The Search Landscape Rebalanced: Google’s Intent Shift and the New Rules of AI Visibility

Why I think Google I/O 2026 is the most consequential one yet

Just a couple of weeks ago, on a crisp February morning, I had the privilege of taking the stage at MAD//North 2026 in Manchester. Stepping into the iconic Aviva Studios, you could feel the buzz of an industry in flux. It felt fitting to be discussing the future in a city so rich with the spirit of innovation. Just a stone's throw away, the Manchester Science Museum houses a replica of 'Baby', the world's first stored-program computer, built right there. That machine was a testament to Manchester's pioneering role in the last Industrial Revolution. Today, I believe we are not just witnessing, but actively living through a new one: Industry 4.0, powered by the relentless advancements in Artificial Intelligence. Our panel was titled "Zero-Click World: Is 'Total Search' the Key to Your Brand's Discovery?" Alongside the brilliant Sarah Salter from WPP and Ellie Connor from Danone , we dove into the profound shifts reshaping our industry. This article is my reflection on that conversation, and of the key take-outs and a call to action for every marketer navigating this new terrain. The central thesis is clear, the old maps won't work, and brands urgently need a "Total Search" strategy to survive and thrive. Part 1: The AI-Powered Industrial Revolution: Navigating the Zero-Click World My opening remarks on stage were intended to be a wake-up call. "AI is not just tweaking the rulebook for marketers; it's tearing it up and writing a brand new one. It is fundamentally reshaping how we search, how we discover, and how we connect with brands. We are rapidly moving away from a world where search engines are simple middlemen and hurtling towards a "zero-click reality."  In this new landscape, AI-powered platforms, from Google's AI Overviews to Gemini and ChatGPT, are becoming our personal navigators and decision-makers, anticipating our every need. The very act of 'discovery' has splintered. What was once a relatively linear journey starting with a keyword is now a fragmented, overlapping experience that spans traditional search engines, social media feeds, video platforms, and generative AI conversations. This isn't just a minor shift; it's an evolution of attention itself. For brands, this presents both an immense challenge and an unparalleled opportunity. The challenge lies in managing a chaotic and fragmented ecosystem. The opportunity lies in the potential to forge deeper, more meaningful connections with audiences by being present in the moments that truly matter. This new reality forces a critical question upon us, the one that formed the core of our panel discussion: Is a Total Search Strategy the key to the future of brand discoverability? As we unpacked over the session, the answer is an unequivocal yes. Part 2: Redefining Discoverability: From Keywords to Capabilities & AI Optimisation The first question we tackled was foundational: what does " discoverability " even mean in 2026? As Ellie from Danone put it, they've pivoted to thinking about "discoverability" not because search is dead, but because search is everywhere . Discoverability Beyond Keywords: Our discussion quickly established that discoverability is no longer about a narrow focus on keywords. It's about ensuring your brand is visible in all the places your consumer is searching, whatever, wherever, and however they look for answers. The emphasis has decisively shifted from matching keywords to understanding audience behaviours, intents, and mindsets. It's about targeting a user behaviour, not just a channel. AI Overviews (AIOs) as the New Default: AIOs are now prevalent in a majority of search results, accelerating the trend of "zero-click" interactions. Your answer might be surfaced directly in the SERP, meaning the user never has to visit your website. To be the source of truth in these moments, content strategy must evolve. This means a relentless focus on established authoritativeness signals like Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). As Sarah noted, E-E-A-T is no longer just an SEO tactic; it's table stakes for being cited by an LLM. Practically, this means structuring content to directly answer questions, using schema markup to help machines parse your authority, and leveraging real, credentialed authors and experts to validate your content. AI-Native Search (Gemini, ChatGPT): While the hype cycle around platforms like ChatGPT is maturing, their directional growth is undeniable. These platforms present a "grounding data problem"—they largely reflect their training data rather than real-time information. This is where Digital PR becomes a powerful LLM influence tactic. Getting your brand cited in high-authority publications isn't just for human eyeballs anymore; it's about feeding the machine and ensuring you're part of the data