Google dropped two major algorithm updates in March alone. AI Overviews are stealing clicks. And a new file called llms.txt is quietly becoming the next robots.txt. Here’s everything you need to know — without the jargon.
If you’ve been feeling like SEO is moving faster than ever — you’re right. The first four months of 2026 have already brought a Core Update, a Spam Update, a Discover Update, and a pile of AI-driven changes that are reshaping how websites get found online.
As a leading SEO expert in Kerala, I’m seeing these changes affect real businesses — local shops, service providers, startups — not just global brands. So let me break it down in plain language.
Google's algorithm updates in 2026 so far
Three confirmed updates have rolled out this year, each targeting a different layer of search quality.
The biggest update of the year so far. This was Google’s first broad core update of 2026 — a full quality reassessment of billions of pages. Sites with thin, AI-generated, or outdated content saw drops. Pages that are genuinely useful, well-structured, and trustworthy gained visibility. If your rankings moved in March, this is likely why.
A fast, targeted rollout aimed at automatically-generated, manipulative, or policy-violating content. Completed within a single day. If you’re publishing original, honest content, this update wouldn’t have touched you.
This one was specifically about Google Discover — the content feed on mobile. Google improved the relevance of what gets surfaced there. Publishers creating timely, people-first content saw gains; clickbait-y or shallow content saw drops.
AI Overviews: more impressions, fewer clicks
This is the big one that every business owner needs to understand right now. Google’s AI Overviews — those AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results — are changing user behaviour significantly.
34.5%
373:1
91%+
Average drop in CTR on top organic results due to AI Overviews
Google’s daily queries vs ChatGPT
(14B vs 37.5M)
HTTPS adoption across the web in 2026
People are still Googling — in fact, more than ever. But many users now read the AI summary and move on without clicking. This means your page can rank well and still lose traffic. The answer isn’t to panic — it’s to optimise for being cited inside the AI Overview itself. That’s essentially what AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) is about.
The new concept everyone's talking about: llms.txt
You’ve heard of robots.txt — the file that tells Google’s crawler what it can and can’t index. Meet its younger cousin: llms.txt.
This is an emerging web standard designed to guide AI crawlers (like those used by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI systems) on how to read and use your content when generating answers. Think of it as a permission slip and content guide for AI systems.
Should you add llms.txt to your site right now?
Honestly, it’s optional for most small and mid-sized sites. Adoption is still under 1% of the web. But if you’re serious about GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and want your content cited by AI tools, keeping an eye on this is smart. Early movers usually win.
Brand signals are the new backlinks
For years, backlinks were the king of off-page SEO. In 2026, Google (and AI tools) are increasingly judging your credibility based on brand signals — mentions across platforms, citations in credible publications, your presence on forums like Reddit and LinkedIn, and how consistently your brand appears in the digital world.
This is especially relevant for businesses in Kerala. If your brand is being talked about — in local news, in business directories, on social media — that’s building SEO value in ways a link from a random website simply cannot.
What's actually working in SEO right now
After sifting through the noise, here’s what the data and real-world results show is working in 2026:
- Answer the user’s question immediately — don’t bury the point in fluff
- Use specific facts, data, and examples — vague content is being filtered out
- Structure your content so it’s easy for both humans and AI to extract answers
- Build topical authority — go deep on your niche, not wide and shallow
- Prioritise human-written content with original insights over bulk AI output
- Strengthen your brand presence across platforms — Google, LinkedIn, GMB, YouTube
- Keep technical basics clean: HTTPS, mobile-friendly, fast loading, valid schema
What this means for businesses in Kerala
Whether you’re a local service provider in Palakkad, an e-commerce brand in Kochi, or a professional in Thiruvananthapuram — these updates affect you directly. Google is rewarding businesses that are genuinely useful, consistently visible online, and trusted in their space.
The good news: if you’ve been doing SEO the right way — honest content, good user experience, local presence — these updates are likely working in your favour. If you’ve been relying on shortcuts, now is the time to course-correct.
Need help navigating these changes?
As a leading SEO expert in Kerala with hands-on experience across local, technical, and AI-driven SEO, I help businesses adapt their strategies to what Google and AI tools actually reward in 2026.
Let’s talk about your website.
Rahul Krishnan
SEO Expert in Kerala