You’ve spent time and money getting your SEO in decent shape. You rank reasonably well on Google. But here’s the thing — the way people find information online is shifting fast, and a growing chunk of your potential audience isn’t typing into a search bar anymore. They’re asking an AI.
This isn’t a trend to watch. It’s already here at scale.
The numbers make it hard to ignore
At Google I/O in May 2026, Google announced that AI Mode — its AI-powered search experience — has surpassed one billion monthly users, with queries more than doubling every quarter since launch. Overall search queries hit an all-time high last quarter. People aren’t searching less because of AI. They’re searching differently, and more.
Google also announced the biggest upgrade to its Search box in over 25 years — now accepting text, images, files, videos, and even Chrome tabs as inputs. The search bar your clients have used for decades looks nothing like it did 12 months ago.
What to do: Stop thinking of “AI search” as a separate thing from Google. They’re the same thing now.
What is GEO, exactly?
Generative Engine Optimisation — GEO — is the practice of making your website’s content credible and specific enough for AI to reference when answering questions.
Where SEO focuses on ranking signals (backlinks, page speed, keyword placement), GEO is more about:
- Demonstrating genuine expertise and authority on a subject
- Structuring content so it directly answers real questions
- Using clear, accurate language that AI models can parse and trust
- Having up-to-date, specific information rather than evergreen waffle
AI tools are essentially very sophisticated readers. They reward content that treats the audience as intelligent. Filler copy and padded blog posts are going to perform increasingly poorly.
What to do: Restructure key pages around questions your clients actually ask. Clear H2s, concise answers, no padding.
The agent problem — and why it raises the stakes
Here’s what most businesses aren’t thinking about yet. Google is now rolling out AI agents that run in the background 24/7, scanning blogs, news sites, social posts, and real-time data on behalf of users — and sending them synthesised updates when something relevant surfaces.
Think about what that means. A potential client sets up an agent to monitor their industry. Your competitor’s content gets referenced. Yours doesn’t. Not because you don’t rank — but because your content isn’t specific, current, or clear enough for an AI agent to trust it as a source.
This is the next frontier of visibility. And most businesses aren’t ready for it.
What to do: Identify three to five questions your ideal clients ask regularly. Build content that answers them directly, completely, and with enough specificity that it reads as authoritative — not just informed.
This is still early — which means it’s an opportunity
Most businesses haven’t started thinking about GEO yet. The ones that do now have a meaningful advantage while the field is still relatively open.
As a Canterbury and London-based digital agency, we’ve been building GEO into our SEO work for clients who want to stay ahead of how their audiences actually find them. If you’re not sure where your site stands, it’s worth a conversation.
Ready to make your content work for AI as well as Google? Get in touch and let’s take a look at what you’re working with.
