then, however, Google Search has changed significantly: more and more users are encountering AI-generated answers, which in many cases appear even before the traditional list of results.
Accordingly, it is no longer enough to focus solely on classic SEO. It is increasingly important for a website to appear in the answers compiled by Google’s artificial intelligence. This area is called AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), or more broadly, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
Recently, Google Search Console was expanded with a new report that separately measures generative AI appearances. When we looked at our client’s data, we were surprised ourselves: in just two months, the system recorded more than 1 million AI mentions.
What Are AI Overview and AI Mode?
Google Search no longer just lists websites. In more and more searches, it tries to answer the user’s question directly, using artificial intelligence.
AI Overview
AI Overview is an AI-generated summary that appears at the top of the search results. Google gathers information from multiple credible sources and compiles it into an easy-to-review answer. The summary usually includes links to the websites the information came from.
AI Mode
AI Mode goes even further. It essentially offers a conversation-based search experience, where users can ask complex questions, refine them, and hold a natural dialogue with the search engine.
In this environment, it matters even more for a website to appear as a credible source to the AI.
Search is therefore changing. It is no longer only a question of where we rank in Google’s results, but also whether we appear at all in AI-generated answers.
New Feature in Search Console: Generative AI Mentions
For a long time, the impact of AI appearances was difficult to measure. We knew that Google AI Overview used content from various websites, but there was no official tool to track this precisely.
Google has now changed that: the new Search Console report shows data from generative AI results separately. Thanks to this, it has finally become visible how often a website appears in AI-generated answers.
This is a milestone for AEO and GEO, since AI presence has become objectively measurable for the first time.
The Result: Over 1 Million AI Mentions in Two Months
According to the new Search Console report, our client’s website received more than 1 million AI mentions in two months.
This means that Google’s artificial intelligence found the website’s content relevant enough to use or cite in its AI-generated answers more than a million times.
This is especially notable given that the site had already achieved strong SEO results, clearly showing that a deliberate AEO/GEO strategy built on classic search engine optimization also works in the age of AI.
What Did We Do Differently?
Many believe that websites need to be optimized separately for AI. The reality is far more nuanced.
In our experience, Google’s artificial intelligence values the same principles that good SEO is built on:
- comprehensive, professionally credible content;
- a logically structured information architecture;
- a well-built internal linking network;
- consistent topical coverage;
- clear entities and conceptual relationships;
- ongoing content development;
- a high level of professional credibility (E-E-A-T).
AEO/GEO optimization, therefore, isn’t about placing “AI keywords” on a page. It’s much more about making the content of such quality and structure that artificial intelligence can use it as a reliable source.
Why Does This Matter for Businesses?
User search habits are changing quickly. More and more people get their answer directly from AI Overview, and more are using conversational AI search.
This means a business’s online visibility no longer depends solely on traditional organic results.
One of the most important questions of the coming years will be:
If your customer asks Google’s artificial intelligence, will it recommend your company — or your competitor?
This is exactly why AEO and GEO are no longer a technology of the future, but a competitive advantage worth building as soon as possible.
SEO Instead of AEO? No — SEO + AEO
A common question is whether SEO is losing its importance as AI becomes more prominent.
The answer is a clear no.
A good AEO strategy is still built on well-structured SEO. Technical optimization, content strategy, internal linking, user experience, and credibility all remain key factors.
AI systems don’t pick sources at random either. They favor websites that already represent high quality in traditional search.
Without AEO, it’s increasingly hard to stand out today — but without SEO, there’s no stable foundation for AEO to build on.
What Did We Learn from This Case Study?
This result confirmed something we’ve been observing recently: artificial intelligence doesn’t override the principles of search engine optimization — it takes them to a new level.
Google’s AI systems look for credible, professionally grounded, well-structured content. Websites built on a deliberate SEO and AEO strategy can gain a significant advantage in the years ahead.
More than 1 million AI mentions in two months is, for us, not just an impressive figure, but confirmation that the right strategy can already deliver outstanding results in the world of AI-based search.
If you’d like to find out how ready your website is for the age of AI search, get in touch with us! During an SEO and AEO audit, we’ll show you what opportunities lie within your site, and how you can increase your visibility — not just in Google’s traditional results, but in AI-generated answers as well.
Would you like to appear in AI answers too?