| Last Updated: 31 January 2026
How Is AI Changing SEO? UK B2B Strategies for 2026
By Clwyd Probert, CEO & Founder at Whitehat SEO | HubSpot Diamond Solutions Partner
AI is fundamentally changing SEO by introducing answer engines that synthesise information rather than simply listing links. Google AI Overviews now appear in 13-20% of UK searches, reducing click-through rates by up to 61% when present. However, traditional search still drives 44.6% of B2B revenue, making dual optimisation essential. UK businesses must now optimise for both organic rankings and AI citation through Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) strategies.
The shift demands a strategic rethink. Where SEO once focused solely on ranking to earn clicks, AEO requires content structured so AI systems can extract, understand, and recommend your brand within their responses. This article examines the evidence on AI's impact, what it means for UK B2B organisations, and the practical steps Whitehat SEO recommends for navigating this transition successfully.
Google AI Overviews reached 2 billion monthly users within 14 months
Google's AI Overviews officially launched in the UK on 15 August 2024, following US rollout in May. By July 2025, the feature reached 2 billion monthly users globally, representing remarkably rapid adoption. The technology evolved from the experimental Search Generative Experience (SGE) to production-grade AI Overviews powered by Gemini 2.0 with multi-step reasoning capabilities.
The prevalence of AI Overviews varies significantly by query type. Semrush research shows 99.9% of AI Overviews appear for informational queries, whilst transactional searches trigger them only 1-4% of the time. This creates an asymmetric impact across the marketing funnel: top-of-funnel educational content faces severe disruption, whilst bottom-funnel commercial intent queries remain relatively protected.
UK-specific data reveals AI Overviews appeared in 19.23% of queries by November 2024. Ahrefs analysis of 146 million SERPs found question-format queries trigger AI Overviews 57.9% of the time, compared to 15.5% for non-question queries. Science (43.6%) and health (43%) categories show highest trigger rates, whilst shopping (3.2%) and real estate (5.8%) show the lowest.
For UK B2B marketers, this pattern directly informs content strategy. Whitehat SEO's SEO services now incorporate AI visibility analysis alongside traditional ranking audits, helping clients understand which content faces AI disruption and where opportunities exist.
Click-through rates have declined 32-61% where AI Overviews appear
The traffic impact is substantial and well-documented. Seer Interactive's analysis of 25.1 million organic impressions across 42 organisations found organic CTR dropped from 1.76% to 0.61% for queries showing AI Overviews. This represents a 61% decline in click-through rate when AI provides a direct answer.
Position-specific analysis from GrowthSRC Media shows the number one ranking position dropped from 28% to 19% CTR (a 32% decline), whilst position two fell even harder, from 20.83% to 12.60% (39% decline). The pattern is clear: AI Overviews intercept clicks that previously went to top-ranking organic results.
Key UK traffic statistics:
- 58.5% of US searches and 59.7% of EU searches end without any click (SparkToro/Datos 2024)
- 83% zero-click rate for queries showing AI Overviews (Click Vision)
- 10% median year-over-year traffic decline for major publishers (Digital Content Next)
- 70-80% traffic decline to certain HubSpot content categories
The Q1 2025 State of Search report shows UK/EU organic click rates fell from 47.1% to 43.5% year-over-year. For businesses relying heavily on informational content to drive awareness, this represents a material shift in traffic acquisition economics.
B2B search traffic remains valuable but requires strategic adaptation
B2B organisations face a particularly complex calculation. Organic search drives 44.6% of B2B revenue, double any other digital channel. SEO leads close at 14.6% versus 1.7% for outbound marketing, making search nearly 8.5 times more effective at conversion. The channel delivers 702% ROI for B2B SaaS with a 7-month break-even period, according to industry benchmarks.
However, the informational content that typically builds B2B authority is precisely what AI Overviews most aggressively summarise. Kalungi research found AI Overviews now appear in 47% of searches (up from 7% the previous year), with top-of-funnel content being particularly affected. Conversely, bottom-funnel transactional queries trigger AI Overviews far less frequently and maintain stronger CTR performance.
