Google is introducing one of the most important innovations of recent years: AI Mode, a new way of interpreting search that integrates generative artificial intelligence directly into the SERP.
The real news? AI responses will no longer be “closed” blocks. Google will show sources, reference links, and additional context, making search more transparent and redefining the very concept of positioning.
This evolution is not just about technology.
It's about how businesses are found, rated, and perceived online.
SEO, branding, content: everything changes.
A new standard: verifiable content within AI research
For years, SEO has thought in terms of ranking.
With AI Mode the fundamental metric changes: You don't just have to be found; you have to be chosen as a trusted source..
Google wants clearer and more traceable answers. Therefore, AI responses will include:
- direct links to the sources used
- contextual quotes
- content selected based on quality, authoritativeness and accuracy
- brand credibility signals
The goal is simple:
reduce ambiguity and promote truly useful content, built by solid brands.
In this scenario, the question is no longer “How do I get to the front page?”.
The new question is:
“How do I become a source that Google decides to include in the AI response?”
SEO 2026: It's No Longer Enough to Be Relevant, You Need to Be Credible
Google continues to strengthen the EEAT criteria:
- Experience
- Expertise
- Authority
- Reliability
These factors are no longer additional elements.
These are the foundations on which Google builds AI responses.
For a site this means:
- eliminate superficial content
- focus on in-depth and technically solid texts
- make the brand's identity and the quality of its skills clear
- demonstrate concrete experience in the sector
SEO is no longer just technical.
AND value positioning.
How user habits are changing
With AI Mode users get:
- faster responses
- structured information
- alternatives validated by reliable sources
Clicking becomes a more selective gesture.
The user only clicks if the brand demonstrates authority already in the AI response.
Who appears among the sources will have more qualified traffic, less dispersive and with greater intention.
Those who don't appear risk a significant contraction in organic visibility.
Direct impact on brands: communication must evolve
AI Mode is forcing companies to rethink their digital presence.
It's not enough to "be there", it's necessary communicate well and consistently.
To be chosen as a source you need:
1. Clear, vertical and structured content
Google rewards content that truly answers users' questions.
2. Verifiable competence
Case studies, practical examples, measurable results.
3. Brand consistency
The voice, the method, the communicative quality must be consistent across the website, blog, and services.
4. Depth
AI responses extract value: if there is no depth, the content will not be selected.
5. Strong digital identity
Google favors brands that are recognizable, consistent, and clear in their positioning.
SEO becomes branding. Branding becomes SEO.
AI Mode brings together two worlds that have often been separated:
- the technique (SEO)
- perception (Branding)
Because Google, today more than ever, doesn't just evaluate words:
evaluate the value that a brand brings into its communication.
The question every company must ask itself is simple:
What does my brand communicate when I'm not speaking?
Because that's what Google detects, interprets, and values.
What companies need to do to stay competitive in 2026
To avoid losing visibility – and to gain it – it is necessary to act strategically:
- Reoptimize content for conversational queries
AI research thinks like a dialogue, not like a list of keywords. - Make every service page an authoritative resource
It's not enough to present a service: you need to demonstrate competence. - Invest in in-depth and up-to-date content
Quality is the only non-negotiable element. - Building a solid and recognizable brand identity
Google rewards brands that have a method, a vision, and coherent communication. - Monitor not only the SERP, but the AI responses
Real visibility moves to the conversational block.
Digital visibility is no longer automatic. It's deserved.
Google AI Mode ushers in a new era: smarter, more transparent, more selective.
SEO becomes a strategic effort, built on expertise, communication, and vision.
Only brands capable of communicating clearly, authoritatively and coherently will be chosen as sources.
The others will remain invisible.
For companies, it's a crossroads: adapt and grow, or be left behind.
If you want to prepare your brand for the new AI Search, we can guide you in transformation: from content strategy to SEO optimization to digital identity construction.
