By 2026, search will no longer be defined by links, rankings, or even answers. It will be defined by action.

Search was once straightforward. You entered a few keywords, scanned a list of blue links, and clicked until you found what you needed. That model is no longer the default. Over the past few years, search has shifted from retrieval to interpretation, driven by the rapid adoption of generative AI.

Generative AI is now embedded in how people search, create, and consume information. Nearly half of U.S. internet adults used at least one generative AI tool in 2025, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. What once felt experimental is now operational, shaping everything from content production to customer support and brand discovery.

A few years ago, asking a chatbot for a product recommendation might have sounded like science fiction. Today it’s commonplace. Conversational AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini tap enormous datasets to provide personalized suggestions. They digest complex requests,…

Search engines no longer have a monopoly on discovery. Large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are now helping people find products, services and answers through conversational exchanges. This shift requires a new approach: instead of obsessing…

Artificial intelligence is changing not just how we discover information but also how credibility is assessed. When Google’s quality raters evaluate content, they look for four qualities: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. Collectively known as E‑E‑A‑T, these signals help determine whether a page appears in search results and, increasingly, whether it will be cited in AI‑generated summaries. In a world where a conversational model might mention only a handful of brands, establishing trust has never been more important.

When generative summaries first appeared at the top of Google’s search results, many marketers saw them as a threat to organic traffic. After all, if the answer sits at the top of the page, why would anyone click through? The…

Google’s search results aren’t just a list of links anymore. In many cases, a box appears at the very top of the page that summarizes an answer to your question. These AI overviews (also called generative summaries) are powered by…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how people find information. AI‑powered search engines such as Google Gemini, ChatGPT and Perplexity are replacing the familiar list of links with direct, conversational answers. Modern brands must adapt to a world where they may be…