The following article will establish facts leading to the changes in user search and try to answer basic queries that the business community might be stuck with while finding solutions in the current decline in the search volume:

Query 1: Why outdated SEO and keyword stuffing does not drive traffic?

Query 2: How AI Search and Google’s 2025 Core Update changed the organic ranking?

Query 3: How businesses should adapt their content strategy for Google ranking in 2026?

In the new-age ecosystem, content is no longer a mere introduction or a means of keyword stuffing. In fact, it is the primary process by which you are accepted into the new Google EEAT algorithm. The optimisation extends beyond long- and short-tail keywords and keyword matching, which were part of the old SEO style of getting your site ranked. Post December 2025, you need to focus on the relevance of your content for the users while demonstrating your expertise and experience in handling such queries. In simpler terms, old shortcuts are no longer effective for your websites if you want to rank, and they need to be replaced with best practices and a better user experience.

The growth of your websites can no longer be entrusted to content creators unwilling to do the hard work and who rely on shortcuts. A major overhaul is required to address old-school mindsets and entrepreneurs who now want to rank on Google. We need to recognise that, with the evolving dynamics of AI, Google also wants to control what is shown on its platform, and relevance is a key factor. The modern engine now uses systems to evaluate how content meets search intent. About a year ago, with ChatGPT dominating search, Google search had a significant impact, with only 1 in 100 searches being clicked. Google was quick to learn, and thus, the code red was announced by the then and current CEO ‘Sundar Pichai’. The big change you see in how Google ranks content is a push by Google to factor AI migration into search and to maintain its search dominance. Thin pages and generic AI-generated content with no freshness or effectiveness for search results that deliver better user delight are off-limits and are suppressed by Google’s new core update implemented in the 18 days of December ending on 29th Dec 2025.

Technical SEO like backlinks and content gaps still plays a role in indexing, but content developed in line with the core updates will help your websites rank. If you were using old-style content development strategies or an average content writer with a basic command of language, relying on AI as your only source of live, eligible content, you are headed for disaster. Corporate houses and content creators who are positioning their content as a long term asset and not just a source of traffic driver are the ones that will earn you space in Google Ranking.

In the summary below, you will find a simple framework from our experts for creating content that can drive your website traffic as in the past. Keeping it simple, aligned with EEAT principles, is the way forward.

Query 1: Why outdated SEO and keyword stuffing does not drive traffic?

Let us understand it with an example of old-SEO format. 

You have written a perfectly optimised blog – “Best tourist destinations for Summers, with itinerary and budget breakdown”. Your article ranks on the first page of Google. You have clearly structured H1 and H2 headings and a clear meta description with high-ranking keywords integrated throughout your content. But your content is still not bringing much traffic to your website.

The reason: user search queries have changed:

The search pattern of the users has changed. Ranking your content on Google is not enough to bring traffic and conversion to your website. Nearly 60% of the ranked content on Google received zero clicks in 2025, up from less than 25% in 2020. The numbers are even higher on mobile phones, as users are looking for quick answers rather than long-form, keyword-stuffed content that does not address their queries.

Image: Change in User search queries

Users are not searching for websites; they want answers:

Users' search has also evolved with the advent of GenAI. People don’t directly search on Google- “Best Tourist destinations for summers”, they simply go to GenAI platforms, such as ChatGPT, and perplexity and ask their question, “ Can you help me in finding the best tourist destination for summers that is within my budget of INR ₹10,000 and is safe for women. I wish to travel for 5 days. Make me a travel itinerary as well.”

To keep up with the changing user queries, Google also shows featured snippets, AI overview, people also ask sections, where people simply get their answers without clicking the actual website. This is why ranking #1 is not enough in 2026.

Query 2: How AI Search and Google’s 2025 Core Update changed the organic ranking?

Now ranking #1 on Google is not enough to bring organic traffic.

