As artificial intelligence increasingly integrates into search engines, Google's search liaison Danny Sullivan and Search Relations team lead John Mueller have offered crucial guidance for content creators and SEOs. Their core message emphasizes a shift away from generic "commodity content" towards creating unique, expert-driven material to maintain visibility and rank in the evolving AI search landscape.
The Challenge of Commodity Content in AI Search
Danny Sullivan expressed concern for creators who heavily rely on easily accessible, non-unique information. He defined commodity content as web material that offers no distinct value, perspective, or specialized expertise, making it virtually interchangeable across different sites.
Sullivan illustrated this with the classic example of publishers optimizing for the start time of the Super Bowl. Historically, many sites would publish lengthy articles leading up to a simple, factual answer. However, as Sullivan noted, AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) are now highly capable of directly providing such straightforward information, diminishing the value of generic content.
“A key thing is to really focus on is the original aspect. Not a new thing. These are not new things beyond search, but if you’re really trying to reframe your mind about what’s important, I think that on one hand, there’s a lot of content that is just kind of commodity content, factual information, and I think that the… LLM, AI systems are doing a good job of presenting that sort of stuff. And it’s not originating from any type of thing.”
“I think the vast majority of people say, that’s a good thing. Thank you for just telling me the time of the Super Bowl. It wasn’t super original information.”
He further cautioned that relying on commodity content, such as daily answers to popular online word-solving games, will not be a sustainable strength for creators. As AI systems become more sophisticated at extracting and presenting such common information, the traffic generated by these generic answers is likely to dwindle.
Embrace Originality, Expertise, and Authentic Voice
To thrive in the AI-driven search environment, Sullivan urged creators to focus on their authentic experience and expertise. This advice extends beyond text to include video and podcast content, where a unique voice can truly stand out.
“Your original voice is that thing that only you can provide. It’s your particular take. And so that’s what we think was our number one thing when we’re telling people is like, this is what we think your strength is going to be. As we go into this new world, is already what you should be doing, but this is what your strength that you should be doing is focus on that original content.”
“I think related to that is this idea that people are also seeking original content that’s… authentic to them, which typically means it’s a video, it’s a podcast… And you’ve seen that in the search we’ve already done, where we brought in more social, more experiential content. Not to take away from the expert takes, it’s just that people want that. Sometimes you’re just wanting to know someone’s firsthand experience alongside some expert take on it as well.”
John Mueller concurred, emphasizing that bringing a unique voice to content is essential for differentiation. In the era of AI search, visibility is increasingly about standing out with a recognizable perspective rather than merely optimizing for new formats. By offering unique content that people recognize and recommend, creators can effectively distinguish themselves from competitors.
