SEO Trends 2026: A Guide for Decision-Makers
Search isn’t what it used to be. For years, search engine optimization (SEO) was primarily focused on keywords, backlinks, and page speed. However, decision-makers now recognize that SEO in 2026 will be significantly different, featuring algorithmic AI models, fragmented discovery journeys, and an increased number of “zero-click” results that prevent users from reaching your website at all.
SEO in 2026 may become more challenging to game and optimize in traditional ways. Search engine traffic could drop as much as 25% by 2026, according to Search Engine Land.
Exploding Topics reported that just 8% of searchers always click through Google’s new AI Overviews. For decision-makers, that’s a troubling new trend, not trivia: failing to optimize for 2026 could mean the difference between growth and stagnation.
SEO in 2026 isn’t about playing the old game: it’s about mastering new rules for authority, experience, and AI-friendly visibility. Every decision-maker should know these trends for what’s to come.
Trend 1: AI Overviews & Zero-Click SEO
AI Overviews (also known as “AI summaries”) are an emerging trend that’s revolutionizing the way people search. Instead of choosing from ten blue links, decision-makers must consider the implications of Google’s AI-generated answers, often stopping the search journey there.
The Challenge: Less organic traffic reaching brand websites.
The Risk: Playing the old SEO game while your competitors move on.
The Opportunity: On-SERP optimization to show up directly in AI Overviews, featured snippets, and “People Also Ask” cards.
Stat to note: Statistic to remember: Exploding Topics found 92% of users do not always click through from AI Overviews. In 2026, visibility on the results page itself (not just ranking #1) will separate the winners from the also-rans.
Decision-Maker Action Plan
Audit your content for answer-friendly formatting (clear headings, FAQs, schema markup).
Invest in authoritative, helpful content that AI models will want to quote.
Track where your brand currently shows up in AI Overviews — and where it doesn’t show up but should.
Key Takeaway: in 2026, zero-click SEO is on the rise. Visibility on the SERP itself is becoming more important than driving traffic, and leaders will need to adapt or get left behind.
Photo by Mehdi Mirzaie on Unsplash
Trend 2: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) & Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
Search is heading linkless. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) are driving one of the most significant shifts in 2026 in how brands think about and achieve online visibility.
What They Are:
AEO is about structuring content to appear in AI-powered answers (Google’s AI Overviews, Perplexity, ChatGPT search integrations, etc.)
GEO is the developing practice/science of shaping content so it’s more likely to be cited by large language models (LLMs) within their generative responses
This isn’t just a theory. Research published on arXiv suggests that Generative Engine Optimization can lead to up to 40% more visibility within AI-driven results when content is structured for AI citation. As the New York Magazine bluntly put it: “SEO is dead. Say hello to GEO.”
Key Takeaway: Search Engine Land points out how “answer engines” like Perplexity and ChatGPT are fragmenting search, making it clear that the future of SEO won’t be limited to Google rankings. But from a decision-maker’s perspective, this goes beyond a simple change in tooling.
Why This Matters for Decision-Makers
This isn’t just about branding or technical details: at its core, this is about whether your brand gets cited by the digital gatekeepers that influence your customers. Picture a potential client opening their digital assistant and asking: “Who are the best wellness consultants in the U.S.?” If you haven’t structured your content for generative engines, you risk not even showing up in the answer, despite otherwise perfect traditional SEO.
What Decision-Makers Should Do
Structure for AI: Format your content with clear, fact-based statements, citations, and schema markup that make your content “quotable” for AIs.
Experiment with AEO: Add FAQ pages, and test conversational copy that better aligns with how people ask questions to AI.
Invest in Authority Signals: AI assistants pull from authority signals from sources they trust. This makes backlinks, digital PR, and E-E-A-T stronger than ever.
Key Takeaway: Search interest for AI Overviews has skyrocketed, growing 99x in just two years (via Exploding Topics). Pair that with arXiv’s finding that a 40% visibility increase can be expected from GEO, and the message is clear. By 2026, decision-makers won’t be able to afford to ignore generative search optimization.
Photo by Robb Miller on Unsplash
Trend 3: Demonstrating Topical Authority With E-E-A-T
SEO has long been about keywords and backlinks. By 2026, however, the brands that win won’t just rank for individual terms — they’ll own entire conversations. This refers to topical authority, specifically Google’s E-E-A-T framework, an acronym for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
In Search Engine Journal’s 2026 SEO Outlook, a top-ranking factor identified for the coming year was topical authority. WordStream offered a similar view, pointing to Google’s algorithms favoring sites that show real depth, relevance, and credibility across groups of related content.
