AI & SEO Trends Update – 22nd May 2026

It has been a busy month for search.

Since our last update, Google has published new official guidance on how to optimise for generative AI features, announced major changes to Search at I/O 2026, and begun rolling out its May 2026 core update.

The overall direction is clear: AI search is becoming more embedded into the main search experience, but Google is also reinforcing that the fundamentals of SEO still matter. Strong, useful, technically accessible content remains the foundation. The difference now is that content may be surfaced not only in traditional search results, but also in AI Overviews, AI Mode and agent-led search experiences.

Key Takeaway This Month

• AI search is becoming part of everyday Search, not a separate experiment: Google’s latest guidance makes it clear that optimising for generative AI features is still fundamentally SEO. AI Overviews and AI Mode rely on Google’s core Search ranking and quality systems, using techniques like retrieval-augmented generation and query fan-out to find, assess and cite information from the web.

• AI search is becoming more central to Google Search: At I/O 2026, Google announced that AI Mode has surpassed one billion monthly users and that queries have more than doubled every quarter since launch. Google also introduced an AI-powered Search box and made Gemini 3.5 Flash the default model in AI Mode globally.

• Google is pushing back on AI SEO shortcuts: Its new generative AI optimisation guide specifically warns against overfocusing on tactics like “chunking” content, creating unnecessary AI text files, chasing inauthentic mentions, or treating schema as a magic route into AI results.

• Schema still matters, but not in the way some people hoped: Ahrefs analysed 1,885 pages that added JSON-LD schema and found no major uplift in AI citations across Google AI Overviews, AI Mode or ChatGPT. Schema may still support rich results and technical clarity, but it does not appear to be a direct AI citation lever by itself.

• Another core update is now underway: Google released the May 2026 core update on 21 May, and the rollout may take up to two weeks to complete.

May 2026 Core Update Is Rolling Out

Google began rolling out its May 2026 core update on 21 May 2026 at 08:40 Pacific Time. According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard, the rollout may take up to two weeks to complete.

This is Google’s second broad core update of 2026, following the March core update. Search Engine Land also reported that Google described it as a regular update designed to better surface “relevant, satisfying content” from all types of sites.

What this means for you

Because the rollout is still in progress, it is too early to draw firm conclusions from any ranking movement. Some sites may see fluctuations during the rollout period, and these should be monitored carefully rather than reacted to too quickly.

As with previous core updates, a drop does not automatically mean there is something technically wrong with a page. Core updates are broad reassessments of relevance, usefulness and quality. The best response is to review whether your content is genuinely helpful, differentiated and satisfying for the audience it is trying to serve.

Read more here:

• Google Search Status Dashboard: May 2026 core update

• Search Engine Land: Google May 2026 core update rolling out

Google Publishes Official Guidance on Optimising for Generative AI Search

Google has published a new official guide on optimising websites for generative AI features in Search, including AI Overviews and AI Mode. The most important message is that SEO is still relevant because Google’s generative AI features are rooted in its core Search ranking and quality systems.

Google highlights two important AI search mechanisms:

• Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG): Google uses its Search index and ranking systems to retrieve relevant, up-to-date pages, then uses those sources to support AI-generated responses.

• Query fan-out: Google’s AI systems can generate multiple related searches around a user’s original query to gather more complete information.

Google’s practical advice is refreshingly grounded. It says sites should focus on:

• Useful, unique and non-commodity content

• First-hand expertise and original perspectives

• Clear page structure and helpful headings

• Crawlable, indexable pages

• Good page experience

• Relevant images and video

• Avoiding scaled low-value content created only to target every possible query variation

Google also states that from its perspective, AEO and GEO are not separate from SEO. Optimising for generative AI search is still optimising for the search experience.

What this means for you

This is a useful correction to some of the noise around AI SEO. The takeaway is not that brands need a completely separate AI optimisation playbook. They need stronger SEO foundations, better content quality, clearer structure, and a sharper point of view.

Read more here:

• Google Search Central: Optimising your website for generative AI features on Google Search

• Google Search Central Blog: New resource for optimising for generative AI in Google Search

Google Search I/O 2026: AI Mode, AI Agents and a New Search Box

Google used I/O 2026 to announce major changes to Search. These included an upgraded AI Mode, a new AI-powered Search box, more conversational follow-up journeys from AI Overviews into AI Mode, and the introduction of Search agents.

