AI & SEO Trends Update – 5th June 2026

The biggest story in search over the past few weeks has been the completion of Google’s May 2026 Core Update.

Since our last AI & SEO update, Google has also launched new Search Console reporting for generative AI performance, expanded its AI Search ecosystem after I/O 2026, and published clearer guidance on how website owners should approach optimisation for AI-powered search features.

The short version? SEO is not being replaced by AI search. But the way we measure visibility is changing.

Traditional rankings still matter, but they are now part of a wider picture that includes AI Overviews, AI Mode, generative AI impressions and how often content is surfaced within AI-led search experiences.

Key Takeaway

The May Core Update is complete — and AI search visibility is becoming easier to measure.

Google’s May 2026 Core Update rolled out from 21st May to 2nd June, causing significant ranking volatility across the rollout period. As Google’s second broad core update of 2026, it represented a broad reassessment of how the search engine evaluates and surfaces relevant, useful and satisfying content across search results, rather than targeting specific sites.

At the same time, Google has started rolling out new Search Console reporting for generative AI features, giving website owners more visibility into how often their pages appear in AI Overviews, AI Mode and other generative AI Search experiences.

Together, these two developments make one thing clear: search visibility is no longer just about ranking positions and clicks. It is increasingly about how content is evaluated, surfaced and cited across both traditional and AI-driven results.

What Happened During the Rollout?

The May update appears to have been a significant one.

Search Engine Journal reported that the update was described by some SEO practitioners as “heavier than March”, while third-party tracking tools showed elevated volatility at several points during the rollout.

The volatility also did not happen in one neat wave. There were reported spikes across the first weekend after launch, further movement toward the end of May, and another notable spike around 2nd June, just as the rollout completed.

This means that single-day comparisons may be misleading. For anyone reviewing performance, it is better to look at a wider comparison window rather than judging impact from one isolated date.

What This Means For You

If rankings or traffic shifted during the May Core Update, it does not automatically mean there is a technical issue or a penalty.

Core updates are comparative. Google is reassessing which pages best satisfy search intent based on relevance, usefulness and overall quality. A page can lose visibility even if nothing is technically “wrong” with it, simply because Google is now favouring another result.

The advice remains the same:

• Focus on genuinely useful, people-first content
• Make sure pages clearly satisfy the search intent
• Add original insight, experience or expertise where possible
• Avoid generic content that simply repeats what already exists
• Review affected pages carefully before making quick reactive changes

It is also worth waiting at least a full week after completion before drawing firm conclusions from Search Console data.

New Development: Search Console AI Performance Reporting

One of the most important developments since our last update is Google’s announcement of new Search Generative AI performance reports in Google Search Console.

It’s important to note that these reports are not widely available yet. Google has announced the feature and begun a limited rollout, but most website owners will not see this data in Search Console just yet.

Once available, these reports are designed to show how often pages appear in Google’s generative AI Search features, including:

• AI Overviews
• AI Mode
• Generative AI features in Discover

Google says the new reports will provide dedicated visibility into generative AI impressions, helping website owners understand where and how their content is appearing in AI-led search experiences.

What Data Will Be Available?

When the reports become available, they will include:

• Impressions — how often URLs from your site appear in generative AI features
• Pages — which URLs are appearing in AI features
• Countries — where your site is appearing in generative AI results
• Devices — device breakdown for Search results
• Dates — performance over time, including hourly, daily, weekly and monthly views

However, it is important to note that click data is not currently included.

This means AI visibility is becoming more measurable, but the traffic impact of AI results is still harder to assess directly.

Rolling Out in the UK First

The new reports are currently being rolled out to a limited subset of website owners in the UK, with wider availability expected later.

Google is also testing a new Search Console control that allows website owners to manage whether their content can appear in and help ground responses in generative AI Search features.

If a site opts out, Google says it will not receive traffic or impressions from those generative AI features, but the setting will not be used as a ranking signal for standard search results outside those AI features.

What This Means For You

This is a major step forward for SEO reporting.

Until now, AI visibility has been difficult to measure inside Google’s own tools. These reports begin to close that gap by showing when content appears in AI-generated search experiences, even if we still do not get full click-level reporting.

For SEO teams, this means we will need to start looking beyond rankings and clicks alone. AI impressions, AI visibility and page-level inclusion in generative features will become increasingly important indicators of search presence.

Google’s Guidance: AI Optimisation Is Still SEO

Google has also published official guidance on optimising websites for generative AI features in Search.

The most important point is that Google does not treat AI optimisation as something completely separate from SEO. In Google’s view, AI Overviews and AI Mode are rooted in its existing Search ranking and quality systems.

Google specifically references two mechanisms:

• Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) — where Google uses its Search index and ranking systems to retrieve relevant, up-to-date pages that support AI-generated responses
• Query fan-out — where the model generates multiple related queries to gather more complete information around the user’s original search

This matters because it reinforces that the basics still apply: content needs to be crawlable, indexable, useful, well-structured and genuinely valuable.

Key Pointers From Google’s AI Optimisation Guidance

Google’s advice focuses on:

• Creating unique, non-commodity content
• Adding first-hand experience or expert perspective
• Organising content clearly with headings and sections
• Making pages technically accessible and indexable
• Supporting content with useful images and video
• Avoiding scaled content created purely to target lots of query variations
• Focusing on what users will find helpful and satisfying

Google also warns against treating AEO or GEO as a completely separate discipline. From its perspective, optimising for generative AI search is still part of optimising for Search.

What This Means For You

This is a useful reminder not to chase shortcuts.

The sites most likely to perform well in both traditional and AI-led search are the ones that offer something genuinely useful: clear answers, expert insight, original perspective, strong technical foundations and a good user experience.

AI search does not remove the need for SEO. It raises the bar for what good SEO looks like.

Conclusion: What to Look Out For

Over the next few weeks, the biggest thing to monitor is the post-rollout impact of the May 2026 Core Update.

You may notice:

• Ranking and traffic shifts settling after the rollout
• Some pages gaining or losing visibility as Google reassesses quality
• More pressure on generic, thin or commodity-style content
• Greater importance placed on original insight and useful expertise
• New AI visibility data appearing in Search Console for eligible UK properties
• More discussion around AI impressions, not just clicks

Because the core update only completed on 2nd June, it is worth avoiding rushed conclusions. A clearer view should emerge once there is at least a full week of post-update data.

What We’ll Be Monitoring

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

• Which pages gained or lost visibility after the May Core Update
• Whether ranking changes stabilise or continue into June
• Search Console data once the post-update comparison window becomes clearer
• Whether generative AI performance reports become available across more UK properties
• Which pages are appearing in AI Overviews, AI Mode and Discover AI features
• Whether AI impressions begin to change how we report search visibility
• Opportunities to improve content so it is clearer, more useful and more likely to be surfaced in both traditional and AI-led search

The main takeaway is simple: SEO is not being replaced, but it is expanding.

Strong content, technical accessibility, clear structure, expert insight and genuine usefulness are becoming even more important as search becomes more AI-led.

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