Google’s current advice for generative search is less exotic than the acronym-heavy commentary around it. Its official guide says the durable work is valuable, non-commodity content; clear organization; relevant high-quality images and video; and a focus on the visitor rather than scaled query variants.
What “non-commodity” means in practice
Generic advice can be produced by almost anyone. A useful page adds something that could not come from a broad summary: a real decision, a tested workflow, a documented failure, original data, or a clearly labelled point of view.
The five checks
- Original contribution: What does this page show that a quick AI summary cannot?
- Reader structure: Can a person scan the outcome, steps and caveats?
- Supporting media: Does each image or video clarify the task rather than decorate it?
- Accuracy: Are claims, metadata and alt text checked?
- Restraint: Are you writing a useful page, or cloning pages for tiny query variations?
Use AI as an assistant, not a publishing machine
AI can help research, organize and edit. Google also warns that generating many pages without added value can violate scaled-content-abuse policy. The practical answer is a human quality gate before publishing: source check, distinctive insight, useful media, clear headings and a next action for the reader.
A pre-publish card
| Question | Pass condition |
|---|---|
| Would a reader learn something specific? | At least one original observation, example or decision. |
| Can a reader act? | Steps, checklist or comparison are visible. |
| Can the claim be checked? | Primary or well-labelled sources exist. |
This is not “optimizing for AI.” It is publishing work that remains useful when discovery changes.
