Google update fundamentally changes the way we search

Google is changing the way we find information online.

Google has just announced the biggest change to its search engine in more than 25 years.

It’s not just about better search results or another AI feature. Google is changing the very way we find and use information online.

Going forward, Google will to a much greater extent:

• answer questions directly,
• summarise information from many sources,
• engage in dialogues with the user,
• monitor topics automatically,
• and help with research, planning, and decisions directly in the search results.

In other words, search is shifting from being primarily about links to being increasingly about answers, recommendations, and actions.

This is a significant shift, and it will have major consequences for companies that work strategically with digital visibility.

What does this mean for SEO?

For many years, SEO has been about creating visibility in Google’s search results through keywords, technical optimisations, and content designed to rank for specific searches.

But as Google increasingly starts delivering the answers directly, the rules of the game change.

Visibility will no longer be only about rankings and clicks. It will increasingly be about whether Google considers you a credible source worth using in AI-generated answers.

This also means that much of the generic SEO content that has shaped the internet in recent years will likely lose value. AI does not need yet another article that summarises the same thing as everyone else.

Instead, content that is favoured is content that:

• contributes genuine expertise,
• demonstrates experience and specialist knowledge,
• explains complex topics,
• and helps the user make decisions.

What does this mean for B2B companies?

The update will significantly affect both B2C and B2B companies—but in different ways.

For ecommerce and B2C, the changes will primarily impact product searches, shopping experiences, and the traffic that has traditionally come directly from Google.

From a B2B perspective, the development is particularly interesting because buying journeys are often longer and more information-driven. Decisions are rarely made based on a single click or a single ad, but through research, comparison, and assessment of credibility over time.

For B2B companies, it therefore becomes more important than ever to be perceived as a credible expert—not just as another website in the search results.

If you only had to do 3 things right now

If you work strategically with SEO and digital visibility, now is a good time to adjust your focus.

Going forward, it will be more important to be selected as a credible source than simply to rank for a keyword.

Here are three things you can advantageously focus on already now:

1. Create less content—but with more value

Many companies have, for years, worked with large volumes of SEO content produced for specific searches.

But AI does not need yet another article that says the same as everyone else.

Instead, focus on content that:

• provides unique insights (e.g., your perspective on developments in the industry or specific experiences from customers and projects)
• shows experience from real cases (e.g., results, challenges, or learnings from a specific project)
• helps the recipient make decisions (e.g., guides, calculators, assessments, or concrete recommendations based on experience).

2. Make the expertise behind the company more visible

Google will increasingly assess who is behind the content—and whether the company actually has genuine expertise within the topic.

Therefore, it becomes more important to make your expertise visible through the following:

In other words, it is not only about having expertise—but about making it visible and credible for both users and Google.

Because when AI has to assess which sources are worth highlighting, it will matter more:

• who is saying something,
• what experience they have,
• and whether the expertise can be documented.

3. Think of branding and SEO as one discipline

As Google increasingly starts summarising answers directly in the search results, recognisability and trust become more important.

Therefore, it becomes more important to:

• have a clear positioning,
• communicate consistently across channels,
• share strong professional perspectives,
• and build relationships through, for example, newsletters, LinkedIn, and thought leadership.

Because if several companies say the same thing, both users and AI will typically choose the sender they already trust.

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Written by

Maja Lindved Andersen

Senior SEO Specialist

[email protected]

+45 71 99 26 25