Why This Matters for Decision-Makers
Decision-makers can no longer think of SEO as a one-time campaign. Search engines — and increasingly AI models — prefer brands that show consistent expertise. This involves creating a content ecosystem comprising articles, white papers, case studies, and third-party mentions that are tightly linked and collectively reinforce a position as an authority on a specific topic.
For example, let’s say your brand aspires to thought leadership in “sustainable wellness.” It’s no longer enough to rank for one key blog post. You need an interlinked cluster of content, including FAQs, trend roundups, customer case studies, explainer videos, and third-party mentions, that builds your brand as the trusted source.
What Decision-Makers Should Do
Map Your Content Clusters: Pinpoint areas where you have a few pieces of content but need more depth. Supplement main topics with related articles to build out clusters.
Prioritize Authority Signals: Earn digital PR, guest contributions, and trusted backlinks — these are still key trust markers for Google.
Demonstrate Real Experience: Above all, your content must show lived experience (case studies, proprietary data, founder perspectives). This is what distinguishes your content from AI chatter.
Key Takeaway: In its 2026 SEO predictions, Search Engine Journal underlined that authority isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s survival. Brands that fail to demonstrate E-E-A-T are being de-prioritized not just in Google’s results but also in the AI-powered overviews driving next-gen search.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Trend 4: Multimodal Discovery (Search Is Fragmented)
Search is no longer a one-stop shop. By 2026, discovery is fragmented across platforms, devices, and formats — and decision-makers must understand that audiences no longer rely solely on “Google it.”
Search Engine Land describes this as the rise of “format-first, not platform-first” discovery. This means users expect the correct content type — video, audio, infographic, or article — at the right time, regardless of whether they’re on Google, TikTok, YouTube, or an AI assistant.
At the same time, their “5 New Realities of Search” describes multimodal discovery where users combine voice queries, video snippets, Reddit threads, and AI summaries in one decision journey.
Why This Matters for Decision-Makers
The SEO strategy focuses on the website as the primary destination. But by 2026, the content format will be as important as the message itself. A brand might not get a site click if a TikTok video, YouTube Short, or Reddit answer first satisfies the query.
Leaders need to adopt multichannel, multi-format strategies rather than relying solely on “blog-only” SEO. The question is no longer just “How do we rank?” but “How do we show up in formats our audience is most likely to consume?”
What Decision-Makers Should Do
Audit Content by Format, Not Topic: Identify where your audience is discovering (video, audio, text, interactive) and ensure your presence there.
Prioritize Video & Voice Optimization: Video descriptions, transcripts, and structured metadata are key for discovery.
Meet Users in Their Journeys: Consider TikTok search, podcast snippets, Reddit mentions, and YouTube how-tos — not just web articles.
Key Takeaway: In 2026, online visibility isn’t just about ranking on Google. As Search Engine Land says, “content must be designed for discovery in multiple formats” or risk disappearing in a fragmented search landscape.
Trend 5: User Experience & Core Web Vitals Still Rule
SEO experts have been saying this for a while, but the rise of AI doesn’t change one thing: user experience is still a requirement, not a nice-to-have. Google continues to value Core Web Vitals (including page speed, mobile-friendliness, interactivity, and visual stability) as signals in its ranking algorithm. In 2026, decision-makers should take note and start to see UX as a growth strategy, rather than a box-ticking exercise.
Strong technical infrastructure and user experience remain nonnegotiable pillars of search visibility. As Search Engine Land articulates, neglecting UX can undermine SEO performance, even when rankings appear solid. In specialized AI contexts, sources like ByFinesse argue that technical excellence is essential for AI visibility — but it alone isn’t enough without credibility and trust-building.
Decision-Maker: Why You Should Care
Clients who seek luxury, prestige, or high-value products/services do not appreciate it when things become clunky or fail to work. Not only does it cost ranking,s but also reputation. Search engines are increasingly treating user experience as a barometer for brand authority, as users do too.
If your brand’s product/service is top-notch, that expectation should extend to the digital experience. In a 2026 search environment where user experience is king, the site, its content, and how it looks, loads, and responds on every device should meet the same high standards.
Decision-Maker Recommended Actions
Measure & Optimise for Core Web Vitals: Regularly measure your site’s performance and loading speed, responsiveness, and visual stability.
Mobile-First, Responsive Design: With mobile-first indexing and mobile discovery trends, ensure your content design and mobile site versions are optimized for the small screen first.
Accessibility and Inclusivity: Design for all users (consider ADA, alt-text, and navigability, among others), as this is also a ranking factor.
Performance-First Culture: Foster a performance culture where UX optimisation is a continuous investment, not a one-time project.
Key Takeaway: Fast, accessible, and mobile-friendly experiences remain essential ranking signals in 2026, according to industry leaders like Search Engine Land. In other words, this isn’t just about ticking an SEO compliance box — it’s about safeguarding your brand’s authority in a search environment where technical issues can still cost you both visibility and trust.
