Some information about Google (and sometimes Bing) and its search engine, gathered unofficially here and there in recent days, with this week’s lineup including some answers to these questions: What does GEO change about SEO practices? What are the consequences of case sensitivity on canonicalization?
Google updates on SEO for AI
Interviewed by Marina Mogilko about SEO in the context of the AI-powered search (AI Mode and AI Overviews), Robby Stein (VP of Product for Google Search) explains that SEO for AI (AEO, GEO…) is based on the same foundations as traditional SEO, but that the nature of queries is changing profoundly.
Thus, queries addressed to AI are often more complex and contextual, generally oriented toward practical guides (how to), buying advice, or requests for expertise or quotes. Content creators must therefore understand these new uses and adapt their editorial strategies to these intents.
Another necessity: being cited in articles, rankings, and public mentions contributes strongly to visibility in AI-generated answers, because the model favors reputable and frequently referenced sources. PR is therefore also a lever of exposure to AI, not just to internet users.
Finally, reviews can play a role provided they deliver real value. However, buying reviews is of little use because AI above all seeks authenticity and relevance, like a human.
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Reliability rating: 
We agree!
Although it's important to continue working on SEO fundamentals, new factors now come into play with the development of GEO. Don't miss out!
Goossip #2
URLs, canonicalization, robots.txt… Watch out for case sensitivity!
As John Mueller reminds us, case plays a role in canonicalization Google may choose a different canonical version if URLs differ only by case. Case sensitivity also affects handling of the robots.txt file: the paths specified in the rules must match exactly the URL to be blocked or allowed.
Consequently, if two URLs with different cases display the same content, Google will generally try to group them as duplicates. But relying on that "hope" is not a viable SEO strategy. It is therefore strongly recommended to be consistent in the use of upper/lowercase across all site URLs.
Same for the robots.txt file the rules only apply if the case matches exactly; you must account for all variants or standardize.
Source: Search Engine Roundtable
Reliability rating: We agree!
Make sure to always use a consistent case in your URLs and robots.txt files to avoid indexing or crawling issues. Google recommends consistency to prevent unexpected behavior and SEO errors.
The article “Goossips SEO: AEO/GEO & Case Sensitivity” was published on the site Abondance.
