The smartest order after Google's new AI search guide is simple: stop wasted effort today, set up measurement this month and improve your pages soon after. This post sorts every point in the guide into those three tiers, so you always know what to work on first.
Google published and updated its official guide to optimizing for generative AI features on June 29, 2026. It answers questions owners have asked for months and confirms changes that already affect traffic and reporting.
What the Guide Says
You may have seen agencies sell "GEO services" or "AEO audits" as something apart from search optimization. Google pushed back on that idea directly in the new guide.
From Google's point of view, optimizing for generative AI search is optimizing for the search experience, which makes it SEO. Its AI features are rooted in the same core ranking and quality systems, so you do not need to throw out your current strategy.
The Traffic Numbers
The numbers explain why the order matters. Sites that depend on informational queries have seen 20-40% declines in organic sessions from those queries, and the average click-through rate for Position 1 on queries with AI Overviews has fallen to roughly 8-12%.
Fewer clicks do not always mean less business, though. NerdWallet and HubSpot have reported lower traffic alongside higher revenue, because visitors who click after reading an AI summary are further along in their decision.
Ranking number one on Google no longer guarantees clicks. Being cited inside AI Overviews is the new currency of visibility, and every priority below serves that goal.
Today: Skip What Google Says to Skip
The fastest win is to stop spending on tactics Google calls unnecessary. Google says llms.txt files, content chunking, AI-specific rewriting and special schema are not needed for its generative AI features.
On chunking, the guide says Google's systems "are able to understand the nuance of multiple topics on a page and show the relevant piece to users." Its AI also understands synonyms and general meaning, so you can stop chasing every long-tail keyword variation.
Pull back from any plan to buy or manufacture AI mentions as well. Google treats buying or manipulating citations in AI Mode and AI Overviews as spam, under the same framework it uses for inauthentic backlinks.
Today: Keep Your FAQPage Schema
FAQ rich results, the expandable question-and-answer rows that once stretched a listing down the page, stopped appearing on May 7, 2026. The change covers all site types, including government and health domains.
Search Console reporting and Rich Results Test support are going away through June, and API support ends in August 2026. Even so, leave your FAQ schema markup where it is.
Google confirmed it still uses FAQPage schema to understand page content. Pages with it are reportedly 3.2 times more likely to appear in AI Overviews, so the content signal is still worth keeping.
This Month: Set Up AI Tracking
Google Search Console is rolling out a dedicated section that shows how pages perform inside AI Overviews and AI Mode, apart from traditional organic data. The rollout also brings AI blocking controls.
Until that section reaches your account, track AI visibility in two places. Use Search Console for visibility from Google generative AI features, and use Google Analytics for referral traffic from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini and Copilot.
Put a monthly reminder on your calendar to open both reports. A regular check turns scattered numbers into a trend you can act on.
This Month: Do a Quick AI Audit
Query ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity with the prompts your customers would use. Note which brands appear and which sources get cited, and if your business is missing, you know where to focus.
Review your Google Business Profile in the same session. Google says using it can help your products and services show up in AI responses and in other Google Search results.
Soon: Structure Pages to Answer Questions
Content structure matters more than it used to. Pages that answer clear subquestions, use lists, define terms and back claims with data are easier for search systems to parse.
Work through your most important pages one at a time. Aim for well-structured content, clear entity identification and authoritative sourcing, which together support both traditional and AI search visibility.
Soon: Keep Proven SEO in Place
Do not abandon proven SEO practices to chase unproven GEO tactics. The core work still matters most, and it is the same work that earns AI citations.
Treat this tier as ongoing rather than finished. Each round of improvements should make your pages clearer, better sourced and easier to quote.
The Bottom Line
Google's June 2026 guide shows that AI search is the same game with higher stakes for content quality and page structure. The businesses that work in this order and track AI visibility next to their rankings will hold their ground as search habits keep changing.
If you want help auditing your AI visibility, updating your schema markup or reading the new Search Console reports, contact us or schedule a call with AppWT. We are ready to help you make sense of what changed and what to do first.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are FAQ rich results really gone from Google in 2026?
Yes. Google stopped showing them in search on May 7, 2026, is removing support from Search Console through June and ends API support in August 2026. It still reads FAQPage schema to understand your content, so leaving that markup in place still pays.
Should I rewrite my site so AI search can understand it?
No. Google's June 2026 guide says its AI systems understand synonyms and general meaning, so there is no need to rewrite pages for generative AI or chase every long-tail keyword variation. Clear, helpful, well-structured content and solid SEO basics come first.
What does the new AI section in Search Console do?
It reports how your pages perform inside AI Overviews and AI Mode, apart from your traditional organic data. It also includes AI blocking controls that let you manage how AI features interact with your content.
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