Google Gemini SEO: How to Rank on Gemini in 2025

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way people search. In 2025, BrightEdge data shows that AI search referrals are growing at double‑digit rates yet still account for less than one percent of overall traffic. At the same time, Pew Research found that when Google displays an AI summary, click‑through rates halve from 15% to 8%, signalling a serious challenge for publishers. Businesses that fail to adapt risk becoming invisible to customers as Gemini‑powered answers replace traditional results.

This guide explains what Google Gemini SEO is, why it matters and how to optimise for it. Whether you’re an experienced SEO professional or a brand leader eager to future‑proof your web presence, you’ll gain a clear plan to appear in Gemini’s AI Overviews and AI Mode.

What is Google Gemini SEO and why does it matter?

Google Gemini is Google’s latest large language model (LLM) family. The initial Gemini announcement explained that it is natively multimodal, designed to understand text, code, images, audio and video – and has achieved state‑of‑the‑art performance across 30 of 32 academic benchmarks. In 2025, a custom version of Gemini 2.5 powers Google’s AI Mode and AI Overviews; when users choose AI Mode, the system issues hundreds of searches (a technique called “query fan‑out”) to gather citations and generate a detailed response.

From a marketer’s perspective, this changes the way content is discovered. A Pew Research study on AI search click rates found that AI summaries appear on roughly one in five searches. Yet click‑through rates drop markedly when AI summaries appear: only 8% of searches with an AI summary produce a click, compared with 15% on pages without summaries. Additionally, BrightEdge’s research on AI search visits notes that although AI search traffic is surging, it still generates less than one percent of referrals and almost no direct conversions.

For businesses, the implication is stark: if your site is missing from Gemini’s citations or misrepresented by AI, you could lose visibility and trust while competitors gain ground. Without optimisation, AI systems might draw from inaccurate sources or competitor content. Properly implemented Gemini SEO helps ensure your brand’s perspective is the one users see.

For deeper insights into how large language models influence search, see our LLM SEO success guide, which explains why LLM SEO is vital and offers tactics to optimise for AI‑driven search.

How Gemini ranks content: Understanding AI‑driven signals

According to Google’s AI features guidance, there is no special markup required to appear in AI Overviews; instead, these experiences rely on pages that are indexable, offer helpful content and provide a good page experience. Gemini cites content grounded in existing ranking systems such as RankBrain, BERT, PageRank and the Helpful Content system, so robust SEO fundamentals are still the foundation.

The AI Mode’s query fan‑out means that AI responses draw on a broader pool of sources than classic top‑10 results. BrightEdge’s research on AI search visits emphasises that all major AI engines, including Gemini, depend on traditional search indexes, Google’s own index for AI Overviews and AI Mode, Bing’s index for ChatGPT and Brave’s index for Claude. Therefore, your site must remain crawlable, secure (HTTPS), fast and semantically structured. In addition, Gemini values entities and relationships: structured data provides the context that AI models need to interpret content.

For more detail on schema markup and entity optimisation, see our entity SEO guide which covers best practices for structured data and how to future‑proof your site for AI search.

User behaviour data offers further insight. The Pew Research study found that only eight percent of searches with an AI summary resulted in a click, compared to fifteen percent when no summary was shown. Meanwhile, sessions with AI summaries are more likely to end without further exploration. BrightEdge’s research reports that AI search currently functions mainly as a research channel: AI users ask exploratory questions and later convert via organic search or direct channels.

In our experience with clients adopting AI SEO, these patterns mirror behaviour we see in analytics tools. Traffic from AI assistants, which Matomo guidance on AI assistant traffic helps you isolate – tends to sit early in the funnel. While referrals are still low, the brand value of being cited by Gemini is high; prospective customers trust answers that appear in AI summaries.

Gemini SEO optimisation: Step‑by‑step to improve your rank

Successful Gemini SEO combines solid fundamentals with AI‑specific tactics. Below we’ve outlined a step‑by‑step framework to guide your efforts.

How do I maintain traditional SEO fundamentals?

Gemini relies on Google’s core ranking systems, so traditional optimisation remains the baseline. Ensure your website is crawlable (robots.txt and sitemap), secure (HTTPS) and fast. Fix broken links, canonicalise duplicate content and compress images. Make sure each page can be indexed and served with an accurate snippet. A well‑structured architecture supports AI crawlers to interpret context correctly.

How do I target conversational phrases and user intent?

Search behaviour is shifting towards natural language. Gemini responds to questions like “How do I reduce travel costs?” rather than fragmented keywords. Use keyword research to identify conversational queries and create hub‑and‑spoke content clusters: a primary guide answering a broad question with linked articles for specific variations (e.g., family travel vs. budget travel). AI Overviews tend to appear on long, question‑phrased queries and can trigger supplemental questions in a People Also Ask box. Focusing on user intent and natural language ensures your content solves real problems and increases the likelihood of being cited.

How can I improve readability for AI search?

