A 2025 Pew Research Center study found that users clicked traditional results in 8% of Google visits with an AI summary, compared with 15% when no summary appeared. Links cited inside those summaries received clicks in only 1% of visits.
That changes what visibility means. A page can influence a decision without receiving the visit and developers increasingly control whether its information can be found, interpreted, and cited correctly.
AEO is not a replacement for SEO; it is an additional requirement on the publishing system.
Start with the retrieval path
Google says its generative search features still depend on core Search ranking systems and indexed web pages. It also says there are no special technical requirements, machine-readable files, or schema types required for inclusion.
