7 SEO and AI Search Trends to Watch in 2026

With 68% of online experiences starting with a search, ranking high in search engine results helps to generate leads for your business or brand. As AI reshapes the way search results appear and how people discover information online, staying updated with recent trends is essential.

I’m Henry Purchase, founder of SEOSpace, the SEO extension for Squarespace. In this article, I’ll cover seven key SEO and AI search trends for 2026, along with challenges and tips to stay ahead. If you’re new to SEO, start with our introductory guide.

1. AI-first search

AI assistants like ChatGPT are transforming how people search, with AI expected to handle 25% of global queries by 2026. This shifts search results away from the traditional “10 blue links” model and toward direct answers that are personalized to a user’s search history, preferences, and past behavior.

Once you try this yourself, it becomes clear why some people prefer AI-powered results. They can get the information they need instantly, instead of clicking through multiple websites. AI search also offers more straightforward responses—right now, users don’t have to navigate past ads, sidebars, or carousels to reach details or page links. Search engines like Google are also continuing to roll out more AI overviews in results to create a similar search experience, pushing individual website results further down the page.

AI overviews

AI overviews are becoming mainstream in search results. These are summaries that directly answer a user’s question at the top of the search engine results page (SERP), reducing the need to scroll through individual results. While the aim is to improve user experience, this trend is not without its drawbacks.

Test it out yourself: Go to Google or another major search engine and search for “website builder” or “Squarespace SEO.”

AI overviews currently appear above organic results, thereby taking the spotlight on SERPs. This leads to more zero-click searches, where users find the information they need without clicking through to a website.

To ensure your website benefits from this new SEO trend:

• Concentrate on producing unique and informative content that stands out from what AI and Google already know. As Google and other search engines begin linking sources to their AI-generated summaries, having distinctive content gives you an edge.

• Build an enduring online brand presence and reputation. When your business is recognized and frequently searched for, it enhances your credibility and increases the likelihood of being referenced in these summaries and AI search results.

• Create clickworthy content. Not every topic is easily summarized. You can still attract traffic by covering topics that require depth and expertise. Or, introduce a unique angle or perspective that offers something a summary can’t.

Read our beginner’s guide to AI SEO

2. AI optimization and agentic AI

Traditional SEO remains essential, but AI optimization is fast emerging as its next frontier. 

By 2026, AI optimization—sometimes referred to as AEO, GEO, or AIO—will be as critical as SEO, driven by growing adoption of AI search and the rise of agentic AI. These are autonomous systems capable of exploring, interpreting, and acting on content without human direction. Imagine having your own AI helpers acting as digital detectives, scanning the web to identify the best businesses and content for any search; that’s agentic AI. 

To stay competitive for AI-first buyers, it’s important to optimize your site so these AI helpers find and recommend your site to target customers.

The principles of AIO

AIO builds on SEO’s foundations, but the focus is on optimizing for how AI understands and interacts with your website. The core principles include:

• Structured data and metadata: Use schema markup in your website code to label sections like FAQs and reviews, use defined headings, and write comprehensive SEO titles and descriptions to help AI agents interpret your site’s purpose and content.

• Content depth and clarity: Create content that answers questions fully, with helpful context, ensuring AI can extract why your response is unique and should be recommended.

• Speed and accessibility: Maintain fast page load times, mobile readiness, and clean site navigation so both users and algorithms can explore your website effortlessly. 

• Brand building: AI engines rely on “entities” to understand what a business is, what it does, and whether it’s worth recommending in results. You can build a recognizable entity and brand by creating a social media presence, getting reviews, and listing your site in business directories.

Adapting for AIO isn’t about replacing SEO; it’s about future-proofing it. As agentic AI and search systems continue to shape discovery and decision-making, the goal is to make your content instantly understandable to both humans and intelligent machines. Applying these tactics early will help you stay visible and relevant as search changes.

Read more about AI-first shopping

3. Building brand reputation through user-generated content (UGC)

Brand reputation influences not only traditional SEO, but also AI-driven search outcomes. As artificial intelligence technologies evolve, they’re relying on what others are saying about your brand to become more contextually aware.

They assess your reputation and entity by collecting data from reviews, UGC, and social media mentions, considering both sentiment and star ratings. This all informs search and AI’s knowledge about your brand and influences whether your pages appear in results.

Leverage proven SEO tactics to improve brand reputation

To enhance your online brand reputation, particularly in local searches, consider collecting user reviews and testimonials on platforms like Google Business Profile and social media.

• Collect reviews. You can use an extension like SEOSpace Local to ask customers to leave authentic reviews that describe their experience with your business. This helps AI and search engines to better understand your business.

• Maintain a visible and active social media presence. You can ask your followers questions to get discussions going about your brand. Positive comments you receive from users will inform AI crawlers.

• Embed user reviews on your website. This strategy goes beyond making AI context-aware; it helps potential customers see how your business is impacting others’ lives, which can drive their decision-making process.

4. An increasing focus on EEAT

The importance of Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EEAT) is expected to increase in 2026, putting a stronger emphasis on showcasing first-hand knowledge in your website content. These are signals search engines use to evaluate the quality and trustworthiness of your content.  

