SEO in 2026: what's changed now AI answers the search
Search results now start with AI summaries. Here's what that means for getting found.
Search looks different now. Google shows AI-generated summaries at the top of many results, and more people ask ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini for recommendations instead of searching at all. So does SEO still matter? Yes. But the job has widened.
Being the source matters more than ranking first
AI summaries pull from pages they trust. If your page is clear, specific and well organised, it's more likely to be used as a source. Vague, padded content gets skipped.
What still works
- Technical health. Fast, crawlable, mobile-friendly pages are still the entry ticket.
- Answering real questions. Write pages that answer what customers actually ask, in plain language.
- Expertise you can prove. Named authors, real examples and first-hand experience build trust with both people and machines.
- Being mentioned elsewhere. Reviews, press and links from respected sites signal that you're worth recommending.
What's losing value
Thin articles written only to target a keyword, and pages that rephrase what everyone else has already said. If an AI can summarise your page in one line without losing anything, it probably isn't adding much.
Track more than rankings
Rankings alone no longer tell the full story. Watch enquiries from organic search, branded search volume and whether AI assistants mention you when asked about your category.
The fundamentals haven't changed: be genuinely useful, be easy to understand and be trusted. The difference is that the reward for getting it right is now bigger, and the penalty for generic content is harsher.
Founder of oXo Creatives, founded 2013. Roles at Meta, Google, PlayStation, King and NatWest.
Want help with SEO?
Get found on Google, and in AI search, when customers look for what you do. Typically a few weeks for the audit and first fixes, then ongoing work as content and links build.
