Why “You Get What You Pay For” Matters More Than Ever in the AI Era for Business Owners
Google has officially confirmed what real SEO professionals already know: optimizing for AI search is the same as optimizing for search—when SEO is done correctly. The problem? Most agencies still aren’t doing it right.
Google Confirms It: AI Search Optimization = SEO
In a recent interview on the AI Inside channel, Nick Fox, SVP of Knowledge and Information at Google, made two critical points that every business owner should understand:
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Google will not offer standardized licensing deals for publishers related to AI
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Optimizing for AI Search is the same as optimizing for traditional web search
This wasn’t speculation. This was a senior Google executive stating—clearly—that AI visibility is not a separate strategy. It is the outcome of high-quality SEO.
At We Do SEO, LLC, this is exactly how we’ve been operating long before “AI SEO” became a buzzword.
The Biggest Myth in SEO Right Now: “AI SEO” Is Something New
Many agencies are rebranding old, ineffective tactics as “AI SEO” or “GEO” without understanding how AI systems actually retrieve and cite information.
Here’s the truth:
- AI search engines (Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Bing AI)
- Do not reward shortcuts
- Do not rank thin content
- Do not trust low-authority websites
- Do not replace SEO fundamentals
Instead, they amplify strong SEO signals.
AI Pulls From:
- High-authority, well-structured content
- Clear topical expertise (E-E-A-T)
- Proper schema & structured data
- Fast, technically sound websites
- Brands that are consistently cited and referenced online
That’s SEO.
Why Cheap SEO Fails in the AI Era
“You get what you pay for” exists for a reason—especially now.
Low-cost SEO typically means:
- Automated content with no expertise
- No technical SEO or performance optimization
- No structured data
- No brand authority building
- No understanding of how AI retrieves answers
These sites don’t just fail to rank—they become invisible to AI search entirely.
The Result?
- Zero AI citations
- No AI Overview visibility
- No inclusion in conversational search answers
- Traffic decline as search evolves
AI didn’t break SEO. Bad SEO broke itself.
What Actually Works for AI Search Visibility
At We Do SEO, we don’t sell “AI SEO” as a gimmick. We implement real SEO that AI systems trust.
Our AI-Ready SEO Framework Includes:
- Technical SEO & Core Web Vitals optimization
- Topical authority content clusters
- Local SEO + entity optimization
- Schema markup (LocalBusiness, FAQs, Service, Organization, Person)
- Brand mentions, citations, and digital P
- Answer-focused content written for humans, understood by machines
- Search + AI visibility tracking
This is why our clients show up in:
- Google Search
- Google AI Overviews
- ChatGPT answers
- Perplexity citations
- Bing AI results
Google Isn’t Paying Publishers — Authority Still Wins
Nick Fox also confirmed that Google won’t be rolling out standardized licensing deals for AI content.
That means:
- There’s no “pay-to-play” shortcut
- No automatic compensation for content
- No safety net for weak websites
Authority is the currency.
Visibility is earned, not licensed.
If your site isn’t trusted today, AI won’t surface it tomorrow.
Why We Do SEO Is Different
Most agencies sell:
- Rankings
- Traffic
- Reports
We build:
- Search authority
- AI visibility
- Long-term brand equity
We don’t chase algorithms—we align with how Google and AI systems actually work.
And yes, we’re not the cheapest option.
Because cheap SEO costs more in the long run.
Final Takeaway: AI Didn’t Change SEO — It Exposed It
If your SEO strategy can’t survive AI search, it was never strong to begin with.
AI search rewards:
- Experience
- Expertise
- AuthorityTrust
- Technical excellence
- Which is exactly what real SEO has always been AI Search and SEO are the same—when done by an agency that knows what they’re doing.
Ready to Future-Proof Your Search Visibility?
If you’re serious about being found in Google, AI Overviews, and conversational search—not just today, but long-term—We Do SEO, LLC is built for that.
Local. National. AI-Ready.
SEO without shortcuts.
Optimized for search and AI—correctly.
You get what you pay for. Always have.