AI-driven features are transforming Google Search and Discover, challenging publishers to adapt. Nicola Agius of Reach PLC explains how newsrooms can respond, what’s changing in the SERP, and where new opportunities are emerging.
As the dust settles from the 2026 World Cup, news publishers are facing a rapidly evolving Google Search landscape. Nicola Agius, SEO and Discover Director at Reach PLC, says AI-powered features now dominate the top of search results, especially during major live events. During the World Cup, Google’s AI surfaced real-time stats, player lineups, and match updates directly in the SERP, pushing traditional live blog headlines further down the page. “The classic ‘England vs America live: Score, latest updates’ headline doesn’t drive the same traffic anymore because Google’s AI already answers those queries,” Agius explains.
Despite this, Agius notes that users still scroll past Google’s AI summaries to reach the Top Stories carousel, offering publishers a window to capture attention. While click-through rates have dropped, impressions remain strong. “People want more than just facts-they’re looking for expert analysis and unique perspectives,” she says. To adapt, Reach PLC is training reporters to focus on what fans want after reading AI-generated summaries: deeper analysis, expert opinions, and reactions from the field.
Another challenge is Google’s experimentation with its own live blog modules, which sometimes appear above the Top Stories carousel. Agius observed this during EuroVision, where Google’s live blog included key moments and social media reactions. “If Google continues to expand this, it could threaten one of publishers’ last strongholds for search traffic,” she warns, questioning whether AI-generated live blogs truly serve user intent.
The search results page has also diversified, with new content formats like “What people are saying” carousels and increased visibility for Facebook posts. Agius points to research by Aleyda Solis, noting that Google’s recent core updates have improved its understanding of user intent, surfacing different content types-social posts, explainers, videos-based on the query. Publishers, she says, must collaborate closely with social teams and think beyond standard news articles to stay visible.
On Google Discover, the landscape has shifted dramatically since the June 2025 core update. Agius, who oversees 60-70 news sites at Reach PLC, reports that smaller and niche publishers have gained more visibility, with the number of domains appearing in Discover up 64% year-over-year in May. Content volume in Discover feeds rose 58% over the same period, and social platforms like X and YouTube now account for nearly a quarter of Discover content. AI Overviews and combined Discover cards-grouping up to 100 publishers with different takes on the same topic-are also changing the game. Agius notes this can disadvantage publishers offering unique perspectives, as Google sometimes groups distinct angles together, contrary to its stated goal of rewarding originality.
Still, Agius sees positives. Features like Preferred Sources can double a publisher’s click-through rate, according to Google. Audience diversification is another bright spot: “People aren’t abandoning Google for ChatGPT or TikTok-they’re using all these platforms together,” she says. This reduces reliance on any single traffic source and encourages publishers to apply SEO skills across platforms like TikTok and YouTube. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. We should have learned that from the Facebook traffic collapse of 2018.”
Reflecting on her own career, Agius emphasizes that there’s no such thing as an SEO expert. “Google changes constantly. What worked last year might not matter today. The best in the industry are always learning,” she says, urging journalists to stay curious and adaptable.
These shifts echo broader trends in AI’s impact on digital decision-making. For example, the challenges of data quality and platform adaptation in AI-driven environments are also affecting sectors like venture capital, as discussed in this analysis of AI and investment data infrastructure.
Reach PLC, one of the UK’s largest commercial news publishers, operates more than 70 national and regional news brands, including the Mirror, Express, and Manchester Evening News. As of 2026, the company reaches over 40 million digital users monthly and continues to invest in SEO and audience development strategies to maintain its position in a changing search ecosystem.
