How to rank on Google and in AI answers in 2026

Artificial intelligence did not kill SEO. It killed the convenience of publishing generic content and expecting Google to reward it.

Now a person can ask an extensive question, compare different options, and receive a synthesized answer without going through ten pages.

This changes the search experience but does not eliminate the need to consult reliable sources.

Google still needs pages that it can crawl, understand, and use as reference. The opportunity for professionals and personal brands lies in becoming one of those sources.

What does it mean to appear in AI answers?

Google has incorporated experiences like AI Overviews and AI Mode to answer complex queries.

These features can present an AI-generated summary and accompany it with links to sites that support, expand, or complement the information.

Appearing as a source in these answers can help a brand be discovered by people looking for solutions related to its expertise.

However, there is no formula to guarantee an appearance.

Google explains that a page must be indexed and meet normal search requirements to be displayed as a supporting link in its artificial intelligence features.

Source: Google Search Central, AI features and your site.
https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features?hl=es

This means that optimization for artificial intelligence still begins with the fundamentals of SEO.

Step 1. Create useful content for real people

Google recommends creating useful, reliable content primarily designed for people.

It seems like an obvious recommendation, but much of the content published on the internet is designed to rank, not to answer a question.

A keyword is repeated several times, unnecessary paragraphs are added, and ideas already present in other articles are compiled.

The result is an extensive page that adds nothing new.

Google encourages evaluating whether the content offers original information, research, analysis, or a sufficiently complete explanation of the topic.

Before publishing, it's a good idea to ask yourself these questions:

First question: Does the article clearly answer the main query?

Second question: Does it include information that does not appear in the same way on other sites?

Third question: Does it use reliable sources?

Fourth question: Does it explain the limitations of the data presented?

Fifth question: Would a person finish reading with greater clarity?

If the only reason to create the page is to attract traffic, the content probably does not have a sufficiently solid foundation.

Step 2. Answer comprehensive and conversational questions

People are changing the way they search.

Google reported that in 2025, English queries starting with "Tell me about" increased by 70 percent compared to the previous year.

Searches starting with "How do I" grew by 25 percent and reached an all-time high.

This data corresponds to English queries and does not automatically represent the behavior of all people searching in Spanish.

Even so, they show a significant transformation: searches are increasingly extensive, specific, and conversational.

Before, someone might search for "personal brand."

Now they might ask: "How to build a personal brand if I have professional experience but don't want to become an influencer?"

This query contains more context and requires a much more precise answer.

A current SEO strategy should not be limited to repeating an exact keyword. It needs to understand the intent behind the search.

Step 3. Build groups of related content

Google's artificial intelligence features can use a technique known as query expansion.

The system can break down a complex question into several related searches to investigate subtopics and find relevant sources.

This creates an opportunity for personal brands that publish specialized content.

It is not always necessary to produce a single article that tries to answer absolutely everything. A library of connected content can also be built.

For example, if the main topic is personal branding, the site could include articles on:

Topic one: how to define a value proposition.

Topic two: how to choose a positioning territory.

Topic three: how to create content pillars.

Topic four: how to demonstrate authority without boasting.

Topic five: how to turn experience into an offer.

Topic six: how to measure if a personal brand is generating opportunities.

Topic seven: how to monetize knowledge without relying on thousands of followers.

Each article answers a specific question. Together, they build thematic depth.

Internal links should logically connect these pages. This helps people continue learning and makes it easier for Google to understand the relationship between content.

Step 4. Use first-hand experience

Real experience is becoming a competitive advantage.

An artificial intelligence tool can summarize information published on hundreds of pages. It cannot have served your clients, made your mistakes, or applied your methodology.

A personal brand can create content that includes cases, decisions, processes, screenshots, results, difficulties, and learnings.

For example, a generic article can explain how to grow on Instagram. A documented case can show how an account went from zero to 50,000 followers, what decisions were made, and what limitations the process had.

The second option provides something that cannot be obtained by copying existing information.

But personal experience should not become a universal truth either.

That a strategy worked with one client does not mean it will produce the same result in all cases.

The correct way to present a case is to explain the context, show the available evidence, and avoid absolute promises.

Experience increases the value of content when accompanied by honesty.

Step 5. Make it clear who is behind the content

A page may contain correct information and still leave doubts about who wrote it.

Authority should not depend on the audience researching on their own.

Each article needs to clearly display the author's name, their experience related to the topic, the publication date, and the update date when applicable.

It is also advisable to include an "about" page for the brand, contact information, and links to professional profiles.

When presenting one's own data, its origin must be explained. When citing research, the original source must be linked.

If a data point applies only to one country or a specific sample, it must be stated.

Accuracy also builds positioning.

A brand does not demonstrate authority by speaking as if it has all the answers. It demonstrates it by distinguishing between facts, experience, interpretation, and opinion.

