AI & GEO
Bard SEO (now Gemini)
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What is Bard SEO (now Gemini)?
Bard was Google's conversational AI assistant, launched in March 2023. In February 2024 Google renamed Bard to Gemini, after the family of models behind it, so "Bard SEO" today means optimizing for Gemini: the standalone Gemini assistant and the Gemini-powered AI features in Google Search, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Because Gemini-powered features operate within Google's ecosystem, traditional SEO foundations (crawlability, indexation, E-E-A-T and structured data) remain the starting point for being retrieved and cited. Sites that perform well in organic Google Search are generally better positioned in these features, though the overlap is imperfect. Note that blocking the Google-Extended token in robots.txt stops content being used to train Gemini models but does not remove a site from Google Search.
Why it matters for SEO
Gemini powers Google's standalone AI assistant and the AI features shown inside Google Search, the most widely used search engine. That gives Gemini visibility a very large potential reach, and much of it rests on the same foundations as ranking in Google Search, which makes it a high-priority AI visibility target for most sites.
Example
Someone asks the Gemini app "which gluten-free bakeries in Leeds deliver?". Gemini can draw on Google services such as Search and Maps, so a bakery with a complete Google Business Profile, a delivery page listing the areas it covers, and opening hours that match across its site and profile gives the assistant accurate facts to repeat.
Free tools for Bard SEO (now Gemini)
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