- For 5 of the 10 predictions, Google's own statements fully or partly confirm the direction. 2 didn't happen, and for 3 there's no public evidence.
- AI Mode hasn't replaced the traditional results. According to Google, it has more than a billion monthly users and has been integrated with AI Overviews since May 2026.
- Shopping via AI agents has launched, but according to Google only for products in the US, Canada and Australia so far. Germany isn't included yet.
- Google still calls optimizing for AI search SEO. In Germany, too, people search for “SEO” many times more often than for “GEO” or “KI-SEO” (AI SEO).
In November 2025, we published ten predictions here about how search would change in 2026. In October 2026, we checked them against what actually happened.
We only count Google's own statements and our own search data as evidence. Where there's no public evidence, we say so. For each prediction, we explain what it means for our work.
For 5 of 10 predictions, Google's statements confirm the direction
| Prediction from November 2025 | Status as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| 1. AI agents shop for users | partly: launched in the US, Canada and Australia |
| 2. Brand trust determines whether AI answers mention you | no public evidence |
| 3. AI Mode replaces the traditional search results | didn't happen |
| 4. Product-in-use content wins out | Google confirms the direction |
| 5. Images and videos broaden visibility | Google confirms the direction |
| 6. Early research questions move to ChatGPT and similar tools | no public evidence |
| 7. Clear content with new information wins | partly confirmed |
| 8. Consistent company data across the web becomes essential | partly confirmed |
| 9. SEO becomes “influence optimization” | didn't happen |
| 10. Digital PR becomes part of SEO | no public evidence |
Two predictions didn't happen, and three lack public evidence. What we underestimated was how long new features take to reach Germany.
1. AI agents are shopping, but only outside Germany so far
Prediction: Retailers will need to prepare product data and APIs so AI agents can shop with them.
Status as of October 2026: Partly true. With the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), customers can buy from selected retailers directly in AI Mode in Google Search and in Gemini. According to Google, this only applies to products in the US, Canada and Australia so far. The retailer remains the seller. Our article on ACP and Shopify describes how OpenAI and Shopify are positioning themselves.
Our takeaway: According to Google, product data in Merchant Center already helps products appear in AI answers today. So the product feed is our first priority. For Atelier Nomi, we cleaned up the feed, and Google Shopping revenue rose 141% in August 2025 compared with July. Learn more on our product data management page.
2. No public evidence yet for the influence of brand trust
Prediction: Mentions, reviews and links on other sites will determine whether AI answers name a brand.
Status as of October 2026: We're not aware of any public data that proves this in general terms.
Our takeaway: We build up mentions on other sites and track whether mentions in AI answers change as a result. For ChargeOne, we described the offering and company background in a way AI assistants can understand. From January to mid-October 2025, AI assistants sent 202 visits to the website.
3. AI Mode has grown, but traditional results remain
Prediction: In 2026, AI Mode will replace traditional search results as the dominant way to search.
Status as of October 2026: Didn't happen. According to Google, AI Mode had more than a billion monthly users one year after launch. Since May 2026, asking a follow-up question in an AI Overview takes users straight into a conversation in AI Mode. At the same time, Google stresses that search still shows a wide range of results.
We're withdrawing one of our earlier recommendations. We had advised covering the related questions a model asks in the background (query fan-out). Google warns against creating separate pages for such variants and treats this as scaled content abuse.
Our takeaway: We answer the questions on a topic on a small number of pages that cover it comprehensively.
4. Google confirms the shift toward product-in-use content
Prediction: Content that shows how a product solves a specific problem will win out.
Status as of October 2026: Google calls original, non-interchangeable content the most important long-term point in its guidance, meaning a distinct perspective and first-hand experience. It advises against content an AI model could easily generate on its own.
Our takeaway: We build pages around real-world use. For Prismm, we worked search terms such as “3D-Tischdekorationen” (3D table decorations) into concrete use cases. In the first 8 weeks, organic search impressions rose 450%, and the share of visitors booking a demo rose 35%.
5. Google explicitly recommends images and videos
Prediction: Brands that publish in multiple formats will have more stable visibility in AI answers.
Status as of October 2026: Google recommends high-quality, relevant images and videos, which its AI search features can display directly. Google offers no evidence that this makes mentions more stable.
Our takeaway: Your own photos and videos belong on the pages that drive your sales.
6. No evidence yet that early research is moving to AI assistants
Prediction: Early research questions will increasingly go to AI assistants, and guide content will lose clicks from search.
Status as of October 2026: We're not aware of any public evidence for Germany.
Our takeaway: This can be measured website by website. Since August 31, 2026, Search Console also shows how often a website appears in AI Overviews and AI Mode. Learn more in our article on Google Search Console.
7. Clear content matters, with no rules on length or structure
Prediction: Content will be judged on how much new information it provides and how easy it is to take in.
Status as of October 2026: Partly confirmed. New information is part of the original content Google recommends. On structure, Google says texts don't need to be split into small sections and there's no ideal page length. Write for your readers.
State the key message early and structure the text with headings that clearly name the topic of each section.
8. Google explicitly highlights Business Profile and Merchant Center
Prediction: Keeping a company's data consistent across the web will become the core SEO task.
Status as of October 2026: Partly confirmed. Google names Business Profile and Merchant Center as ways to get products and services into AI answers. The guidance says nothing about directories outside Google.
Our takeaway: We describe a company in the same terms across every channel. For ChargeOne, we consistently aligned all communication with its “Charging as a Service” rental model. AI assistants now reproduce ChargeOne's unique selling points with 100% accuracy.
9. SEO is still called SEO, by Google and by searchers
Prediction: SEO will evolve into “influence optimization”: influencing the systems that generate answers.
Status as of October 2026: Didn't happen. Google says optimizing for AI search is still SEO. It classifies terms such as AEO and GEO as part of the same discipline and advises evaluating such services against its guidance.
Search behavior in Germany confirms this. Average monthly searches, September 2025 to August 2026:
| Search term | Searches per month |
|---|---|
| seo | 18.100 |
| generative engine optimization | 1.300 |
| geo optimierung | 1.000 |
| ai seo | 880 |
| ki seo | 480 |
| llm seo | 140 |
Source: our own analysis of Google Ads data via DataForSEO, Germany, German language, retrieved October 2026.
Our takeaway: We use the term GEO for mentions in AI answers. The foundation is still SEO: indexable pages, original content and links from other websites.
10. No public evidence yet for digital PR as an AI search lever
Prediction: Digital PR will become a core part of SEO, especially for AI search.
Status as of October 2026: We're not aware of any public evidence for AI search.
Our takeaway: Earning links from other websites is part of our SEO work. For Shokz, we worked with German-language content and new backlinks. For “Open Ear Kopfhörer” (open-ear headphones), Shokz climbed from position 6 into the top 3.
Conclusion: In 2026, the fundamentals mattered more than new buzzwords
AI search has become part of everyday Google use, and agents have started shopping in the first countries. The tools are still those of search engine optimization: indexable pages, original content and clean product data.
Where we expected more in 2025 than the evidence supports, we've said so above. We'll keep measuring and update this article as soon as we have our own data.
