James Dooley (0:00): Google Gemini AI overview optimization. Today I’m joined with Brian Kato, who is an absolute legend when it comes to AI SEO, GEO, or whatever anyone wants to call it. In 2026, Brian, how are you looking to optimize to get your brands and your clients into the AI overviews? Brian Kato (0:24): For me, it’s multimodal. We’re looking at a bunch of different third-party sources to mention the brand so the brand gets recognized. Especially when it comes to Google, we want to integrate that — bring it all back either through third-party sources or tie it back into the website. We leverage things like Google properties, press releases, and other brand mentions. Those are the ways we’re doing it right now. James Dooley (0:47): There are quite a few people watching this, and I’ve had a lot of people in the community reach out because I’ve done quite a few videos on AI SEO. There’s a debate out there asking whether SEO and GEO are the same thing or different. So getting into that — do you think they’re the same or do you think there are different nuances? Brian Kato (1:12): Fundamentally, you can’t ignore good SEO. Your fundamentals have never changed — they haven’t changed in 20–30 years. But AEO, GEO, AI optimization — whatever we’re going to call it — is really an enhancement on traditional SEO. What I’m seeing is that it’s not just about your website anymore. It’s about what other people say about your website. Can it be corroborated that you are who you say you are? James Dooley (1:44): Yeah, I completely agree. There’s probably an 80–90% overlap between SEO and GEO / AI optimization. But that final 10% nuance is about corroboration versus contradiction — making sure complaints are reframed positively and focusing heavily on reputation signals like: Case studies Awards Reviews Testimonials There’s more emphasis on reputation than ever before. But specifically with Google Gemini AI Overviews — what advice would you give a webmaster who is ranking position #1 for a keyword but not appearing in the AI Overview? Why does that happen? Brian Kato (2:47): A lot of that still comes down to third-party validation. We use things like: Press releases Third-party sites Social media Historically, a lot of SEOs ignored these signals. They said things like “social doesn’t move the needle.” But what I’m seeing now is that when you activate those secondary brand signals, that’s what helps content appear inside AI overviews. James Dooley (3:17): Let’s dig deeper into press releases. You’re saying they help create that third-party corroboration for Gemini AI Overviews. Do you use specific press release providers? Brian Kato (3:42): Yes. My main provider is Press Advantage. I’ve been a customer for almost 10 years. Press releases have come and gone over time, but right now they’re working incredibly well. The goal isn’t just links — it’s about brand mentions. You want to act like a brand or PR agency, not like a traditional SEO. James Dooley (4:10): So when writing press releases — are you focusing on anchor text links, branded mentions, or semantic triples like who you are, what you do, and why you’re great? Brian Kato (4:32): We focus heavily on semantic triples. I’m more concerned about keywords in the URL rather than links in the body. Google is very good at pulling snippets even without links. We treat press releases more like brand PR: Who they are What they do Why they do it Where they operate What’s in it for the customer That’s a fundamental shift a lot of SEOs struggle with. James Dooley (5:23): Do you have examples of good press release titles? Brian Kato (5:36): We write press releases about anything the business does: Five-star reviews Business anniversaries Community involvement Sponsoring local sports teams Local philanthropy We tie these events to geographic location, for example: “Company in City Sponsors Local Football Team” That’s the kind of content we’re looking for. James Dooley (6:07): So those press releases get syndicated across hundreds of sites, building consensus signals that help trigger AI Overviews. What about social media? Which platforms would you focus on? Brian Kato (6:42): If someone wanted to focus on three platforms: Instagram Facebook TikTok And the content should be short-form video. We usually create long-form content, then chop it into multiple short-form clips. Also, faces perform better than faceless content. Brian Kato (7:20): Beyond that, I’m big on communities: Reddit LinkedIn Pulse Facebook Groups These often appear in Google’s Forums tab, which is becoming more important. James Dooley (7:49): Because of your cybersecurity background — is there anything people should watch out for when it comes to AI Overviews? Brian Kato (8:21): Yes: brand confusion. Before I even touch an SEO tool, I search the brand name. If the business doesn’t own the first two pages of Google, that’s the first problem we fix. We want to dominate those pages with: The website Social profiles Brand mentions Otherwise competitors can perform brand hijacking. James Dooley (9:03): Everyone’s been talking about brand, brand, brand over the last 18 months — and I agree. In AI search, the entity layer is about who you are and whether you’re trustworthy. So besides social media profiles, what else should businesses do to own the top 20 results for their brand? Brian Kato (9:45): Think creatively. Don’t just rank for the brand name. Also rank for brand attribute queries, such as: Brand reviews Brand testimonials Brand reputation Think about the customer journey. With AI Overviews, your website has become bottom-of-funnel. People research your reputation in Google first — then they visit your website. James Dooley (10:46): Exactly. People go from top-of-funnel directly to brand verification, then click once they’re confident. Clicks may be lower, but the conversion rates are higher. James Dooley (11:20): Are there specific queries businesses should dominate? Brian Kato (11:51): Yes — anything with positive sentiment: Brand reviews Brand testimonials Brand awards But you should also monitor negative sentiment, such as: Brand scam Brand bad reviews Negative sentiment can seriously affect your brand visibility in AI systems. James Dooley (12:23): For anyone watching — there are lots of reasons you might rank #1 in Google but still not appear in the Gemini AI Overview. Brian, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Where can people reach you? Brian Kato (12:45): Facebook is usually the best place to reach me. I’m also on Instagram, X, and LinkedIn. James Dooley (12:53): Perfect. There will be links in the description for anyone who wants to connect with Brian. Brian — it’s been an absolute pleasure.