set that informs AI-generated answers. This also brings the "content access debate" to the forefront. As publishers block LLMs from their content, brands must make a strategic choice: protect short-term traffic or ensure long-term visibility within these growing AI ecosystems. My Takeaway: The changes demand a truly holistic platform strategy. We can no longer treat platforms as disconnected silos. A "Total Search" approach means building relevance across the full ecosystem, with content and capabilities designed to show up natively, whether in a Google AIO, a TikTok video, or a Gemini summary. Part 3: Measuring Influence & The Rise of the Machine Customer If discoverability has changed, then how we measure it must also be revolutionised. In a zero-click, multi-platform world, traditional last-click attribution models are not just outdated; they are actively misleading. They flatter paid search and punish the long-term brand building that drives success in this new era. Focus on Influence & Outcomes: As a panel, we agreed that measurement must pivot from quantifying raw traffic to quantifying brand influence, sentiment, and the desired consumer actions. A brand mention in an AI summary that shapes a purchasing decision is immensely valuable, even if it never results in a click. New Metrics for the AI Era: This requires a new suite of KPIs. We need to be tracking our "Share of AIO" (how often we appear in AI Overviews for relevant queries), our AI citation rates, referral traffic from LLMs, and brand sentiment within AI-generated outputs. The high level of personalisation in AI also means there's no universal "rank 1" to chase. Instead, we must monitor ranges of outputs and prioritise brand health as the ultimate measure of discoverability. The "Machine Customer Era": Perhaps the most profound shift is the dawn of agentic commerce. This is the "shop front to stock room" change. The "Machine Customer Era," where AI agents make purchasing decisions on behalf of consumers, is already here. Brands must now prepare to market not only to humans but also to machines. Structured Data is King: To influence these AI agents, structured data is paramount. Comprehensive, well-structured product feeds and machine-readable content are what allow an agent to understand, compare, and recommend your products effectively. This means websites must cater to a dual audience: humans, with compelling UX and emotional storytelling, and AI agents, with clean structured data and technical compatibility. Brand Equity Influences AI: Crucially, brand still matters. In fact, it matters more than ever. Strong brand associations and established preferences, built over time, become encoded into an AI's personalisation layer. A consumer who already trusts Danone for nutrition will have that preference reflected by their AI agent. As Sarah powerfully stated, "The brands that win in an agentic world are the ones that have already won in the human one." Without strong brand equity, you risk being commoditised by an agent defaulting to price or generic features. My Takeaway: Our measurement frameworks must evolve to capture the true value of influence in a zero-click world. Success is no longer about how many people arrive at your site, but about whether your brand is found, trusted, and chosen across the moments that matter. And our marketing must now be a two-pronged effort: winning the hearts of consumers and convincing the minds of robots. Part 4: The Future is Now: Predictions and the Call for Proactive Action The final part of our discussion turned to the future. What will the next year hold? Evolving Search Landscape: We predict that while Google will remain a dominant force, its absolute market share may soften as AI-powered experiences from other tech giants (like Apple) integrate deeper into our lives. AI Overviews will become the default for many queries, and the rise of social and video search will continue to accelerate, with platforms like YouTube becoming primary discovery engines. Brand Investment Renaissance: As AI commoditises performance marketing and activation, brand investment will see a much-needed renaissance. In a world where an AI can find the cheapest or fastest option in a second, brand equity becomes the most critical and defensible differentiator. My Closing Message: I ended my time on stage with an urgent call to action, and I want to end this article with the same. The speed of AI-driven change is staggering. If you are only just starting to plan for brand discovery in this new world of AI Search, you are probably already too late. This is not a time for deliberation; it is a time for adaptation. We need to be looking at a watch, not a calendar. The landscape requires continuous, proactive planning and a willingness to embrace change. The future of search isn't years away; it's unfolding right now, with every new query and every AI-generated answer. The time to act is now.

