SEO & AI in 2026: Preparing Your Site in Morocco

What Is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and Why Should Morocco Prepare?#

GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization, refers to the set of practices that allow a website to appear in AI-generated responses. Unlike traditional SEO that targets Google's 10 blue links, GEO targets AI Overviews panels, ChatGPT answers, Perplexity citations, and Gemini results.

In Morocco, where over 25 million internet users access Google daily (source: DataReportal 2025), AI-powered search adoption is accelerating. Queries in French, Arabic, and Darija already generate AI Overviews on topics like "best restaurant Casablanca" or "web agency Rabat." Moroccan websites that fail to adapt risk losing a significant portion of their organic traffic.

GEO rests on three pillars: content quality (direct answers, factual data, source citations), technical structure (Schema.org, llms.txt, structured data), and topical authority (E-E-A-T). Every page must be designed to be "citable" by an AI, meaning each paragraph should function as a standalone answer to a specific question. For deeper technical insights, check our guide on loading speed and its SEO impact.

Google AI Overviews: How to Optimize Your Moroccan Website#

Google's AI Overviews are AI-generated panels that appear above organic results. In 2026, they cover approximately 40% of informational queries in French and English in Morocco (source: Ahrefs Blog). For Arabic queries, rollout is underway and expected to reach similar coverage by the end of 2026.

For a Moroccan website to appear in AI Overviews, several rules must be followed. First, content should begin with an "AI snippet": a 40-to-60-word paragraph that directly answers the question posed in the title. Second, each H2 section must address a sub-topic independently, with numerical data and verifiable sources. Tables and lists are particularly well extracted by Google's AI.

Prices in Moroccan dirhams (MAD) provide a competitive advantage for Moroccan sites. For example, an article about SEO audit costs that mentions a range of 3,000 to 15,000 MAD for an e-commerce site in Casablanca will be cited more readily than a generic article in euros. Likewise, references to cities like Rabat, Marrakech, Tangier, or Agadir strengthen local relevance.

Steps to optimize your pages:

1. Add an AI snippet at the beginning of each article (40-60 words, bolded)
2. Structure with modular H2s: each section should answer a question
3. Include comparative tables with local data (MAD prices, cities)
4. Cite 2 to 3 reliable external sources per article
5. Update monthly your strategic articles

The llms.txt File: Technical Guide for AI Crawlers#

The llms.txt file is the equivalent of robots.txt for language models. Placed at the root of your site (yoursite.ma/llms.txt), it tells AI crawlers (GPTBot, Google-Extended, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot) which pages to index and how to interpret your content.

For a Moroccan website, the ideal llms.txt configuration includes several elements. The "about" section describes the business, location (Morocco), and languages (fr, ar, en). The "sitemap" section points to the XML sitemap. The "preferred-content" section lists pillar pages to prioritize. The "contact" section provides details for E-E-A-T verification.

Recommended structure:

• about: Company description, city (Casablanca, Rabat, etc.), industry
• sitemap: XML sitemap URL
• preferred-content: URLs of pillar pages (services, guides, case studies)
• languages: fr, ar, en
• contact: Email and phone for authority verification

The cost of setting up an llms.txt file through an agency in Morocco ranges from 500 to 2,000 MAD depending on site complexity. It is a minimal investment for potentially significant visibility gains in generative search. To understand how algorithm updates impact your site, check our guide to recovering after a Google update.

Schema.org in 2026: Essential Markup for Morocco#

Schema.org markup has become indispensable for GEO. In 2026, Google uses structured data not only for rich snippets but also to feed AI Overviews. Sites that implement comprehensive markup are 2.5 times more likely to be cited in generative responses (source: Google Search Central).

Priority schemas for a Moroccan website in 2026:

Detailed author implementation is particularly important: name, role, photo, social profile links. This strengthens E-E-A-T signals that Google uses to evaluate content reliability before citing it in an AI Overview. For a site based in Fez or Meknes, LocalBusiness schema with GPS coordinates and opening hours improves visibility in generative local searches.

The average cost of a complete Schema.org audit in Morocco ranges from 2,000 to 8,000 MAD, depending on the number of pages and site complexity. CMS platforms like WordPress have plugins (Rank Math, Yoast) that simplify implementation, but a manual audit remains recommended for e-commerce or multilingual sites.

E-E-A-T in the AI Era: Building Trust for Moroccan Websites#

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) remains Google's fundamental criterion for determining which content deserves to be cited by AI. In 2026, E-E-A-T signals are more important than ever because AI Overviews must rely on trustworthy sources to avoid misinformation.

