Since 22 July 2026, Google has been providing answers instead of links: brand visibility has become a reputational issue
When the search engine formulates the answer itself, a company’s visibility no longer depends solely on its ranking, but on the sources used and the way in which the information is presented. According to Ahrefs, the websites most exposed to AI Overview have already lost 23.1 per cent of their click-through rate. The challenge is now as much about reputation as it is about digital presence, and press relations are regaining a strategic role.
Opinion piece written by Yasmina Madafi, Co-founder and Associate Director of La Nouvelle Agence
In summary, this article covers:
- Google activated its AI Overview and AI Mode in France on 22 July 2026. The most affected websites lost 23.1 per cent of their click-through rate in nine days, according to Ahrefs.
- When asked a question about a market, Google, ChatGPT or Perplexity provide an answer rather than a list of links. The challenge is no longer just about ranking, but about being regarded as an authority.
- According to Muck Rack, 84 per cent of the sources cited by AI are unpaid third-party sources. Journalism accounts for 27 per cent of citations, whilst paid content accounts for 0.3 per cent.
- Being cited is not enough: according to the BBC and the EBU, 45 per cent of AI assistants’ responses to news-related queries contain at least one significant error.
- SEO remains useful, but it must be coordinated with content, reputation management and press relations.
- Media organisations that shape brands’ reputations are seeing their traffic siphoned off by AI: the General News Press Alliance lodged a complaint with the Competition Authority on 11 August 2026.
What we observed: from click to response
On 22 July 2026, Google activated its AI Overview and AI Mode in France. The effects were immediate: according to Ahrefs, the most affected sites – those for which more than one in five searches now displays an AI summary – lost 23.1 per cent of their click-through rate over the following nine days.
Until then, search engine optimisation had relied on a simple mechanism: rank highly to get clicked on. Now, when a user asks Google, ChatGPT or Perplexity who the leading players in a market are, they no longer receive a list of links but an answer. Some names appear in it, others do not. It is no longer just a question of climbing the rankings, but of being regarded as an authority.
What matters is who is talking about you
According to the latest edition of Muck Rack’s ‘What Is AI Reading?’ study, published in May 2026 and analysing over 25 million links cited by ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, 84 per cent of the sources cited are unpaid third-party sources: the press, research, institutions and encyclopaedias.
However, press coverage does not in itself guarantee a presence in AI responses. But whilst a brand can produce content at very low cost claiming it is innovative or a market leader, recognition by third parties remains difficult to manufacture. An article in a recognised media outlet, a study that is cited, or expertise that is regularly sought after leaves a mark outside the company’s own channels. This is where press relations regain a strategic function.
Being mentioned is not enough
Counting the number of times a brand appears in AI responses is a useful but incomplete indicator: being mentioned does not mean being portrayed in a positive light. The risk is by no means theoretical. In October 2025, a study conducted by the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union across 22 public service broadcasters showed that 45 per cent of the approximately 3,000 responses from AI assistants on current affairs contained at least one significant issue, with sourcing errors topping the list.
SEO isn’t going away
Google emphasises that its core principles apply to its AI features and that no specific optimisation guarantees an appearance in AI Overview. However, search engine optimisation, content, reputation and press relations must be more closely aligned, as they collectively shape the same informational footprint.
The media organisations that build reputations are under threat
A paradox remains. Companies’ reputations rely in part on media organisations capable of investigating, questioning executives and putting their statements into context. Yet these media organisations are seeing part of their traffic siphoned off by answers that summarise their content. The Alliance of General News Media lodged a complaint with the Competition Authority on 11 August 2026.
3 key takeaways
1. Visibility depends on the response, not just on the ranking
With AI Overview and AI Mode, users receive a response in which some brands appear and others do not. The aim is no longer simply to climb the rankings, but to be regarded as an authority.
2. Recognition by third parties carries more weight than what the brand says about itself
AI systems prioritise unpaid third-party sources, including the press. An article in a recognised media outlet, a cited study or a commissioned expert opinion leaves a mark that a brand cannot create on its own.
3. The quality of representation matters just as much as presence
Being cited does not mean being presented in a favourable light. The information featured by AI must be accurate, up to date and attributed to the right spokespersons, which means monitoring it.
The LNA perspective
Communications professionals must ask themselves what image AI is constructing of their brand:
- On which topics is the company associated with expertise, and on which is it absent?
- When an AI recommends a competitor, what sources does it draw on?
- Is the information reproduced accurate, up to date and attributed to the right spokespersons?
The issue is no longer just about visibility, but about the quality of representation.
The state of the press is also a concern for communications professionals: a brand cannot be recognised by third parties in the long term if those third parties no longer have the means to produce information.
For twenty years, companies have sought to be found. They will now have to understand how they are portrayed by the media, platforms and, increasingly, artificial intelligence. Reputation will no longer be merely what a company says about itself, but what the information ecosystem enables machines to understand about it.
What is Google’s AI Overview?
They are summaries generated by artificial intelligence that appear at the top of search results. Google rolled them out in France, alongside its AI Mode, on 22 July 2026.
What impact does AI Overview have on website traffic?
According to Ahrefs, websites where more than one in five searches displays an AI summary lost 23.1 per cent of their click-through rate in the nine days following the launch.
Which sources do AI systems cite most frequently?
According to Muck Rack’s study ‘What Is AI Reading?’, 84 per cent of the sources cited by ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are free third-party sources. Journalism alone accounts for 27 per cent of citations, whilst paid content accounts for 0.3 per cent.
Why do media relations matter for visibility in AI?
Because recognition by third parties is difficult to fabricate. An article in a recognised media outlet or regularly sought-after expertise leaves a trace outside the company’s own channels, which AI systems can pick up on.
Is being cited by an AI enough?
No. According to a study by the BBC and the EBU in October 2025, 45 per cent of AI assistants’ responses to news queries contained at least one significant error. It is essential to check that the information reproduced is accurate, up to date and correctly attributed.
Is SEO still useful with AI Overview?
Yes. Google emphasises that its core principles apply to its AI features and that no specific optimisation guarantees appearance in them. SEO must, however, be coordinated with content, reputation and press relations.
To find out more: contact LNA
What image do AI systems currently present of your brand? La Nouvelle Agence, an independent influence and conversation consultancy, helps businesses build a reputation recognised by the media – and therefore by artificial intelligence systems.
Contact La Nouvelle Agence to discuss this further.