The strategic response involves rebalancing content investments. Stratabeat's 2025 B2B SaaS SEO Performance Report emphasises original research, proprietary data, and first-person expertise as differentiation factors. One B2B SaaS firm achieved a 55% traffic boost through AI-friendly structured content, whilst Bruce Clay documented 367% traffic increases for companies focusing on niche, industry-specific content.
Whitehat SEO's experience with UK B2B clients mirrors these findings. Our HubSpot onboarding programmes now include AEO readiness assessments, helping marketing teams understand where their content strategy needs adjustment for the AI era.
AI citation patterns reveal what gets recommended
Understanding citation behaviour across AI platforms is essential for Generative Engine Optimisation. The SE Ranking study of 129,000 domains found referring domains is the strongest predictor of ChatGPT citations. Sites with over 350,000 referring domains average 8.4 citations versus 1.6-1.8 for sites under 2,500. A threshold effect emerges at 32,000 referring domains, where citations nearly double.
Platform preferences diverge meaningfully. ChatGPT favours Wikipedia (47.9% of top citations) and encyclopaedic factual content. Perplexity heavily weights Reddit (46.7% of citations), double its Wikipedia reliance, preferring real-time user-generated discussions. Google AI Overviews draw approximately 21% from Reddit and 23% from YouTube, with news and blog sources comprising around 70% of B2B-related citations.
| Platform | Top Citation Sources | Content Preference |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Wikipedia (47.9%), established domains 15+ years old | Encyclopaedic, factual content |
| Perplexity | Reddit (46.7%), educational sites | Real-time discussions, community insights |
| Google AI Overviews | Reddit (21%), YouTube (23%), top 10 organic | Recently updated, diverse sources |
| Claude | Capterra (B2B software), peer-reviewed content | Longer coherent passages, recent sources |
The Princeton GEO study tested nine optimisation methods across 10,000 queries. The combination of fluency optimisation and statistics addition outperformed single strategies by more than 5.5%. Critically, lower-ranked websites benefited significantly more from GEO techniques: the "cite sources" method delivered a 115.1% visibility increase for sites ranked 5th, compared to a 30.3% decrease for top-ranked sites.
This research validates Whitehat SEO's approach to AI consulting, where we help clients implement structured content optimisation alongside authority-building strategies.
Google's March 2024 update integrated helpful content signals into core ranking
The March 2024 core update represented Google's most significant algorithm change in years, rolling out over 45 days from 5 March to 19 April 2024. The update integrated the standalone Helpful Content System directly into core ranking, shifting assessment from sitewide to page-level evaluation. Google subsequently reported a 45% reduction in low-quality, unoriginal content in search results, exceeding their initial 40% target.
Google's official position on AI-generated content remains nuanced. The February 2023 guidance states: "Appropriate use of AI or automation is not against our guidelines... Google is rewarding high-quality content, however it is produced." However, January 2025 Quality Rater Guidelines updates confirmed raters now assess whether content is "auto or AI generated," with such content potentially receiving "Lowest" ratings when it lacks effort, originality, and added value.
E-E-A-T requirements have intensified. Danny Sullivan, Google's Search Liaison, confirmed at WordCamp US in August 2024: "Good SEO is good GEO... What you've been doing for search engines generally is still perfectly fine." However, he cautioned against over-optimisation: "We don't want you to turn your content into bite-sized chunks because LLMs like things that are really bite size."
John Mueller reinforced in December 2025 that rewriting AI content by a human "won't change that, it won't make it authentic." The underlying value proposition must be genuine. This aligns with Whitehat SEO's longstanding emphasis on expertise-led content creation through our content marketing approach.
UK adoption lags globally but regulatory clarity is emerging
The UK presents a distinctive market context. Google maintains 93.35% search market share (August 2025), with Bing at approximately 4%. ChatGPT has reached 22.5 million UK users, representing 22% of residents, with London showing 30% penetration. Notably, 84% of UK AI tool time goes to ChatGPT, making it the dominant conversational interface.
UK business AI adoption trails global averages. Only 39% of UK businesses currently use AI, according to Moneypenny/YouGov research, though 70% express interest. Media, marketing and advertising sectors lead at 53% adoption, whilst retail and manufacturing lag at 19%. The barriers are familiar: lack of expertise (35%), high costs (30%), and ROI uncertainty (25%).