For a Moroccan website, strengthening E-E-A-T involves several concrete actions. Experience is demonstrated through local case studies, verified client testimonials, and data specific to the Moroccan market. Expertise requires detailed author pages, displayed certifications, and regular publications in the area of competence. Authoritativeness is built through backlinks from authoritative Moroccan websites (.ma domains, national media, chambers of commerce). Trustworthiness demands complete legal notices, a privacy policy compliant with CNDP (Commission Nationale de Protection des Donnees), and verifiable contact information.

Priority actions for E-E-A-T in 2026:

• Detailed author page: Photo, biography, qualifications, LinkedIn links
• Local case studies: Quantified results for clients in Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech
• Visible certifications: Google Partner, Meta Business Partner, etc.
• Complete legal notices: ICE, RC, physical address in Morocco
• Local backlinks: Moroccan media, professional directories, partners

Content Modularity: Writing for AI and Humans#

In 2026, content must be designed modularly: each section, each paragraph, each table should be extractable and citable independently by AI. This approach does not sacrifice human readability; on the contrary, it improves it by imposing clarity, structure, and precision.

The principle is simple: each H2 section answers a specific question. The first paragraph of each section provides a synthetic answer (the "snippet"). Subsequent paragraphs develop with data, examples, and sources. Tables and lists organize information in a scannable manner.

For the Moroccan market, content modularity has an additional dimension: multilingualism. A site that offers the same modular content in French, standard Arabic, and potentially Darija maximizes its capture surface across different search modes. Darija queries on Google in Morocco represent a growing segment, and AI Overviews are beginning to process them.

Content modularity checklist:

1. Each H2 answers an identifiable question
2. First paragraph of each section: direct answer (40-60 words)
3. Numerical data: MAD prices, local statistics, percentages
4. Comparative tables: at least one per article
5. FAQ at the end of the article: 3 to 5 questions in ### Question? format
6. External sources: minimum 2 links to studies or official documentation

AI and Search Trends in Morocco: What Is Changing in 2026#

The search landscape in Morocco is undergoing a profound transformation. Beyond Google, Moroccans are increasingly using ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini for their searches, particularly in B2B and technology segments. In Casablanca and Rabat, marketing and business professionals use these tools for competitive intelligence, provider research, and service comparison.

Morocco-specific trends for 2026:

The average SEO budget for a Moroccan SME in 2026 ranges from 3,000 to 15,000 MAD per month, including content creation, technical optimization, and performance tracking. Businesses in Tangier, Agadir, or Oujda often benefit from more competitive rates than those based in Casablanca, while still being able to target a national market through digital.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is traditional SEO still useful in Morocco in 2026?#

Yes, SEO fundamentals (technical, content, links) remain essential. GEO adds to traditional SEO rather than replacing it. A site with good Core Web Vitals, quality content, and strong backlinks has a better chance of being cited in AI Overviews. In Morocco, sites optimized for speed (LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms) have a notable advantage because mobile connection quality varies by region.

How do you create an llms.txt file for a Moroccan website?#

Create a text file named llms.txt at the root of your domain. Include your business description, location in Morocco, supported languages (fr, ar, en), your sitemap URL, and a list of your pillar pages. Allow GPTBot, Google-Extended, and PerplexityBot in your robots.txt. Deployment takes less than an hour and costs nothing if you do it yourself.

What budget should you plan for a GEO strategy in Morocco?#

The cost depends on site size and industry. For a Moroccan SME, expect between 5,000 and 20,000 MAD for an initial GEO audit, then between 3,000 and 10,000 MAD per month for implementation (modular content creation, Schema.org markup, AI Overviews monitoring). Competitive sectors (real estate in Casablanca, tourism in Marrakech) require higher budgets.

Do AI Overviews work in Arabic in Morocco?#

Google is progressively rolling out AI Overviews in standard Arabic. In 2026, they cover approximately 20% of informational queries in Arabic in Morocco, with coverage increasing each quarter. Darija queries are not yet reliably processed, but the trend is toward improvement. Optimizing content in standard Arabic with correct hreflang markup remains the best strategy.

Conclusion#

SEO in 2026 in Morocco is now played on two fronts: traditional ranking and generative search optimization (GEO). Sites that combine modular content, comprehensive Schema.org markup, an llms.txt file, and strong E-E-A-T signals will dominate results across both blue links and AI Overviews. To implement a strategy suited to your business, explore the services of our SEO agency in Morocco.