SEO & AI: Honestly, even I don’t know where to turn anymore!

Honestly, even I don’t know where to turn anymore with everything being said about AI and SEO right now. One day, we’re told SEO is dead; the next, that AI will write 100% of our sites; and the day after, that Google will ban it all. In 2026, the reality is more nuanced, but one thing is certain: the rules of the game have completely changed.

If you manage a WordPress site, you’ve probably noticed that search results no longer look like simple lists of links. With the rise of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), the challenge is no longer just being “first,” but being the source chosen by AI to answer the user.

Google and AI: The end of an old taboo

For a long time, we feared that Google would penalize “non-human” content. In 2026, Google Search Central’s position is crystal clear: it doesn’t matter who holds the pen (or the algorithm), only the result matters.

Google isn’t looking to see if you used ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. It’s looking to see if your content is useful, reliable, and original. This is what we call E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). If your AI simply regurgitates what already exists elsewhere, you’ll stagnate. If it helps you structure unique expertise, you’ll take off.

The “Information Gain” concept: That’s all that matters!

In 2026, the big SEO watchword is Information Gain. To put it simply: what does your article bring PLUS than the top ten results?

This is where 100% unsupervised AI content falls short. Artificial intelligence, by definition, synthesizes what already exists. It doesn’t invent anything; it doesn’t test anything. For your SEO to be “rankable” and sustainable, you must inject:

Proprietary data: Your own statistics, surveys, or test results.
A unique perspective: A sharp opinion that goes against the grain.
Real-life experience: Screenshots of your tools, photos of your projects, or products in hand.

My method: “AI proposes, human disposes”

To produce long, high-quality articles without spending 3 days on them, I use a hybrid method that preserves my ranking:

“AI is my architect, but I am the builder. It raises the walls, but I bring the soul to the house.”

Research phase: I use AI to identify secondary questions users are asking (the famous “People Also Ask”).
Structuring: I ask the AI to propose a detailed outline, which I challenge and modify based on my own expertise.
Augmented writing: I let the AI write the descriptive sections, but I rewrite every paragraph to add my “pinch of salt,” my tone, and my anecdotes.

“Slop”: The trap lurking for your WordPress site!

Watch out for the temptation of volume. With WordPress plugins generating mass articles, it’s easy to publish 50 articles a day. This is called Slop (junk content).

In 2026, spam detection algorithms have become surgically precise. A site that publishes too much content without human interaction ends up being globally de-indexed. Better to publish two 1,500-word authoritative articles per week than 30 500-word articles that teach nobody anything.

Optimizing for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

To be cited by AI search engines, your content must be easily “digestible” for machines. Here are some technical tips for your WordPress:

Structured Data (Schema.org): Be ultra-precise with your tags (FAQ, Review, Person, Product).
Lists and Tables: AIs love visually structured data. A comparison table in your article increases your chances of appearing in AI summaries.
Directness: Answer the main question within the first 100 words of the article.

Sources & Extra Stuff!

Video: SEO Strategy vs AI in 2026

This video perfectly explains how to adapt your content strategy to stay visible despite algorithm changes:

And you, how are you handling this shift? Do you feel it’s an opportunity or a threat to your visibility? Let’s talk in the comments!