SEO is one of the most dynamic fields. Managing the changes and updates can often be tricky for online businesses. It is incredibly crucial to stay informed about the latest SEO trends. Why? That’s one of the key ways to stay ahead in the industry. It also plays a vital role in beating your competitors.
With 2026 being just around the corner, there have been a lot of advancements in SEO lately. It is anticipated that the global market for SEO would reach $143.9 billion by 2030. Building an SEO strategy in 2026 would mean having discipline and something that will cut through the noise. But with all AI things going on, will SEO be relevant in 2026?
Will SEO Be Relevant in 2026?
Yes, very much. SEO will still be relevant and practical in 2026. There are around 99,000 searches on Google per second, even in 2025.
From keywords to backlinks, everything will be of utmost importance. Technical SEO, on-page SEO and every other component of SEO will be relevant and valid in 2026.
So, if you’re worried about what to do ahead, you need to refine the strategies. The sentiment of your target audience may have changed. However, the effectiveness of SEO is still very relevant. Many people are also looking into ways to hack into new strategies. If you do it the right way, that could play in your favour.
For SEO to work well, you must first understand the changing customer sentiments and their demands. If you’re thinking of black hat SEO, that might be the wrong way to approach it. Instead, white hat SEO is still very effective in terms of driving results. So, make sure to be aware of the upcoming trends to make a difference.
What SEO Trends to Follow in 2026?
Are you ready to change how your website functions? Well, you must follow the top SEO trends that will help you stay ahead. Here are some of the top ones to know of:
1. EEAT Becomes an Important Factor
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness (EEAT) become more critical than ever. A brand with strong EEAT will always outshine the competitors. Google lists out all the essential factors to determine how EEAT works. However, you’ll have to implement strategies that would establish the trustworthiness of your brand.
The Google June Core Update of 2025 has brought out a significant shift in SEO. Shorter blogs with real-life or authentic experiences are gaining more visibility than the long, well-informed blogs. This can also be considered one of Google’s ways for combating AI-generated content.
Image Source- Moz
EEAT is social proof for your brand. Even today, search engines need to figure out which website are trustworthy enough. Apart from backlinks, in 2025, your brand would need credible stories and case studies to rank. Your brand must have solid proof of others saying something good about you.
2. Clickbait Title Tags Will Be on the Rise
One of the easiest ways to draw someone’s attention is to clickbait them. YouTube is one of the top platforms where this tactic is used. It won’t be wrong to say that Google is following the footprint. Personal titles with an emotional hook can always help to increase CTR.
With the SEO landscape changing, these personal clickbait titles appear on higher rankings than the SEO-optimised titles. For clickbait, you don’t necessarily have to lie or fool your audience. You can be genuine and evoke emotion to increase CTR. Make sure you’re using clickbait in the proper manner to deliver what you promise.
With clickbait being on the rise, you can optimise your titles. Including first-person pronouns and emotional hooks can be a great way. Add some depth and personality to your titles. At the same time, make sure that you’re delivering what you promise. If you’re actually delivering what you promise, you’re not fooling your audience. However, make sure that you’re not fooling your audience with wrong content. This might have a negative impact on your EEAT and bring down your rankings.
3. Get Over AI Buzz
The last few years have all been about AI. There have been so many talks of AI taking over Google. Marketing professionals are all bombarded with top influencers stepping in to ride the AI train. While it is hyped up, the impact is slowly dying. People are seeing through the AI facade, and now they want effective results. Around 55% of the audience is uncomfortable with AI. Thus, brands must present themselves as more humane.
Undoubtedly, there are numerous benefits of LLM. But you still need to be mindful of SEO if you want your business to be found. Many claim that AI search is better than SEO. In fact, some claim that ChatGPT has a 16% better conversion rate than traditional SEO and better than Google. But where does the data that ChatGPT provides come from? Through Google.
You don’t need to shift your entire strategy to focus on ChatGPT. Instead, you should optimize it better to drive results. Focus on the AI search tools, but do not miss out on the importance of Google. While you keep experimenting with AI strategies, ensure that you’re not abandoning SEO or Google completely. After all, that’s where you’re getting your business traffic from. Balancing them both well can also help in conversion and drive results.
4. Human Content Over AI-Generated Content
AI-generated content can be tempting. After all, it’s easy to create. However, there’s a shift now with the audience preferring human content over AI-generated content. Engaging human content will consistently outperform AI content.
Google prefers quality over quantity. Therefore, it’s best to produce high-quality, informative and engaging human blogs. This would help your content rank higher on the search engine pages. Although it would take time to rank the blogs organically, it is totally worth it.
Creating original content has a positive impact on your EEAT. This will increase your chances of ranking better in search engine pages. Apart from sharing insights, it’s best to use real videos and images too. Featuring videos has helped 88% marketers generate leads and improve ROI. So, build a topical authority for your brand in your niche. As a result, you can actually grow slowly and beat the bigger brands.
Conclusion
With AI being everywhere, it is not difficult to spot it. Beyond that lies a big SEO opportunity that brands must capitalize on. It is essential to understand trends that would drive organic traffic. Don’t just fear what AI is going to do. Instead, build your authentic SEO strategy to be relevant even in 2025. The shift can be overwhelming, but if you do it right, you won’t face any challenges.
