7 Keys to Rank in AI Search Results in 2026 (How Verve Media Does It)
The internet’s being interpreted by algorithms that think more like us than ever before. A few years ago, it was all about keywords and backlinks, but today, it’s about how useful your content sounds to AI. Weird, right?
As part of our mass media research project, we decided to understand how brands are keeping up with this shift. So, we reached out to the SEO agency team at Verve Media, which is also a digital marketing agency. They’ve been experimenting with AI search results, SEO AI optimisation, and everything in between. Here’s how the conversation went with the SEO expert:
First, how AI search even works
Earlier, SEO meant competing for a spot among the “10 blue links”. But now, AI SEO optimisation tools like Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT search have shifted their focus. They are more focused on answering queries about content. Ranking now depends on understanding how AI interprets content and intent.
These systems collect insights from across the web and summarise them in simple, conversational ways. They prioritise content that’s helpful, credible, and easy to read. They prove that today, ranking depends more on how useful your content is than on how often you repeat a keyword.
The Questions I Asked the Verve Media SEO Team:
How does AI-driven search change the core principles of SEO compared to traditional keyword-based ranking?
SEO now prioritises content that answers queries, not just keywords
It's more query-based.
It’s more intent-driven
Even if keyword optimisation is there, but the content doesn't support it, then ranking is difficult. How we track AI also differs from keyword ranking.”
Reader Takeaway: SEO today is intent-driven; you need to know why people are searching, not just what they’re typing. Keywords still matter, but if your content doesn’t answer the query, it won’t rank. Even the way we track performance in AI-driven search differs from regular keyword rankings.
What difference does human storytelling make when AI can write too?
Human storytelling content helps make content more helpful and useful, whereas AI is more data-driven and analytical.
Reader Takeaway: Storytelling makes the content feel real. AI content is data-heavy, while human writing adds meaning and warmth. It helps the reader and the algorithm understand that this content was made for people, not machines.
How do you make sure Verve’s content follows Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines?
“For aligning with E-E-A-T, we provide in-depth research and also follow Google's guidelines about what exactly they need, apart from having a lot of AI (optimisation) elements. We ensure content maintains the brand’s tone and style, while also being optimised for AI-based search questions.”
Reader’s Takeaway: They rely a lot on solid research and follow Google’s rules on experience, expertise, authority, and trust. Apart from using AI tools, we make sure the tone and brand voice feel human. Something that answers exactly what the user is asking for.
What mistakes do brands make when optimising for AI search?
The brand focuses more on AI. It's more about quantity than quality and misses the core point of content being useful.
Reader Takeaway: Most of them focus on quantity. They want to push out content every day, thinking more posts mean more reach. But that doesn’t work anymore. The goal isn’t more content; it’s better content, something that is useful.
How do you guys use AI tools without losing human touch?
“AI tools are purely used for research purposes. For repetitive content generation. data and analysis, and ideation.”
Reader Takeaway: We use AI to make things faster for research, ideas, repetitive stuff, or analysing data. But the strategy and storytelling are always done by humans. That’s what gives the content life.
What does it take for a brand to build ‘topical authority’?
“For a brand to build a topical authority, they have to get to the nitty-gritty of the topic. Regardless of what the topics are, they should solve a problem rather than address one.”
Reader Takeaway: You have to go deep. Don’t just touch on a topic but explain it from every angle. Solve real problems instead of just talking about them. When your content does that, AI starts recognising you as a trusted source.
What do you think will matter most in SEO by 2026?
“The primary thing is adaptability, which is AI with seo. They should support and complement each other. It's not creating new info. It's creating a format out of it. We have to adapt to how AI fetches data and how SEO can be at the right place for results.”
Reader Takeaway: Adaptability. SEO and AI have to work together. AI pulls data from everywhere; SEO just needs to make sure your content shows up where it counts. The goal is to understand how AI reads, not fight against it.
Wrapping up
After talking to their SEO agency, one thing that stuck was that AI isn’t replacing SEO; it’s reshaping it. The real challenge now is to keep your content honest, helpful, and human while learning how AI thinks. At Verve Media, the team is keeping up with the change as well as rewriting how SEO fits into the AI world. It’s not about outsmarting algorithms anymore but about creating content that feels real, reads easily, and ranks naturally.
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