The reduced weight of domain vintage in AI citation is significant because it allows new deployments to compete with established domains based on content quality. The IEO Engine MM deployment achieved AI Overview citation on Day 4 — outcomes that would be implausible under traditional ranking models that favor aged domains.
This does not mean domain vintage is irrelevant. Older domains with sustained quality signals still benefit from accumulated trust. But a new domain with sound architecture can establish AI citation faster than the traditional ranking environment would suggest.