CMA proposes package of measures to improve Google search services in UK

November has not seen significant updates or changes, more reinforcing principles we should all be adopting. While we didn't get an official "core update" from Google, what many of us are calling the "Movember" update, told a different story. As I've been analysing these changes, a clear theme has emerged, and in my opinion, it's one that signals a fundamental shift in how we need to approach our work. The New Normal: AI in Search and Constant Flux For a while now, I've believed that we're moving away from periodic, named updates to a state of continuous adjustment, and November's volatility seems to confirm this. In my view, this is the new normal. We can no longer afford to be reactive. Instead, we have to ensure our strategies are built on a solid foundation that can withstand these changes, but again, thats nothing new. A huge part of this new landscape is the expansion of AI Overviews. I've noticed them appearing for more and more queries, and this is where our conversations about Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO/GSO) become critical. The fact is, getting a user to click through to our site is becoming harder. The not so new goal, in my opinion, is to have our content featured within these AI-powered answers. This requires us to create content that is not only human-friendly but also "AI-friendly." We need to structure our articles with clear, concise, and well-structured information, using the "content chunking" techniques I researched earlier, so that LLMs can easily digest and repurpose our insights. Google Pushes for Higher Quality Content Another trend that I saw accelerate this month is Google's crackdown on scaled and low-quality content. I think this is one of the most positive developments for the web in a long time. For years, the internet has been flooded with repetitive, thin content created purely to game the system. Google is now clearly rewarding websites that provide genuine value. This brings me to what I consider the cornerstone of modern SEO: E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). In my opinion, E-E-A-T is no longer just a guideline; it's a mandate. Google is getting incredibly sophisticated at identifying signals of credibility. Are your articles written by genuine experts? Is your brand a trusted entity in its field? This isn't something you can fake. It requires a long-term commitment to building your brand's authority, showcasing expertise through detailed author bios and case studies, and ensuring every piece of content you publish is accurate and trustworthy. Google's Giving Us the Tools to Build Authority While the bar is getting higher, I've been encouraged to see that Google is also providing us with better tools. The new "Query Groups" feature in Google Search Console is a perfect example. I see this as a powerful tool for implementing an entity-based SEO strategy. It allows us to move beyond a narrow keyword focus and understand the broader topics and user intents our audience has. In my opinion, this feature is a roadmap. It helps us identify content gaps and build out comprehensive "content clusters" that cover a topic in depth. By doing so, we're not just optimising a page; we're establishing our website as a topical authority—a mini-knowledge graph in our niche—which is one of the strongest positive signals we can send to Google. My Final Thoughts Looking back at November, my key takeaway is this: success in SEO now requires a holistic and strategic approach. We must be committed to quality, build a strong and trustworthy brand reputation, and adapt our content to be valuable for both humans and AI. Once again this is not something new but at times we just need to remind the industry. 

