The short answer
There is no secret AI markup. Google says pages need to be indexed and eligible for a snippet to appear in AI Overviews and AI Mode, and that unique, expert-led content matters more than any AI-specific trick. For iGaming affiliates, that means first-hand reviews, clear facts and genuine authority, not more pages.
Key takeaways
- Google's AI features use the same eligibility rules as normal search: indexed, crawlable and snippet-eligible.
- Google says it ignores llms.txt and does not need content broken into chunks for AI.
- The original GEO study found that adding quotations, statistics and cited sources improved visibility in AI answers.
- Scaled, near-duplicate pages and borrowed authority are spam risks, which matters in gambling more than most sectors.
Do you need special markup to appear in AI Overviews?
No. Google's documentation on AI features and your website says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. A page must be indexed and eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet. The same foundational SEO that wins blue links is what makes a page eligible to be a supporting link in an AI answer.
Google's newer guide to optimising for generative AI features goes further. It says sites can ignore tactics such as "chunking" content or creating AI text files like llms.txt, because Google Search does not use them. It also says structured data is not required for generative AI search, although it still supports rich results.
What does the research say gets cited?
The term generative engine optimisation comes from a 2023 research paper, GEO: Generative Engine Optimization, by researchers from Princeton and partner institutions. The authors tested different ways of rewriting content and reported that the best methods boosted visibility in generative engine responses by up to 40%. The strongest methods added quotations, statistics and cited sources. Keyword stuffing did not help.
That lines up with what Google asks for. Its guidance calls for "non-commodity" content: a unique point of view and first-hand experience, rather than a summary of what is already available elsewhere.
Why does this matter more for iGaming affiliates?
Gambling search results are crowded with comparison pages that say the same thing about the same bonuses. That is exactly the kind of commodity content Google says adds little value. It is also why so many affiliate sites look interchangeable to an AI model summarising a topic.
Two of Google's spam policies are especially relevant. The first is scaled content abuse: creating many pages mainly to manipulate rankings, such as one page for every bonus or town variation. The second is site reputation abuse, where third-party content is placed on a strong host site mainly to borrow its ranking signals. Google updated that policy in November 2024 to make clear it applies regardless of first-party oversight.
What should an iGaming affiliate actually do?
- Show first-hand testing. Real account sign-ups, deposit and withdrawal timings, screenshots and dated notes are evidence a model cannot invent and a competitor cannot copy.
- Put the answer first. Open each page with a clear, factual answer to the question it targets, then support it with detail. This helps readers and makes the key facts easy to quote.
- Keep facts consistent. Licence numbers, bonus terms and wagering requirements should match the operator's own terms and be updated when the rules change.
- Cite primary sources. Link to the regulator, the operator's terms and official statistics. Our post on the 2026 UK bonus rules is an example.
- Name real experts. Author pages with genuine experience and a visible editorial policy give both people and machines a reason to trust the page.
- Build authority off-site. Expert commentary in trade and national press is what AI assistants tend to draw on when they describe a market.
How do you measure it?
Google says its generative AI performance data is available in Search Console, and that a site must be included in Search generative AI features there to be eligible. Beyond Google, we recommend a fixed set of priority questions, checked monthly in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot, recording whether the brand is mentioned, cited and described accurately.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between GEO and AEO?
Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is about being understood, trusted and cited by AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. Answer engine optimisation (AEO) is about becoming the direct answer in features such as Google AI Overviews, featured snippets and voice search. In practice they rely on the same foundations: crawlable pages, clear answers and real authority.
Does structured data help with AI Overviews?
Google says structured data is not required for its generative AI features and there is no special schema for them. It still recommends structured data as part of a wider SEO strategy because it supports rich results.
Should iGaming affiliates publish an llms.txt file?
It does no harm, and some AI services may read it, but Google says Google Search ignores llms.txt and similar files. It should never be a substitute for good pages.
Sources
- AI features and your websiteGoogle Search Central
- Optimising your website for generative AI features on Google SearchGoogle Search Central
- GEO: Generative Engine Optimization (Aggarwal et al.)arXiv
- Spam policies for Google web searchGoogle Search Central
- Updating our site reputation abuse policyGoogle Search Central
Sources checked on 10 October 2026. Rules change, so always confirm the current position with the regulator.
