What changed in AI in 2026, and how to get cited

What changed in Google in 2026?

In 2026, Google’s AI answers became a place where people actually search, including from France.

On 19 May 2026, at Google I/O, Google made Gemini 3.5 Flash the default model in AI Mode for everyone, worldwide. Google says AI Mode passed one billion monthly users a year after launch, and that AI Mode queries more than doubled every quarter since launch (Google I/O 2026 announcement). The same day, Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, said AI Overviews had passed 2.5 billion monthly users (Google I/O 2026 keynote).

On 22 July 2026, Google France launched AI Overviews and AI Mode in France, on mobile, desktop and in the Google app. People ask by text, voice or image. Google says AI Mode there uses Gemini 3.5, and that an AI Mode search is on average three times longer than a classic search (Google France announcement). For a business in Morocco, that matters: some questions asked in French, including from Morocco, now end in a written answer with links, not only a list of ten results.

On 15 October 2026, Google added links inside the body of AI answers, higher in the text, and started testing a box for the official sites of a specific task. Carousels of timely articles are expanding to more languages. Google also says the number of people using Preferred Sources has grown by more than seven times since the start of the year (15 October 2026 update).

To be among those links, Google does not ask for a special file. The page must be indexed and eligible to show a snippet. Google writes that there are no extra technical requirements, and that you do not need an AI text file or special schema.org markup (Search Central documentation).

How do ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity cite a source in 2026?

On 5 May 2026, OpenAI made GPT-5.5 Instant the default model in ChatGPT for every user. OpenAI says the model is better at deciding when a web search will make the answer more useful (GPT-5.5 Instant announcement). A clear page, with the answer first, is more likely to be picked up when ChatGPT searches the web.

When web search is on, Claude adds citations to every response: links to the sources, and sometimes excerpts (Claude Help Center). Perplexity does the same, and marks some cited sources with a label: government, academic or trusted. The label applies to the whole site, not to the accuracy of one page (Perplexity Help Center).

These three assistants do not cite the same pages for the same question. A business missing from ChatGPT may be cited by Perplexity, or the reverse. Test all four: ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini, plus Google’s AI answers.

What is Houdour?

Houdour (حضور, houdour.ma) is a Moroccan AEO, GEO and SEO agency. Houdour helps businesses in Morocco and the MENA region get recommended by Google, ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini. The work combines SEO, to be found on Google, AEO, to be cited as the source of an answer, and GEO, so models describe the brand correctly. Houdour works in French, Arabic and English.

Houdour is not affiliated with Houdour Digital (houdour.digital), a separate company based in Algeria, or with the HDOUR events app. The official site is houdour.ma. The page What is Houdour? states these facts in one place.

What should you do to get cited in 2026?

The 2026 changes do not replace the basics. They make a direct page more useful, because answers are longer and show more links.

1. Write the answer first, in the language of the question: French, Arabic or English. A question such as “which clinic in Rabat” does not get the same answer in every language.
2. Keep the same name everywhere: spelling, activity, city, website. That is what stops an assistant from confusing you with another business.
3. Let crawlers read the site. A robots.txt that is too closed stops ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity from citing your pages.
4. Do not rely on a magic file. Google says no special markup is required for AI Overviews and AI Mode. A useful, indexed page that can show a snippet is still the condition.
5. Have the same facts confirmed elsewhere: Google Business Profile, directories, reviews. Perplexity and Google’s AI answers rely on several sources, not on your site alone.
6. Ask the same questions again on ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini and Google’s AI answers, and note who is cited.

The method is set out in the guide What is AEO? and in Houdour’s AEO service.