You can demonstrate these qualities on your website and web pages by including author bios, citations, and professional qualifications. They indicate to search algorithms that your site is more likely to provide helpful, accurate information and therefore deserves a higher ranking.

An effective SEO strategy focused on EEAT involves several key elements to ensure web page quality, including:

• Clarity: Ensure your content is easy to read and understand, effectively communicating your message without ambiguity.

• Accuracy: Provide factual, well-researched information that is supported by evidence or credible sources.

• Human effort: Highlight the unique perspectives and insights that only human expertise can offer. This differentiates your content from AI-generated or less informed material.

• Information gain: Offer valuable insights that contribute something new to the topic. The goal is to ensure readers find your content both engaging and helpful.

• Matching intent: When creating content, align it with the user’s search intent. This means understanding what someone is really looking for when they type in a search term. Are they seeking information, looking to make a purchase, or trying to navigate to a specific page?

• Freshness: Keep your content up to date with the latest information to maintain relevance and helpfulness. To let search engines know the content is recent, consider adding a visible “Last Updated” tag to your content.

The goal of EEAT is to ensure your page offers higher quality information and value than competitors. By providing unique and helpful insights that go beyond generic content, you’ll engage users more effectively.

This approach is no different from what the most impactful SEO has always been about: creating valuable content that meets user needs.

5. Growing relevance of video content

As AI-generated content becomes more prevalent, the demand for genuine, human-produced content is growing. Videos, in particular, are set to play a big role in search engine optimization strategies.

Unlike articles and blog posts, AI has yet to convincingly replicate the authenticity and relatability of humans speaking directly to a camera. And with AI now indexing video transcripts for search, video content is an invaluable tool for connecting with a wider audience.

As more people consume video on search engines and social media platforms, creating authentic, human-centric videos can significantly boost your search rankings and visibility. Consider how you can weave video into your content strategy, whether that’s on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, or video-only platforms like YouTube.

Short-form video content, such as YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels, are also a factor for search visibility. If you have the technical ability, you can also consider optimizing your videos with VideoObject schema and captions to help AI understand the video content better.

Embrace authentic storytelling on TikTok

TikTok can be a powerful tool for building brand trust and reach. It was once seen as a platform mainly used by Gen Z, but 26% of TikTok users are now over 35, so it can be highly effective no matter the audience you want to attract.

Its algorithm favors genuine, relatable content over polished ads, making it ideal for service providers and educators who want to connect directly with audiences.

To effectively leverage TikTok for storytelling:

• Share behind-the-scenes clips, quick educational insights, or customer stories.

• Engage with community trends, but tie them back to your brand’s values.

• Experiment with TikTok’s longer video formats and interactive features to deepen engagement.

Remember, every brand and audience is unique. It’s worth experimenting with TikTok, but set your own goals for the time you’ll invest in the platform versus other marketing efforts.

Improve brand visibility with YouTube

YouTube is a powerhouse for growing SEO and AI search citations. As the second-largest search engine after Google, creating targeted YouTube video content can increase your reach.

To improve discoverability, optimize your video titles, snippets, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords. Examples of content you can create for your business include tutorials, product demonstrations, or explainer videos that align with your audience’s search intent. You can use these videos to direct viewers towards your website or encourage them to take action.

For example, most blogs on the SEOSpace website have a corresponding YouTube video. This boosts SEOSpace’s discoverability and gives readers more engaging ways to consume our content. Engagement has been key in 2025, and I expect it to remain so in 2026.

6. A shift toward local SEO

As mobile devices, AI searches, and voice assistants rise in popularity, local search optimization is a priority for local businesses. This helps people discover your services and products in your local area.

AI search tools cross-check information from trusted directories, such as Yelp, Better Business Bureau (BBB), and Yellow Pages, to confirm a brand’s legitimacy. They also summarize those local results to provide recommendations and information in AI results or overviews. Keep your NAP data (name, address, phone) consistent across all listings to ensure accuracy and enhance credibility, and increase your chances of being referenced in AI search results.

The importance of Google Business Profile (GBP)

One of the most effective ways to boost your local SEO is to claim and optimize your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business).

Whether you connect to your GBP from SEOSpace Local or manage it separately, update your profile regularly with:

• Accurate business information

• Relevant categories

• Up-to-date hours

• High-quality photos

• Detailed service listings

This not only improves your visibility in local search results but also enhances your credibility with potential customers and ensures they have the right information when they visit.

Build local authority to dominate your niche

To further strengthen your local SEO in 2026, focus on building your local authority. Gather positive customer reviews, create location-specific content, and engage with your local community. Getting your site linked by local publications or partnerships with other local brands can also boost your authority, as AI assesses these when evaluating local credibility.

Location-based keywords are equally essential. These are the terms people use when searching for services in your area. Use SEOSpace or another keyword research method to identify these keywords, then naturally incorporate them into your website content, SEO titles, and descriptions.

It can take some time to see results from SEO, but search and AI algorithms reward brands that adapt quickly. Not every strategy will work the same for every brand or business, but take the time to make some adjustments, observe results, and lean in on what works best for you.

This post was updated on December 2, 2025.