Hema Dey says SMBs must adapt to Google’s AI-first search

By AI, Created 9:01 PM UTC, June 04, 2026, /AGP/ – Google’s May 2026 Core Update and AI Overviews are reshaping how customers find businesses, with most users no longer clicking through to websites. Hema Dey of Iffel International says small and medium businesses need stronger reviews, fresher content and structured data to stay visible in the new search model.

Why it matters: - Google’s shift to AI-generated answers changes how customers discover and compare businesses before they ever reach a website. - Small and medium businesses that relied on keyword rankings and traffic may lose visibility if AI platforms do not recommend them. - The new search model makes reviews, content freshness and technical structure more important to new customer acquisition.

What happened: - Google completed its May 2026 Core Update this week, marking the second major algorithm change in 43 days. - The update expands Google’s AI-first search experience, powered by Gemini AI, so users can receive business recommendations directly in search results. - Hema Dey, founder and CEO of Iffel International Inc. and a Forbes Top 5 AI Leader, framed the shift as a business survival issue rather than a traditional SEO issue. - Dey said businesses that adapt in the next few weeks could build an advantage that competitors will struggle to close.

The details: - Research analyzing more than 25 million AI-powered search sessions found that 93% of users do not click through to any website. - Search Engine Land research published this week found that AI Overviews increased the average time users spend on Google’s own page by nearly four times. - Dey said this creates a “second impression,” when users evaluate business listings after reading Google’s AI answer. - Dey said trust signals at that stage include reviews, content quality, expert authorship and the technical foundations that help AI understand a business. - Businesses with fewer than 20 Google reviews are at a disadvantage because review count now functions as a visible competitive signal. - Businesses with website content not updated in 12 months or more face weaker trust signals because recency now matters more in AI recommendations. - Websites built without structured data, or schema markup, may be invisible to the AI recommendation layer. - Agencies that still measure success only by keyword rankings and website traffic are missing whether a business is actually being recommended by AI.

Between the lines: - The search shift appears to reward businesses with stronger authority signals and broader digital credibility, not just better SEO tactics. - Large brands may adapt faster because they already have bigger marketing teams and more accumulated online authority. - For smaller companies, the change raises the stakes on review generation, content maintenance and technical setup. - Dey’s message also reflects a broader market shift: AI visibility is becoming a separate performance layer from traditional search metrics.

What’s next: - Iffel International is booking corporate workshops and training sessions built around The AI Translator. - The training is available in half-day and full-day formats, either in person or virtually. - Organizations that buy copies of The AI Translator on Amazon on June 10, 2026, can qualify for a corporate discount on workshop and training engagements. - The minimum purchase requirement is 20 copies for corporate workshops and training sessions and 50 copies for keynote engagements. - All qualifying purchases must be made on June 10, 2026, and prices increase on June 11, 2026. - The AI Translator goes on sale worldwide on Amazon June 10, 2026, with Kindle priced at $9.99, paperback at $15.99 and hardcover at $19.99. - The book is co-authored by Hema Dey and Forbes contributor Michael Ashley, with a foreword by Erin Dame of Superhuman.

The bottom line: - Google’s AI-first search era is forcing businesses to compete for recommendation status, not just rankings. SMBs that update their credibility signals now may have a better chance of appearing in the new decision path.