Trend 6: Authenticity vs AI Spam
The rise of generative AI has led to a surge of AI-generated content across the web. Some is helpful — but a lot is just fluff, or worse, insincere or disingenuous. Smart search engines and AI assistants are getting more efficient at weeding out what they perceive as “search spam.”
WIRED warns that the next few years will see a glut of AI fluff, which will make authentic, human voices more important than ever. The Guardian, for its part, highlights how “generative engine optimization” can be gamed, and raises the question: if bad actors are manipulating search results, can we trust AI-generated search results at all?
Either way, for decision-makers, it underscores the important point: when your brand gets lost in a sea of low-effort or suspect AI-generated content, your online presence and your brand image both suffer.
Why This Matters for Decision-Makers
Clients and investors are well-informed and can sniff out “cookie-cutter” messaging a mile away. In an AI-dominated search landscape, an authentic voice is your differentiation factor. Search engines will prioritize human experience, unique perspective, and, most of all, verifiable expertise.
This is more than SEO 101; this is building brand trust. AI spam is optimized for short-term engagement, but brands that tell genuine stories and share valuable insights are the ones that foster long-term loyalty.
What Decision-Makers Should Do
Put a Face to Your Content: Author bios, thought-leadership articles, and bylines linked to real people reinforce trust signals.
Use Real Data & Insights: Share case studies, survey results, or first-person expertise that AI can’t duplicate.
Audit Your “AI-Generic” Content: Scan existing materials for tone, depth, and originality. If it could’ve been auto-generated, cut it.
Emphasize Your Brand Voice & Perspective: Don’t shy away from taking a stance or showcasing lived experience — it’s what sets your content apart.
Key Takeaway: WIRED points out that AI spam is making authentic voices more critical, not less. The Guardian highlights that AI-generated search is vulnerable to manipulation by malicious actors, suggesting that originality and trust will remain the primary competitive advantages in 2026.
Trend 7: First-Party Data & Privacy-First SEO
With third-party cookies being phased out and data privacy regulations expanding, first-party data is emerging as one of the most valuable assets for SEO and digital marketing strategy. Search engines increasingly reward brands that demonstrate transparency, ethical data practices, and personalized experiences that respect user privacy.
As Infotrust notes, in a “privacy-centric era,” first-party data provides a sustainable advantage as external identifiers disappear. Usercentrics similarly highlights that marketers must prepare for a future of privacy-led measurement, where compliance and trust become ranking factors in their own right. And Search Engine Journal emphasizes that privacy-first approaches are already reshaping how search engines operate — a shift that will only accelerate in the years ahead.
Why This Matters for Decision-Makers
Search is moving from a “visibility game” to a “credibility game.”
Users are becoming increasingly aware of and interested in how their data is collected, shared, and used.
Regulators are paying attention. Search engines are already considering trust and transparency as ranking factors.
Decision-makers can use this as a brand reputation exercise that ties into SEO. It’s not just about compliance — it’s about building trust with users (and Google).
What Decision-Makers Should Do
Focus on building direct relationships with customers: Drive email sign-ups, loyalty programs, gated content, and any other initiatives that trade value for data.
Make privacy and transparency a priority: Always be upfront and transparent about how users’ data is collected and used. It helps with trust signals with users and search algorithms.
Align with SEO strategy: Utilize first-party data such as search queries and behavioural data to inform content strategy and creation.
Invest in future-proof measurement tools and analytics: Prioritizing those that prioritize user privacy while also providing valuable insights and data.
Key Takeaway: By 2026, SEO will heavily favor brands that combine trustworthy, authoritative signals with privacy-first practices. For decision-makers, get ahead of the curve early.
Photo by Sumaid pal Singh Bakshi on Unsplash
Preparing for the Future of SEO
The SEO future isn’t arriving — it’s already here. Between AI-driven overviews, generative optimization, fragmented discovery, and privacy-first strategies, the rules of search are changing faster than most organizations can keep pace.
On the one hand, that presents a challenge for decision-makers. Brands that fail to evolve in the years ahead will suffer a loss of visibility, authority, and relevance as the 2026 AI-first search landscape takes hold. However, on the other hand, the opportunities ahead for those who do are even greater. Organizations that build authority, embrace multimodal discovery, and invest in authentic, data-driven SEO strategies will be the ones who not only thrive in rankings but also stand out in the minds of their audiences.
It takes more than reading through another list of SEO trends to stay ahead. It takes strategy. Execution. Iteration.
If your organization is preparing for the next era of SEO, let’s talk. I partner with brands to develop forward-looking content and search strategies that create long-term impact.