Regulatory developments will reshape the landscape. The AI Security Institute continues frontier model evaluations, whilst the CMA designated Google for Strategic Market Status in October 2025. January 2026 CMA proposals would allow publishers to opt-out of AI Overviews and require proper content attribution, potentially significant for UK publishers. A comprehensive AI Bill is expected in 2026, with copyright clarity mandated by March 2026.
These regulatory interventions may create UK-specific compliance requirements. Whitehat SEO monitors these developments closely as part of our commitment to helping UK businesses navigate the evolving digital landscape through ethical, sustainable practices.
Industry experts predict evolution rather than extinction for SEO
The expert consensus pushes back against apocalyptic narratives. Rand Fishkin's SparkToro/Datos research from August 2025 shows that whilst 20% of Americans are now "heavy users" of AI tools (10+ times monthly), 95% continue using traditional search engines monthly and 86% are heavy users. He notes: "The 'AI vs. Search' narrative is largely made-up by media and influencers seeking attention, rather than an accurate reflection of reality."
"The future of SEO lies in authenticity, original research, strong personal brands, and building trust."
Lily Ray, SEO Director, Amsive Digital, MozCon 2025
Lily Ray, speaking at MozCon 2025, characterised GEO, AEO, and LLMO as "an extension of SEO, not the end." Her analysis shows Google search volume actually grew 21% in 2024 compared to 2023, and AI search drove "less than 1% of traffic to most websites as of June 2025, with many seeing numbers below 0.5%."
Gartner offers a more aggressive forecast: 25% reduction in traditional search volume by 2026, with search marketing losing share to AI chatbots. By 2028, they predict 90% of B2B buying will be AI-agent intermediated, pushing $15 trillion through AI agent exchanges. This suggests a significant but not immediate transformation.
Barry Schwartz crystallises the consensus: "SEO won't die, but you will become irrelevant if you do not adapt." The agencies and businesses that master both traditional ranking and AI citation will capture disproportionate value as the market evolves.
Practical steps for UK B2B organisations
The research points to several immediate actions for UK B2B businesses seeking to maintain visibility across both traditional search and AI answer engines.
Content structure optimisation
Implement JSON-LD schema markup (FAQPage, Article, HowTo, Organization schemas). Structured data increases AI Overview selection rates by 73%, yet only 12.4% of websites currently leverage it. Create 40-60 word "citation blocks" immediately following each H2 heading, and maintain visible "last updated" timestamps, as AI platforms prefer fresher content by approximately 25.7%.
Authority building
Prioritise referring domain acquisition, the strongest single predictor of AI citation. Develop presence on Reddit (heavily weighted by Perplexity and Google AI Overviews) and ensure consistent brand mentions across platforms. The Ahrefs study found brand mentions correlate more strongly with AI visibility (r=0.664) than backlinks alone.
Measurement and tracking
Track AI Share of Voice across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews using tools like Semrush's AI Visibility Index (launched November 2025). Monitor branded search volume as a leading indicator of AI-era authority, and segment analytics to distinguish top-of-funnel informational content (heavily impacted) from bottom-funnel commercial content (relatively protected).
Whitehat SEO offers comprehensive website audits that now include AI visibility assessment, helping UK B2B businesses understand their current position and develop actionable improvement roadmaps.
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References and Sources
This article draws on research from the following sources (accessed January 2026):
- SparkToro/Datos 2024 Zero-Click Search Study
- Ahrefs: Google AI Overviews Research
- Search Engine Land: AI Overviews CTR Impact
- Princeton GEO Study (arXiv)
- SE Ranking: AI Overviews Research 2024-2025
- Search Engine Land: Danny Sullivan on SEO and GEO
- Gartner: Search Volume Predictions
- Moneypenny: UK Business AI Adoption
About the Author
Clwyd Probert is CEO and Founder of Whitehat SEO, a London-based HubSpot Diamond Solutions Partner specialising in SEO, inbound marketing, and AI consulting. He is a guest lecturer at UCL and leads the world's largest HubSpot User Group.