I recently attended Profound’s "Zero Click London" event, to gain a greater understand, listen and learn more on the current revolution in AI search. The central theme was a seismic shift in the digital landscape, a change so fundamental that it requires us to rip up the old marketing and PR playbooks. For two decades, the deal was simple: we create content, Google sends traffic, and we convert visitors. That ecosystem is now being replaced. We have entered the age of AI search, where the winner is not the brand with the most clicks, but the one that provides the first answer. The Death of the Scroll: From Critical Thinking to Anchor Bias The most striking concept of the day came from Jonny Bentwood of Golin: we have moved from an era of "critical thinking to anchor bias." We used to scroll endlessly through pages of blue links, weighing options and making our own decisions. Now, with nearly 60% of searches resulting in zero clicks, users are getting their answers directly from Generative AI. They ask a question, and they get one answer. This isn't search as we know it; it's a decision engine. And consumers are trusting that first answer implicitly. This behavioural shift is the "anchor bias." The first piece of information received becomes the anchor against which all subsequent information is judged. For brands, this is a terrifying and exhilarating prospect. If you're not part of that first answer, you are, for all intents and purposes, invisible. Earned Media Isn't Dead—It's the Fuel for AI So, how does a brand become the source of that coveted first answer? The most powerful and counter-intuitive insight from the event was this: 90% of AI visibility is driven by citations from earned media. AI models are not all-knowing oracles; they are voracious readers that form their answers by synthesizing information from credible sources. This means that the skills of public relations and earned media have never been more critical. However, the sources that matter have changed. The "Tier 1 media list" is no longer just about the major news outlets. It's about the niche, specialist sites that AI has identified as trustworthy for specific topics. For hairdryers, it might be Byrdie and Techradar. For your industry, it will be a different set of publications. The challenge for us as marketers and communicators is to identify and engage with this new "Tier 1 AI list." These are the domains that are shaping the AI's "opinion" and, by extension, your customers' decisions.

If you work in digital marketing or run a business with an online presence, you've probably noticed a few new buzzwords popping up. Just when we all got comfortable with SEO , suddenly we're hearing about AIO, GEO, AEO, and a whole host of other 'O's. It's easy to feel a bit lost. But don't worry. This explosion of new terms isn't just jargon for the sake of it. It reflects a fundamental and exciting shift in how search engines work and how we find information online. We are moving from a simple list of links to a world of instant answers, AI-generated summaries, and richer user experiences. In this post, I'll break down what each of these key acronyms means, what their goals are, and how they fit into the bigger picture. The SEO Acronyms Explained Let's demystify the alphabet soup of modern search marketing. *SEO: Search Engine Optimisation* This is the one we all know and love. For years, SEO has been the practice of optimising your website and its content to rank as highly as possible in traditional search engine results pages (like Google and Bing). The primary goal has always been to drive organic clicks to your website from those lists of blue links. Core Focus: Organic rankings and driving traffic to your website. *AIO, GEO, AEO, and LLMO: The AI & Answer Crew* I'm grouping these together because they are all part of the same fundamental shift towards an AI-driven search landscape. They are less about getting a user to click a link and more about having your content **used** by the search engine itself to provide a direct answer. AIO (AI Optimisation) : This is the broadest term. It refers to a holistic strategy of making your content perfectly readable and understandable for all kinds of AI systems, from ChatGPT to Google's new AI Overviews. The goal is for the AI to trust your content enough to cite it as a source in its generated response. GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) : This is a more specific version of AIO. It focuses purely on optimising for "generative engines"—the AI that creates the new summary boxes at the top of Google's results (often called AI Overviews or SGE). The aim here is to become a primary source for that AI-synthesised answer. AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation): This has been around for a little longer. It’s the practice of structuring your content to directly answer a specific question. The goal is to win "zero-click" results like the Featured Snippets (the answer boxes that appear above the main results) or to be the source for a voice search answer from Alexa or Google Assistant. LLMO (Large Language Model Optimisation): This is very similar to AIO and GEO. It focuses on the technical aspects of structuring your content so that the underlying technology (the Large Language Model) can easily process, understand, and reference your information with confidence. *Key Difference from Traditional SEO: All these focus on brand visibility and authority *within* the AI-generated answer, rather than just getting a click on a link. *SXO: Search Experience Optimisation* SXO reminds us that the job isn't done when a user clicks. It combines traditional SEO with User Experience (UX) design. It asks: what happens *after* the click? Is your website fast? Is it easy to navigate? Does the content genuinely solve the user's problem? A poor on-site experience can undo all your hard work getting the click in the first place. Key Difference from Traditional SEO: It extends the focus beyond the search results page to the entire user journey on your website. *Geo SEO: Geographic Optimisation* This is a specialised form of SEO for businesses that serve a specific physical area. It involves optimising your online presence—particularly your Google Business Profile and local landing pages—to appear for location-based searches like "best pizza near me" or "electrician in Bristol." Key Difference from Traditional SEO: It is hyper-focused on local search visibility within a defined geographic boundary. *And what about GSO?* You might see **GSO (Generative Search Optimisation)** used, but it's less common and is generally just another name for GEO. Don't let it confuse you! Conclusion: It's All About Providing the Best Answer While it can seem daunting, this new vocabulary points to a clear direction of travel. The future of search is more about genuine authority and providing the best, most helpful answer to a user's query. Whether that answer is a link to your website (SEO), part of an AI-generated summary (AIO/GSO), or a great experience on your landing page (SXO), the core principle remains the same: create high-quality, trustworthy content that puts the user first. By doing that, you'll be well-placed to succeed, no matter what acronym comes next.

