Google has published its first official guide to ranking in AI search results, and the headline advice is blunt: stop producing content anyone else could have written. It calls this “commodity content” and says it’s the single biggest factor in whether AI tools cite you at all.
In this post:
- What Google actually said, in plain English
- The difference between commodity and non-commodity content
- What this means for schema markup and “AI SEO” hacks
- What to actually do about it
What Google Actually Said
In May, Google published its first proper guide to getting found in AI Overviews and AI Mode. It’s worth reading, mostly because it debunks half the nonsense doing the rounds in “AI SEO” circles. The main message: AI search runs on the same ranking systems as normal search.
There’s no secret AI-only trick.
There’s just good content, or the lack of it.
Commodity Content Is The Problem
Google gives its own example, and it’s a good one. “7 Tips for First-Time Homebuyers” is commodity content. Anyone could write it. A chatbot could write it in about four seconds. It says nothing you couldn’t find on fifty other sites.
“Why We Waived The Inspection & Saved Money: A Look Inside The Sewer Line” is the alternative. That’s someone’s actual experience. Specific, verifiable, and impossible for a generative model to invent from thin air.
If your blog reads like the first example, AI tools have no reason to cite you. Neither does Google, for what it’s worth. There’s nothing unique to point to.
Structured Data And “AI Hacks” Won’t Save You
Here’s the bit that’ll annoy anyone who’s spent money on AEO or GEO consultants lately.
Google’s guide says you don’t need llms.txt files (but they do mention llms.txt in a few places – and check for it – so that’s a bit debatable), you don’t need to chop content into tiny AI-friendly chunks, and you don’t need to overload pages with schema markup. It helps a bit for rich results, but it’s not the difference maker. Neither is chasing mentions of your brand across forums and blogs, hoping it looks like buzz.
None of that replaces having something worth saying.
What To Actually Do
Write from what you know, not what you can summarise. If you run a business, you’ve got firsthand knowledge nobody else has: the mistakes, the odd customer question you get every week, the thing that actually worked when the textbook advice didn’t. That’s the content Google’s talking about.
Most small business sites are still full of commodity content. Generic “5 tips” posts, thin service pages, the same advice as every competitor, just reworded. It ranked fine for years. It’s not going to carry the same weight in an AI-first search world.
The fix isn’t complicated, even if it takes more effort than knocking out another listicle. Write down what you actually know. Put your name to it. Say something nobody else in your industry has bothered saying.
Questions Worth Asking Before You Write Another Blog Post
What is non-commodity content?
It’s content built from firsthand knowledge or experience that only you could write, rather than a rehash of common knowledge anyone could find elsewhere. Google’s own example is swapping “7 Tips for First-Time Homebuyers” for a specific, personal account like waiving a house inspection and why it worked out.
Does structured data still matter for AI search?
A bit, but it’s not the deciding factor. Google’s guide says schema markup helps with rich results generally, but overfocusing on it won’t get you cited in AI Overviews. Good content does that.
Do I need an llms.txt file for my website?
No. Google has said directly that llms.txt files and similar AI-specific markup make no difference to how it crawls or ranks your site. It’s not a wasted effort for other tools, but it won’t move the needle with Google.
Should I write separate pages for every search variation?
No. Google warns against this directly, it counts as scaled content and can breach its spam policies. A smaller number of genuinely useful pages beats dozens of near-identical ones aimed at slightly different search terms.
How do I know if my content counts as commodity content?
Ask whether a competitor, or an AI model, could have written the same piece without knowing anything specific about your business. If the answer’s yes, it’s commodity content and worth rewriting with your own experience, numbers, or opinion instead.