Answer engines favour clear, structured copy. Research has shown that content written in plain language with logical headings, bullet points and tables ranks better in AI results. Break paragraphs into two to four sentences, vary sentence length, and use subheadings that mirror user questions. Present data in tables or charts to enhance comprehension. Tools like Hemingway or WebFX’s readability test can help you simplify complex passages.

How do I demonstrate E‑E‑A‑T and build trust?

Google’s guidelines prioritise Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. In practice, this means citing credible sources (government data, industry research, academic papers), showcasing author credentials and including first‑hand examples or case studies. Avoid AI‑generated fluff; instead, provide unique insights and transparent methodology. Found’s philosophy stresses that SEOs must optimise for both direct answers and traditional results, focusing on concise, high‑quality content that satisfies user intent. Use statistics responsibly and note where data is unavailable, proposing ways to fill the gaps.

How does schema markup and Entity optimisation help?

Structured data is your bridge to AI visibility. An industry analysis on structured data and AI search visibility notes that context, not content, drives AI visibility; schema markup builds a data layer that defines entities and relationships, creating a content knowledge graph. Start by auditing existing markup: does every page have appropriate schema (Article, FAQPage, Product)? Map your key entities (brands, products, people) and assign “entity homes”, authoritative pages that define each entity. Use Schema.org properties to establish relationships (e.g., product → brand → category). When deployed consistently, schema reduces hallucinations and improves the likelihood of being cited.

If you need hands‑on support, our entity optimisation service helps manage schema markup and entity governance at scale, ensuring AI systems recognise and trust your brand.

How often should I refresh content for Gemini?

AI Overviews favour up‑to‑date information. Schedule regular content audits: update data, remove outdated references and add new insights. Fresh content demonstrates relevance and can improve crawl frequency. Resist superficial updates; instead, add substantive value, new statistics, user anecdotes or industry developments. As an example, travel content updated with 2024 Olympic details after the Paris games provides specific, timely information that AI may surface.

What mistakes should I avoid in Gemini SEO?

Avoid auto‑generated AI content that merely rephrases existing pages, this often lacks depth and may violate Google’s helpful content guidelines. Don’t chase unverified tactics or over‑optimise for AI at the expense of user experience. Measurement matters: track AI assistant referrals using analytics tools like Matomo’s AI Assistant channel to gauge progress.

So, what’s the advice?

Found believes that successful AI SEO requires balancing innovation with fundamentals. We often tell clients to optimise their websites and content for AI SEO by focusing on high‑quality, comprehensive and structured content that directly answers conversational questions. This means building entity‑rich articles with schema markup, tables and clear explanations rather than shallow summaries.

We also emphasise that SEOs need to optimise for both direct answers and traditional search results. In practice, that means creating succinct sections that AI can cite while ensuring your longer articles rank organically. Our team deploys frameworks like entity governance (defining shared taxonomies across marketing and product teams), content readiness (ensuring coverage of core topics) and technical capabilities for managing schema at scale.

Looking ahead, AI search will likely become more personalised and context‑aware. Searchers may entrust Gemini with planning trips or assembling shopping lists. Brands that invest early in structured data, conversational content and cross‑channel reputation will be well‑positioned. Found’s Luminr technology already analyses where AI platforms source information and helps clients earn citations from trusted publications, social conversations and user‑generated forums – all of which BrightEdge identifies as critical influence points.

Monitoring and next steps

Optimising for Gemini is an ongoing process, it needs to be a consistent effort that is measured, evalutated and built upon. Here’s some helpful tips on how to evaluate your progress:

• Track AI impressions and clicks. Use performance reports in Google Search Console to measure impressions, click‑through rates and average position for pages that appear in AI Overviews or other generative search features (when available). Pay attention to how often your content is cited and what queries trigger those citations.
  
• Monitor FAQ engagement and internal links. Instrument your Q&A sections with analytics events to see which questions attract attention and whether readers follow internal pathways (for example, clicks to the entity SEO guide or service pages). Adjust your FAQ content based on engagement patterns.
  
• Assess AI referral traffic. Use analytics tools to isolate visits from AI assistants such as Gemini, ChatGPT or Copilot. Compare these against organic search and direct traffic, and set benchmarks for growth.Complement referral analysis with citation tracking through tools like Found’s Luminr to monitor brand visibility and attribution within AI-generated content, even when clicks aren’t recorded.
  
• Revisit and update quarterly. Schedule a quarterly review of your Gemini SEO strategy. Refresh data and examples, add new schema markup, and update copy to reflect changes in user behaviour or AI features. Continual iteration keeps your content relevant and competitive.
  
  The rise of AI search with Gemini is a disruptive yet exciting development. Although AI referrals are presently small, they are growing quickly. Businesses that act now, by strengthening technical SEO, embracing conversational content, building knowledge graphs and earning citations across the web, will own the AI future. Found’s team of specialists is here to help you navigate this transformation and turn AI search from a threat into a competitive advantage. Ready to adapt? Get in touch to start crafting your AI Search‑ready strategy.