The ground beneath our feet is shifting For years, we in the digital marketing world have played a game with a well-understood set of rules. The aim was to get the number 1 spot on Google and gain as much of the click share for the brands we work with. We became masters of SEO strategies involving content, keywords, technical excellence, backlinks, and domain authority. However as we stand coming to the end of 2025, the entire landscape of search is undergoing a seismic shift. The game hasn't just changed; we're playing on a completely new field. The rise of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini and AI Overviews is fundamentally altering how people find information. It's no longer a conversation about a list of blue links. It's about answers, served directly, conversationally, and contextually. This isn't a distant future; it's the new normal. And for businesses, it begs the question: How do you stay visible when the destination is no longer your website, but an AI-generated summary? The good news? This isn't a eulogy for SEO . It's a call to evolution. The principles of being found online are expanding, and for those willing to adapt, the opportunities are immense. It's time to move beyond rankings and focus on what truly matters: becoming the definitive, trusted answer in your field. The New SEO Playbook: From Rankings to Answers, from Content to Context The data from 2024 and predictions for 2025 paint a clear picture. We're seeing what industry analysts call "The Great Decoupling"—a scenario where search impressions can rise, while clicks to websites fall. Why? Because AI is answering user queries directly within the search results page. This might sound alarming, but it’s actually a profound opportunity. It forces us to shift our focus from a transactional metric (clicks) to a more foundational one: visibility and authority. The new digital marketing mantra is: Visibility over rankings: It's more important to be present in the answer than to be position one. Context over content: It's not just what you say, but how you structure it for AI to understand. Conversations over lists of blue links: Users are asking complex, multi-step questions, and we need to provide content that fuels that conversation. To win in this new era, we need a strategy built on three core pillars: building unshakeable authority, speaking the language of AI, and extending your answers across the entire digital ecosystem. Pillar 1: Build Unshakeable Authority with Content Hubs In a world flooded with AI-generated content, genuine expertise is your ultimate competitive advantage. The concept of E.E.A.T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust) is more critical than ever. The way to demonstrate this is by building Entity Authority through comprehensive Content Hubs. Stop thinking about individual keywords. Start thinking about owning entire topics. An entity is a specific person, place, thing, or concept that search engines understand. Your goal is to become the primary entity associated with your area of expertise. Create a Network: Build a central "pillar" page that provides a broad overview of a core topic. Then, create a network of "cluster" content—how-to guides, FAQs, case studies, and articles—that delve into specific sub-topics. Internal Linking is Key: Each cluster piece should link back to the pillar page using descriptive anchor text. This isn't just an SEO tactic; it's how you create a semantic map, showing AI the relationships between concepts and reinforcing your authority. Authenticity is Your Moat: Your content must offer original insights, real-world experience, and a unique perspective. This is the "human-generated content" that LLMs cannot replicate and will increasingly rely on for credible information. Pillar 2: Speak the Language of AI with Structure and Schema To be the source for an AI-generated answer, you need to make your content as easy as possible for machines to read, interpret, and cite. This is where technical optimization becomes the bedrock of your content strategy. Think in "Chunks": LLMs process information in small, digestible segments. Structure your content accordingly. Use short paragraphs, clear H2/H3 headings phrased as questions, and bulleted lists. This "content chunking" makes it easy for an AI to pull a specific piece of information to answer a query. Implement Structured Data (Schema): Schema markup is the language of search engines. It's code you add to your site to explicitly tell