Google says good SEO is good GEO. Here's what B2B teams should do

Every B2B technology client we work with has asked some version of the same question this year: do we need a new strategy for AI search? Google has now given its own answer, and it is refreshingly blunt. In a Think with Google piece aimed at CMOs, Brendon Kraham, Google's VP of Search and Commerce Global Ads Solutions, argues that the foundations haven't moved.

What's happening

Google's core claim is that AI Overviews and AI Mode are not a separate system. They sit on top of the same ranking and quality systems as traditional Search and pull current content from the same index. Its conclusion is captured in a single line: "good GEO, AEO, LLM SEO is good SEO."

The article then lists what teams can take off their plate, at least for Google Search. Don't write for bots. Don't break content into artificial snippets or stuff keywords. Don't chase inauthentic mentions across forums and blogs. Don't worry about llms.txt or other special AI files.

What Google wants instead is distinctive content: first-hand experience, a clear point of view and visible internal experts. It also stresses a fast, usable website, because visitors arriving from AI features may be better informed and closer to acting. On measurement, Google says Search Console has started showing impressions from AI features, and it points out that third-party SEO tools have no access to its internal metrics. It also notes that Alphabet reported an all-time high in Search queries in Q1 2026.

What it means for B2B and technology marketers

This is useful clarity, but read it carefully. It is Google describing Google Search. Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude each retrieve and summarise content in their own ways, and B2B buyers use all of them. Advice that holds for AI Overviews won't automatically hold everywhere.

Still, the overlap is large. Most AI engines reward the same things Google describes: pages that clearly answer a real question, written by someone who demonstrably knows the subject, on a site that loads quickly and is easy to parse. If your content is thin, generic or anonymous, no amount of GEO tactics will save it.

For Microsoft partners and ISVs, the "unique perspective" point matters most. Hundreds of partners publish near-identical pages on Copilot readiness or Dynamics 365 migration. The ones that get cited tend to show real delivery experience: named consultants, specific implementation lessons, Australian customer context and honest trade-offs. That is noncommodity content, and it is hard for competitors to copy.

There is also a useful tension with some AEO advice circulating in the market. Google says you don't need to chunk content into tiny snippets. That doesn't mean structure is pointless. Clear headings and direct answers help human readers and other engines. The lesson is to structure for people, not to contort pages for machines.

How to put it to work

1. Fix the basics first. Audit crawlability, page speed, mobile rendering and structured data on your top 20 commercial pages before spending on any AI-specific tooling.
2. Put your experts on the page. Add author bios with real credentials, and build content from delivery work: project retrospectives, implementation checklists, lessons from Australian deployments.
3. Retire generic content. If a page could have been written by any competitor, rewrite it around something only your team knows, or consolidate it.
4. Check other engines separately. Run your priority buyer questions through Copilot, ChatGPT and Perplexity as well as Google. Use Bing Webmaster Tools alongside Search Console, since Bing's index feeds several AI experiences.
5. Measure outcomes, not proxies. Use Search Console's AI impressions as a baseline, but report on qualified leads and pipeline, not a vendor's visibility score.
6. Keep your profiles current. Google Business Profile, Microsoft Marketplace listings and partner directory entries are all sources AI answers can draw on.

How UBE Marketing can help

Founded by Alvin Paronda, UBE Marketing is a Sydney marketing agency for B2B technology brands and Microsoft partners. We help B2B technology companies and Microsoft partners build content that earns visibility across Google, Copilot and other AI engines, starting with the fundamentals. Explore our AI marketing services or get in touch to review your current search footprint.