Step 6. Organize the article to facilitate understanding

An article doesn't need to be complicated to demonstrate depth.

The structure should help find answers quickly.

Well-organized content includes a title related to the main query, a direct opening, clear subheadings, examples, sources, and a useful conclusion.

FAQs can be incorporated when they truly add information. They should not be used to repeat what has already been explained.

It is also advisable to include the main answer near the beginning.

If the article intends to explain how to appear in artificial intelligence answers, it should quickly clarify that there is no special requirement or guarantee of inclusion.

Then it can elaborate on the factors that increase the possibility of being discovered.

Clarity benefits the reader and helps search systems understand the content.

Step 7. Ensure Google can find the page

The best article in the world cannot rank if Google cannot access it.

A page needs to be crawlable, mobile-friendly, and offer an adequate experience.

The main content should appear in text format. The most important ideas should not exist only within an image or video.

Google also recommends using internal links so that pages can be easily found.

It is also advisable to verify the site in Google Search Console.

This tool allows you to check if a page is indexed, see the queries it appears for, and identify some technical issues.

You don't need to be an expert to understand all the information. However, your site does need a configuration that allows content to be discovered.

Step 8. Use structured data correctly

Structured data helps Google understand certain types of information.

Compatible formats exist for articles, profiles, products, organizations, events, and other content.

This does not mean that adding structured data guarantees a position or appearance in an AI-generated answer.

Google clarifies that there is no special Schema.org markup to get into AI Overviews or AI Mode.

Structured data should match what a person can see on the page. It should not be used to communicate information that does not appear in the content.

They are a comprehension tool, not a shortcut to manipulate results.

Step 9. Strengthen the brand outside of a single page

Digital authority is not built solely within an article.

Google and people can find signals about a brand in interviews, social media, news, podcasts, books, professional profiles, and third-party sites.

This does not mean creating artificial mentions.

It means building a consistent presence.

The name, professional description, topics, and main messages should maintain a recognizable relationship across different channels.

When a person finds a brand on Google, visits its Instagram profile, and then goes to LinkedIn, they should recognize the same proposition.

Consistency reduces confusion and strengthens trust.

Step 10. Measure results that have business value

Appearing on Google should not become a vanity competition.

Google records AI Overviews and AI Mode impressions and clicks within the overall search performance report in Search Console.

Currently, it does not offer a separate filter to identify all traffic coming from these experiences.

Therefore, it is advisable to evaluate different signals:

First signal: queries for which each page appears.

Second signal: organic impressions and clicks.

Third signal: growth in searches that include the brand name.

Fourth signal: visits from the blog to service pages.

Fifth signal: registrations, information requests, and sales related to the content.

Sixth signal: mentions and links received from other sites.

Seventh signal: topics that attract people with higher purchase intent.

The goal is not to appear in an AI-generated answer to feed the ego.

The goal is to be discovered by the right audience and convert that attention into trust.

Errors that reduce the possibility of appearing

The first error is publishing automatically generated texts without review, experience, or sources.

The second is answering many questions superficially to produce volume.

The third is inventing statistics or citing data without linking to the original study.

The fourth is using sensationalist titles that the content cannot support.

The fifth is hiding who wrote the article.

The sixth is forgetting the technical configuration of the site.

The seventh is creating isolated pages that are not connected to the rest of the content.

The eighth is assuming that a tool can guarantee appearance in artificial intelligence answers.

Google decides what content it displays. No agency, professional, or platform can responsibly promise a specific position.

Generic content is increasingly easy to produce and harder to defend

Artificial intelligence can accelerate research, organize information, and help explore questions.

It does not replace judgment, experience, or the responsibility to verify.

Brands that publish hundreds of interchangeable articles will compete by volume. Those that document cases, develop their own ideas, and back up their claims will build sources worth consulting.

The question is no longer how to write for a machine.

The question is how to turn your experience into the best available answer for a person.

Keep going

I am Lore Hoyuela, a strategic consultant for marketing and digital businesses. I help professionals, entrepreneurs, companies, and content creators build strong personal brands, position themselves as experts, and turn their knowledge into a sustainable business.

If you want to continue learning about personal branding, positioning, artificial intelligence, and digital businesses, you can find me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok as @lorehoyuela.

You can also delve deeper with my book Todos Somos Una Marca Personal (We Are All A Personal Brand). If you are in Colombia, you can find it on my website and in national bookstores. If you are in another country, you can get it through Busca Libre.

If you need clarity on your positioning, your value proposition, or the direction your brand should take, you can book a Clarity Session with me.

If you already have experience, knowledge, and a brand in motion, but need to turn them into a positioning, content, and business system, you can learn about the Personal Brand Accelerator.