AI what your content is about. Use FAQPage, HowTo, Article, and Organization schema to define your content. This is like putting a name tag on every piece of information, making it unambiguous. Define and Reference Entities: Use the @id property in your schema to give each core entity (like your company or a key person) a unique identifier. Then, reference that ID wherever the entity is mentioned. This creates a site-wide semantic graph, connecting the dots for AI and solidifying your knowledge base. Pillar 3: Extend Your Answers Everywhere Google's "fan-out query technique" means that for any single search, its AI is exploring numerous related questions and subtopics. Your content needs to be the source for as many of those "fan-out" queries as possible. Furthermore, the search landscape is fragmenting. Users are finding answers on Perplexity, ChatGPT, and social platforms. Your strategy must be omnichannel. Answer the Full Spectrum : Your content hubs should address a wide range of questions, from broad informational queries to specific, long-tail technical questions. Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC) : Integrate customer reviews, product Q&As, and insights from community forums like Reddit and Quora into your content. These are goldmines of authentic, intent-driven language that both users and AI trust. Track Your Visibility Beyond Google : Start monitoring your brand's presence and citations across all major AI platforms. The goal is to ensure that whether a user asks a question on Google, Bing, or directly into an LLM, your brand is the one providing the answer. The Future is About Trust The rules of search have changed, but the fundamentals of building a great business have not. This new era of AI-powered search rewards clarity, structure, and, above all, credibility. By building deep topical authority, structuring your content for machine comprehension, and ensuring your expertise is visible everywhere your audience is looking, you won't just survive the shift—you'll be in a powerful position to thrive. The future of search isn't about chasing algorithms; it's about becoming the algorithm's most trusted source.

The second year in a row I'm going to have the pleasure of speaking at Brighton SEO conference “content decay”. So I thought I would write something a little different to give you a perspective of the event and the sheer size and scale it has now become. This isn't just any conference; it's the UK's largest gathering for SEOs and digital marketers, and truly one of the biggest in the world. Over three days, it's a whirlwind of speaker sessions, deep-dive training, and invaluable knowledge transfer across every facet of the digital marketing landscape. Of course, there are the sponsors, the tech showcases, and those legendary late-night parties, alongside more community-focused activities promoting health and wellbeing. 𝐀 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞: 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐨𝐧 Having worked in digital marketing for over 25 years and spoken at other events, 2024 was the first time I spoke at Brighton. It was a year Wavemaker, proudly stood as one of the premium sponsors of the event. The question I kept asking myself was: "Why did I wait so long?" In the weeks leading up to it, I was deep in thought, crafting my presentation to inspire, educate, and inform the 600+ people who attended my talk on “developing a killer content strategy”. What I hadn't fully grasped was the sheer scale and professionalism of the organisation behind the event, nor the incredible community that spontaneously formed among the speakers. Through the WhatsApp group and the speaker tour, it became apparent that there were speakers of all abilities and experiences. The event organisers and the speakers themselves supported each other in a way I simply wasn't expecting. Over those three days, 100 mostly strangers came together to inspire, motivate, and support one another. From attending talks and sharing motivation techniques to simply offering a heartfelt "Good luck," it was a quiet, humbling, and profoundly inspiring experience. Would I recommend anyone in SEO and digital marketing to go to Brighton SEO? Absolutely. If you are looking to step outside your comfort zone and speak and share your knowledge, there is no better place. This new industrial revolution in search is just beginning, and Brighton SEO is clearly the place to be at the forefront. See you there. #brightonseo