On 17 June 2026, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) introduced two legally binding requirements for Google’s search services. UK businesses had told the regulator that Google’s ranking practices are “neither fair nor transparent,” that changes arrive without warning, and that there’s no real way to raise a complaint when those changes hurt them.
Under the first requirement, Google must use objective ranking criteria, give advance notice of significant changes, and create a complaints process. This applies to AI Overviews as well as traditional results. Google has six months to implement it. The second requirement turns Google’s existing voluntary data-sharing tool into a legal obligation, giving UK users the same rights that already exist under EU law.
Google handles over 90% of UK search queries, so any shift in how rankings work matters.
But Will Google Actually Change Anything?
Probably not quickly. Google’s response was that its ranking systems are already fair and transparent, which is polite corporate language for disagreeing with the entire premise.
There are also real limits to the ruling. The CMA will judge compliance by looking at Google’s processes, not actual ranking outcomes, meaning Google could tick every box without small businesses seeing any difference in their traffic. The Professional Publishers Association flagged this directly, saying it was disappointed the CMA focused on process rather than results. There’s also a six-month window where Google can experiment with new search features before the fair ranking requirement fully applies, which is significant given how fast AI is reshaping search right now.
This ruling puts Google on notice and creates accountability that didn’t exist before. But it won’t rank your website for you.
Which raises a more useful question: if Google’s inner workings stay opaque, what can you actually control?
Has AI Moved the SEO Goalposts?
The algorithm may stay a black box. But the factors that consistently help businesses show up in search are not as mysterious as Google makes them seem.
Search results have also changed significantly in recent years. Instead of a simple list of blue links, you’re increasingly seeing AI-generated summaries at the top of the page, answering questions before a user even clicks through to a website. Google calls these AI Overviews, and there’s a newer AI Mode that takes this even further.
That shift matters because it changes what you need to focus on. The old goal of “getting to page one” is becoming too simple a target. The more useful questions are:
- Does our content clearly answer what our customers are searching for?
- Is our website easy for Google and AI tools to understand?
- Do we come across as trustworthy and relevant in our field?
These are things you can work on regardless of what Google chooses to reveal or conceal about how it ranks results. A regulator can force Google to be more transparent with businesses. It can’t force Google to rank your website well. That part is still on you.
A New Term Worth Knowing: GEO
You may have heard of SEO, Search Engine Optimisation, the practice of making your website rank well on Google. There’s now a newer term alongside it: GEO, or Generative Engine Optimisation.
It sounds technical, but the idea is simple. As AI tools become a bigger part of how people search, your website needs to be easy for those tools to read, understand and summarise. If an AI is going to pull information from somewhere to answer a customer’s question, you want it to pull from you.
The basics of good GEO are the same as the basics of good content:
- Be specific. Vague, generic content gets ignored.
- Be helpful. Answer real questions your customers actually ask.
- Be clear. Make it obvious who you are, what you do, where you do it, and why people should trust you.
No jargon required. No technical wizardry. Just clear, honest content that speaks to real people.
Google Is Starting to Share the Data
Until recently, if you wanted to know whether your website was showing up in Google’s AI results, you were largely guessing.
That’s starting to change. Google has begun rolling out new reporting inside Google Search Console, the free tool that shows how your website performs in search, specifically for AI-powered features like AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Not everyone has access yet, but the direction is clear: AI search visibility is becoming measurable. And if it can be measured, it can be improved.
For small business owners, this is worth keeping an eye on. If your web developer or marketing person mentions Search Console data looking different, this is likely why.
What About Google Ads?
If you run Google Ads, there’s a separate change worth knowing about.
Google is bringing more of its advertising products under an AI-led system called AI Max. The idea is that Google’s AI will automatically match your ads to relevant searches, adjust your ad copy and send people to the pages it thinks are most relevant.
In theory, that sounds great. In practice, it needs a bit of supervision.
AI tools are only as good as what you feed them. If your website is unclear, your tracking isn’t set up properly, or your landing pages don’t explain what you actually offer, the AI won’t fix that for you. It’ll just spend your budget less effectively.
So if you’re using Google Ads, now is a good time to:
- Make sure your conversions are being tracked correctly
- Check that your landing pages clearly explain your product or service
- Review your campaign settings before switching on any new AI features automatically
The Practical Takeaway
You don’t need to become an SEO expert overnight. But there are a few things any small business can do right now that will help, regardless of how Google’s AI evolves.
Make your website clear and specific. Who do you help? What do you do? Where do you do it? Why should someone choose you? If a first-time visitor can answer all four questions within 30 seconds of landing on your homepage, you’re in good shape.
Build good foundations, not just trend-chasing. AI Overviews, GEO, AI Mode, the terminology will keep changing. What won’t change is that helpful, well-written, specific content outperforms vague filler. Every time.
Keep an eye on your Search Console data. If you don’t already have Google Search Console set up for your website, it’s free and worth doing. It shows you how your site is performing in search and, increasingly, in AI results too.
The CMA’s decision to push Google for more transparency is a sign that the way search works is under scrutiny. That’s ultimately a good thing for businesses who’ve always played it straight, producing genuine content and offering real value to their customers.
Search is changing. Focusing on being genuinely useful is still the right move.
Further Reading
The CMA ruling
- Further CMA action to secure a fairer deal for businesses and improve Google search services in UK (GOV.UK) – The official CMA announcement, published 17 June 2026.
- UK Orders Google to Increase Search Transparency (Silicon UK) – A clear summary of what the ruling means in practice for businesses.
Understanding GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)
- Generative Engine Optimization for Small Business (HubSpot) – A practical, jargon-free guide written specifically for small businesses, including free tools to get started.
- Mastering Generative Engine Optimization in 2026 (Search Engine Land) – A more in-depth guide for those who want to go further.
Google Search Console AI reporting
- Introducing Search Generative AI Performance Reports in Search Console (Google Search Central Blog) – Straight from Google: what the new reports show and how they work.
- Google Search Console Finally Shows Your AI Overviews and AI Mode Impressions (Pika SEO) – A plain-English breakdown of what the new data means and what’s still missing.