Earlier, Google dominated search, and SEO was the gateway to visibility. But with the advent of GenAI and evolving user search queries, businesses must write for humans, rank on Google, but also get cited by GenAI Tools, such as ChatGPT, Google AI overview and Bing Copilot. Answer engines now handle 40% of the information queries (refer graph). So, if your content is not optimised for AI-visibility, then you are invisible to half of the potential customers, despite ranking #1 on Google.

Graph on Query distribution across the search ecosystem

Content is no longer a secondary choice to rank on google and bring organic traffic to websites. The old playbook where on-page content contained keywords and SEO-optimised language

worked when Google was the only gateway to user information. AI visibility brings relevance back to the quality content, which directly stole google’s search queries. Even google knew this was existential, and launched code red back in 2023-2024 to urge businesses to change SEO-optimised content to user-query optimised content. 

But the problem still persists. Despite ranking content for AI parsing, generative AI serves as a destination rather than a router, which is resulting in 96% lesser click-though-rate (CTR) for businesses. The traffic share from AI tools to websites remains tiny, referring only one in 190 cited websites. With Google introducing “AI overview” feature, it is able to hold the traffic, but publishers and advertisers on google are starving for organic traffic. Renowned publishers have reported 60-80% decline in their CTR. 

While some businesses sorted to create AI-optimised content through Gen-Ai, but google severely punished these websites by reducing their ranking and visibility. The right approach is to rank on Google, Parse content in Gen-AI, and write user-query friendly content, while writing 100% human-written content. 

Query 3: How businesses should adapt their content strategy for Google ranking in 2026?

7 proven ways to rank on Google and Get Cited by AI in 2026:

Our experts have shortlisted some of the best ready to use frame work for Google ranking in 2026.

The structure below will serve as a helpful guide to the Google core update and how to align your website to match the signals it now requires to be listed in Google search.

Some of the frameworks below are drawn from our experience, and others from suggestions and insights gained over time through the use of AI tools.

1. Identify your niche and structure your content based on what your buyers are looking for. Start to develop content on the basis of conversations that users might align with now, as AI intervention has changed the way that customers are looking for solutions. Natural language is what buyers are looking for, and any AI- or smooth content will deflect users and hurt Google rankings

2. Try using the old SEO approach of publishing questions with content that explains how you satisfy users with your products or services.

3. Analyse your thin content and, instead of multiple pages, build a single-domain content page that addresses it in greater depth. Google now ranks sites with more detailed, connected or 4-5 cluster content rather than pages that have been optimised to drive sales or offers with over-stuffing of keywords.

4. Value-based content will clearly help your ranking, as user experience or reviews highlighting their individual experience with your products will build trust, which is often low on multi-site platforms, helping them feel assured and registered on the same platform. You can also add expert advice on optimising your content.

5. Be regular with your content updates. Once published and forgotten is a big ‘No’ for rankings. Google rewards sites with a cluster of content and is working to improve content relevance regularly, as changes are fast, and users will not benefit from data older than 90 days.

6.  Address EEAT signals. Expertise, experience, authority, and Trust are the four pillars of your content rankings, as Google's core update in December 2025 has changed the algorithm for how sites are ranked. Every article or piece of content posted on the website should include clear author details and a clear indication of their experience to enhance credibility. Content also needs to be cited from the source it references.

7. Follow proper formatting. While adapting to the new content ecosystem, visibility improvements lie in your expertise in how well you format it, with clear takeaways, like content freshness, short phrases, and conversation-based content development with visual breaks, as images play a vital part in visibility rankings.

   Despite the information shared above, if you are still struggling with real-world content that will help your websites rank, please visit our website and send us a message so our experts can connect and help you develop the content that will help your websites rank. Wasting money on content that will not rank, or continuing to rely on old strategies and mediocre content with anyone doing your content work, will not serve your purpose, and you will continue to burn money. You need experts now who specialise in content development and have proven expertise to rank your websites. Even before the core update hit the ambit of Google search, our 99% of websites were already updated with the best practices, and thus the impact felt by our clients was minimal. Content is now key to business rankings. Thus, content creators will also make a difference.