The new intelligent Search box is designed to help users ask more complex questions using text, images, files, videos or Chrome tabs as inputs. Google says users will still get a range of results from Search, but the experience is clearly moving toward more natural, multi-step, AI-assisted journeys.

Google also announced that Search agents are coming, starting with information agents that can operate in the background to monitor and retrieve information for users. Personal Intelligence in AI Mode is also expanding to nearly 200 countries and territories across 98 languages, with users able to connect apps like Gmail and Google Photos.

What this means for you

Search journeys are becoming longer, more conversational and more personalised. This matters because users may not search once, click once and convert. They may ask layered questions, compare options inside AI Mode, use follow-ups, and rely on AI to narrow the field before they ever visit a website.

For SEO, this reinforces the need to build content around full decision journeys, not just individual keywords.

Read more here:

• Google Blog: Search I/O 2026 updates

Schema Helps SEO, But It Does Not Guarantee AI Citations

Ahrefs published a useful study looking at whether adding schema markup directly increases AI citations. The study tracked 1,885 pages that added JSON-LD schema between August 2025 and March 2026 and compared them with control pages. The result: adding schema produced no major uplift in citations across Google AI Overviews, AI Mode or ChatGPT.

This does not mean schema is pointless. It still helps search engines understand page context and can support eligibility for rich results. But the study suggests schema should not be treated as a direct shortcut to AI visibility.

This also lines up with Google’s own guidance, which says structured data is not required for generative AI search and that there is no special schema.org markup needed for AI features. Google still recommends using structured data as part of a wider SEO strategy, but not overfocusing on it.

What this means for you

Schema should remain part of good technical SEO, especially for products, FAQs, articles, local businesses, organisations and reviews where relevant. But AI visibility is more likely to come from authority, usefulness, clarity and content quality than schema alone.

Read more here:

Ahrefs: We tracked 1,885 pages adding schema. AI citations barely moved

Google Search Central: Guidance on structured data and generative AI search

AI Ads and Agentic Commerce Are Moving Closer to Search

Google has also announced new AI-led advertising and commerce features, including Conversational Discovery, Highlighted Answers, AI-powered Shopping ads and Business Agent for Leads. Marketing Dive reports that these formats are designed for more conversational search journeys, with ads appearing in relation not only to the user’s query but also to the AI Overview response.

Google is also expanding agentic commerce through tools like Universal Cart and Direct Offers, allowing users to claim offers or move closer to checkout without necessarily leaving Google-owned environments.

What this means for you

This is more relevant for PPC and ecommerce clients, but it matters for SEO too. Google is building a search environment where discovery, comparison, recommendation and transaction can all happen closer together.

For brands, this means organic, paid, product feed, merchant data and landing page strategy will need to work more closely together.

Read more here:

• Marketing Dive: Google upgrades AI search ads

What to Look Out For

Over the next few weeks, the biggest thing to watch is the May 2026 core update. Because it may take up to two weeks to complete, ranking changes should be monitored but not over-interpreted too early.

You may also start to see:

• More volatility across informational and commercial queries

• More AI Mode and AI Overview-led search journeys

• Fewer simple “search, click, convert” paths

• Greater importance placed on original, useful and expert-led content

• More pressure on generic, commodity-style blog content

• Increased value in structured, crawlable content that answers real user needs

What We’ll Be Monitoring

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be keeping a close eye on:

• How the May 2026 core update affects rankings once rollout completes

• Whether content with stronger originality, expertise and brand authority gains visibility

• How Google’s new generative AI optimisation guidance affects best practice

• Whether schema continues to support rich results without materially influencing AI citations

• How AI Mode and AI Overviews change click behaviour

• Whether agentic commerce and AI ads begin to influence wider search strategy.

The main theme is simple: SEO is not being replaced by AI search, but it is being stretched. Strong technical SEO, useful content, brand authority and clear information architecture are becoming even more important as search becomes more conversational and AI-led.

If you have any questions about how these changes may affect your SEO strategy, get in touch with us today.