SEO (search engine optimization) is the set of practices that make your website appear when someone searches for what you sell. In 2026 Google stated in its official guide that AEO and GEO are SEO: its AI features rely on the same quality systems, and what weighs most is content with your own perspective on a healthy technical foundation.
When someone searches “dental clinic in Santiago” or “how much does a website cost”, Google decides in milliseconds who appears first. SEO is the work of earning that spot with better content and a website that is easier to understand, without paying for each click.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It brings together the actions that make a website crawlable, understandable and useful for the people searching for it. Like hacking, it splits into three types: White Hat (practices aligned with the guidelines), Grey Hat (a middle zone) and Black Hat (techniques that manipulate results and can cost you a penalty). At On Viral we only apply White Hat, because it is the only kind that allows lasting results.
SEO and SEM: they complement each other
| SEO | SEM | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Organic ranking | Paid advertising on search engines (Google Ads) |
| When it shows results | Months | Days |
| Cost | Work and time | Pay per click |
| What happens if you stop | What you built stays | The traffic disappears |
A healthy plan uses SEM to start getting customers and SEO so you depend less and less on paying. The costliest mistakes on the paid side are in our article on Google Ads.
The 7 pillars of SEO
1. Technical analysis of the website
Making sure Google can crawl and index your pages: an XML sitemap, a robots.txt with no accidental blocks, speed, a mobile version, an HTTPS certificate and no duplicate content. If a page is not indexed, it cannot appear in any Google feature, including the AI ones.
2. Competitor analysis
Who appears today for what you want to appear for, what they are missing and what they do better than you. That gap is your opportunity.
3. Keyword research
It is not about finding “the ones with the most searches”, but the ones a person ready to buy uses. Steps: brainstorm with your customers’ questions, expand the list with a tool, look at Google’s suggestions, clean out what does not apply and check what your competitors use. For each keyword, define the intent: to learn, to compare or to buy.
4. On-page SEO
Title, description, headings, URL, images with alt text and internal links, with the keyword used naturally. A page should answer one question, and answer it well.
5. Content with your own perspective
It is the pillar that has grown most in importance. Google’s official guide from May 2026 on AI features calls for “non-commodity” content, that is, with your own perspective that goes beyond common knowledge. A generic guide that any assistant could put together from other people’s pages carries little weight. A page with your concrete experience, your data or your real cases carries more.
6. Links (link building)
Links from trustworthy sites to yours still signal authority. White Hat links are earned naturally, in places useful to the reader. The “authority” metrics of tools like Moz or Majestic are third-party estimates, not Google values.
7. Local SEO and measurement
If your business has a location, a complete Google Business Profile with reviews moves more than any other adjustment. To know what works, measure with Search Console and Google Analytics: queries, pages, positions and conversions.
What changed with artificial intelligence
AI Overviews and AI Mode show AI-generated answers in search. According to the official guide “Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search”, cited by Search Engine Journal:
- AEO and GEO are SEO. Optimizing for generative search is still optimizing the search experience.
- The basics still rule: indexed pages, eligible to show snippets, good HTML, page experience and less duplicate content.
- There is no need to create an
llms.txtfile, chunk content for AI, rewrite in a special way or use specific schema markup for these features. Structured data is still recommended for rich results. - For local businesses and stores, Google Business Profile and Merchant Center feeds carry weight.
The guide applies to Google Search’s AI features, not to ChatGPT or Perplexity, which may weigh different signals. For those assistants, what helps in practice is the same: direct answers, verifiable and dated data, and real authority.
A quick SEO review for your website
- Is your website indexed? Search
site:yourdomain.comon Google. - Does each important service have its own page?
- Does each page answer a question your customer asks?
- Is your Google Business Profile complete?
- Are you measuring with Search Console?
If you want us to review your website and tell you where to start, message us on WhatsApp. Before that, see the most common SEO mistakes.
Sources
- Google Search Central, Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search, May 2026, via Search Engine Journal.
- Search Engine Journal, Google’s New AI Search Guide Calls AEO And GEO “Still SEO”, accessed on October 24, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is SEO in simple words?
It is making Google and other search engines understand your website and show it when someone searches for what you offer, with the most useful and trustworthy information possible.
What is the difference between SEO and SEM?
SEO gets organic traffic with content and technical optimization, without paying for each click. SEM is paid advertising on search engines, such as Google Ads. They complement each other: SEM brings fast results and SEO compounds.
What are AEO and GEO, and do I need to do something different from SEO?
AEO aims to appear inside assistants' answers and GEO to be cited by generative models. Google says they are part of SEO and that llms.txt, special markup or chunked content are not needed for its AI features.
How long does SEO take to show results?
It usually takes months, depending on the competition and the starting point. Technical changes show up before content-driven rankings.
What are White Hat and Black Hat SEO?
White Hat means practices aligned with search engine guidelines. Black Hat means techniques that manipulate results and can lead to penalties. Grey Hat sits in between.