Video: "Google's May AI Update Just Changed SEO Forever" by Julian Goldie on YouTube.
What the May core update actually targets
Core updates don't announce what they penalise — Google never does. But the pattern across May 2026 sites is consistent: pages built around broad, synthesised content (AI or otherwise) without firsthand proof, specific examples, or a clear point of view are dropping. Pages with unique data, genuine expertise, and content that AI models genuinely can't replicate from elsewhere are either holding or improving.
That said, core updates take weeks to settle. If your rankings shifted in the first few days, check again in three weeks before drawing conclusions. Some of what looked like a penalty in the opening days turns out to be algorithmic flux.
What AI Mode has changed since I/O
AI Mode now has more than a billion monthly users. Google redesigned the search box at I/O — it expands, accepts images and files, and generates AI-powered suggestions. More significantly, queries in AI Mode are now three times longer than standard searches, and follow-ups inside sessions are growing fast.
What that means practically: people are using Google more like a research partner than a search engine. They arrive with longer, more specific questions. If your content doesn't answer the specific question, the AI can simply synthesise from other sources and you don't appear at all.
GEO — getting cited inside AI answers
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the term for optimising to appear as a cited source inside AI-generated answers, rather than optimising for a click. Brands cited inside AI Overviews earn measurably more organic traffic than those that don't appear. Worth knowing: this isn't just about AI Overviews on Google. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude all pull from the same pool of trusted, well-structured content.
The content that gets cited tends to be: specific about who it helps, clear about what it covers, backed with proof the AI can reference, and structured so a machine can parse the key claim quickly. Generic brand pages don't make the cut. Genuinely useful, detailed pages often do.
What businesses should change now
Three practical things from Julian's walkthrough that apply directly to UK business sites:
First, audit your most important pages for thinness. If a page doesn't have a clear, specific answer to a real question, a unique case study, or firsthand experience a competitor can't copy — it's at risk. Second, add structured data where you haven't. FAQ schema, HowTo schema, and proper schema for your service area all improve AI parseability. Third, build content that acknowledges what AI can already answer, and goes further with the specifics only you can provide.
What's overhyped about this update
Some coverage is treating this as the end of traditional SEO. In practice, organic traffic from standard search results still converts. AI Overviews attract informational queries; commercial intent — "hire an SEO agency in Kent", "best plumber in Sandwich" — still sends people to links. The urgency is real but the obituary for blue-link traffic is premature.
To be fair, the trajectory is clear. The share of queries AI Mode handles completely — without passing traffic to anyone — is growing. The businesses that start preparing for citation-based visibility now will be in better shape when that share tips past the point of comfort.
Where this connects to NordSys
We help UK businesses structure their content and technical SEO for the AI Overviews and LLM citation era — not just standard keyword rankings. That means page structure, schema, authority signals, and content depth that works for how search is actually used in 2026. If your rankings have moved recently or you want to understand what your current site looks like to Google's AI, that's a practical conversation worth having.
See our SEO & AI Ranking service →