The SEO revolution: how Google's Gemini AI is redefining search optimisation

Gemini, Google's artificial intelligence model, is now at the heart of its search engine, Chrome and many services. For websites, SEO is no longer just about pleasing the ranking algorithm: the AI must also understand, select and cite your content. Here are the five major changes you need to know.

1. From a list of links to a conversational answer

With AI Overviews (AI-generated summaries at the top of the results) and AI Mode, Google answers many questions directly. On purely informational queries, click-through rates to websites can fall, since users get their answer without clicking.

The challenge: becoming one of the sources displayed under the answer. These links are highly visible and attract visitors who are already interested.

2. The rise of multimodality

Gemini analyses text, but also images, video and audio. SEO is therefore no longer limited to the written word:

• write alt attributes that genuinely describe each image;
• use explicit file names (“aluminium-gate-bourg-en-bresse.webp” rather than “IMG_2045.jpg”);
• make sure text, images and videos complement each other and cover the same subject;
• think about Google Lens: your product or project photos can become a gateway to your website.

3. E-E-A-T becomes decisive

Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness: these criteria, which Google uses to assess content quality, carry even more weight when AI chooses its sources. The first “E”, experience, was added at the end of 2022: Google values content written by people who have actually done what they write about.

• Introduce the author: background, profession, years of experience.
• Rely on concrete examples, figures and case studies from your business.
• Look after your online reputation: customer reviews, mentions in the local press, links from recognised websites.

4. Structuring information for AI

Well-organised content is easier to interpret, summarise and cite:

• add structured data (Organization, LocalBusiness, Product, Article…);
• favour lists, tables and short paragraphs that answer a question directly;
• organise your content into topic clusters: a main page on a subject, linked to detailed pages on each aspect. This demonstrates comprehensive expertise.

5. Targeting intent and the conversational long tail

Queries are getting longer and look more and more like sentences, especially with voice search. Gemini understands the intent behind them. A business therefore has every interest in answering its customers' real questions precisely:

• “What type of gate should I choose for a house next to a road?”
• “How long does it take to build an e-commerce website?”
• “What is the best time of year to redo a roof?”

Every frequently asked question deserves a clear answer on your website.

Conclusion

Google's AI does not demand less quality content: it demands more. The websites that come out on top combine a solid technical foundation, structured content and, above all, genuine human expertise that AI cannot produce on its own.

Frequently asked questions

Franck GuigoutFounder of GUIGOUT SAS, a web agency in Bourg-en-Bresse, France. Over twenty years of building WordPress and WooCommerce websites and of search engine optimisation for businesses in France and abroad.