AI, Organic Search and SEO: What Marketers should consider in 2026

AI’s role in search stretches back over a decade. Early milestones included Apple’s introduction of voice search via Siri in 2011 and Google’s gradual use of machine learning to improve ranking systems. In 2015, RankBrain began interpreting queries using machine learning, while the introduction of BERT in 2018 marked a significant leap in understanding natural language. By the end of 2020, Google confirmed BERT influenced almost all English language searches.

Subsequent developments accelerated AI’s importance. Passage indexing enabled search engines to rank specific sections of pages, rather than relying solely on overall page relevance. In 2021, Google announced MUM (Multitask Unified Model), capable of understanding complex queries across text and images, and reportedly far more powerful than BERT.

The real inflection point came with generative AI. The launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 triggered unprecedented consumer adoption and forced rapid innovation across the search industry. Google responded with Search Generative Experience, AI Overviews and more recently AI Mode, which blends conversational responses directly into search results. Despite this, data consistently shows Google’s usage still dwarfs standalone AI tools, reinforcing that traditional search remains central to discovery.

One of the most important planning considerations for marketers is how user behaviour is evolving. Traditional search remains dominated by short, keyword-led queries such as “what is GEO”. Generative search, however, encourages longer, conversational, multi-step prompts like “help me create a GEO brand strategy for 2026”.

Research shows more than 45% of ChatGPT users are under 25, highlighting a generational shift in expectations. People increasingly use AI as an advisor, not just a lookup tool. OpenAI’s own data categorises usage into asking, doing and expressing: from seeking advice, to completing tasks, to exploring ideas. Around 30% of usage is work related, while 70% is personal, underscoring AI’s growing role in everyday decision making.

This behaviour accelerates the move toward a zero click environment, where users receive answers without visiting multiple websites. For marketers, this does not mean SEO is obsolete, but it does mean visibility is no longer limited to blue links.

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) refers to optimising content so it’s surfaced and cited within AI driven search experiences, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot and Google AI Overviews. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on rankings, GEO focuses on clarity, trust and context so large language models can confidently select and summarise your content.

Practically, this means shifting from keyword heavy content toward entity-led, fact rich material that answers questions directly. Content should be structured so individual passages can stand alone, as AI systems often extract and reuse specific sections rather than entire pages.

AI-driven discovery still relies on strong technical SEO. Marketers should ensure that important content is accessible in clean HTML and not hidden behind non-indexable formats or heavy JavaScript rendering. Page speed, server reliability and crawlability remain essential, as slow or inaccessible pages reduce the likelihood of being surfaced by both search engines and AI systems.

Multimodal optimisation is no longer optional. Images should be properly sized, named descriptively, included in sitemaps and supported with meaningful alt text. Videos should feature transcripts, captions and structured data such as video schema. These elements help AI systems understand and reuse content across different formats.

AI rewards clarity and substance. Marketers should prioritise concise, fact dense content that delivers insight beyond competitors. Well optimised content is not vague or padded; it is semantically aligned to topics and entities, and structured for passage-level retrieval.

Multimodal content is increasingly important. Combining authoritative text with high quality visuals, diagrams and video improves discoverability and strengthens E-E-A-T signals. This approach also increases the chances of being featured in AI generated summaries that blend text, imagery and interactive elements.

For commercially focused queries, brand associations are critical. AI systems are more likely to cite brands that are consistently mentioned across reviews, product round ups, affiliate content and third party coverage. An Ahrefs study analysing one million keywords triggering AI Overviews found that the frequency and prominence of brand mentions significantly influenced whether brands were cited.

This makes digital PR a strategic priority, not a nice to have. Expert commentary, unique data campaigns, accurate Wikipedia entries and authoritative secondary sources all help feed reliable information into the wider web ecosystem that AI models draw from. For eCommerce brands, appearing in affiliate and comparison content is particularly important, as AI tools frequently reference these sources when making recommendations.

PR and earned media budgets will double by 2027 as public LLMs become a more common alternative to traditional search. AI search engines favour earned, shared and organic owned content over paid, with more than 95% of cited links coming from non-paid mentions and coverage, and 27% originating directly from earned media.

AI is not without risk. Large language models can hallucinate, surface outdated information or amplify misinformation, posing potential reputational and legal challenges for brands. The rise of fake experts and low quality AI generated content further complicates trust signals.

The best defence is proactive accuracy. Brands should publish clear, authoritative information, backed by real experts and verifiable data. The more accurate information you contribute to the web, the more likely AI systems are to reflect your brand correctly.

The key takeaway for UK marketers is balance. Investment in traditional SEO should continue, as studies show that most links cited in AI Overviews still rank within the top organic positions. At the same time, budgets should increasingly support GEO, technical foundations, multimodal content and digital PR.

AI is not killing search; it is reshaping it.

Marketers who understand how audiences search, invest in quality and credibility, and adapt content for generative discovery, will be best placed to win visibility as search continues to evolve through 2026 and beyond.