5 SEO Predictions for 2026

Every year, SEOs write prediction posts (like this one). And every year, we don't really predict much of anything, to be honest. And its not that the logic is flawed or the posts are bad, but because we've been predicting incremental changes to a system that's fundamentally changing.

"Google will prioritize E-E-A-T even more." "You can shop from pictures." "Video content will be more important."

Yes, those are all pretty accurate but at the end of the day (or year) how much did that move the needle?

In 2026 however, we are looking at a BIG shift. Lots of different actual predictions and insights and opinions. It's exciting because now we must address what's actually happening: your buyers are researching in ChatGPT, validating on Reddit, watching comparisons on YouTube, and only Googling your brand name when they're ready to buy. And most people are still stuck on measuring success by organic traffic and rankings.

For 2026 let's forget the previous year's predictions that were more around tactical tweaks to your existing SEO playbook. This year, let's recognize that the game has changed and we have to change the rules.

Here's what I'm seeing:

Through my SEO courses on Coursera (reaching over 500,000+ learners), corporations I have consulted with, and more, I'm hearing the same story on repeat: "Our traffic is down, but we don't know why." "Our content gets zero clicks but we see our brand mentioned everywhere." "Attribution is completely broken."

The pattern is consistent across industries: brand search is declining while AI tool usage is exploding. Content that should be performing isn't getting clicks. Buyers are making decisions without ever visiting websites.

The clicks look like they've disappeared but they'ved moved to platforms we're not tracking.

So what does 2026 actually look like?

I'm not here to tell you "SEO is dead" or to panic about AI. I'm here to tell you what to expect based on real data, real user behavior, and real shifts I'm seeing across my students, clients, and community.

Rather than feeding you aspirational predictions, I am talking about trends that are already in motion. By the end of 2026, they'll be the new normal—and the companies that adapted early will have a massive advantage.

Here are the 5 shifts that will define SEO in 2026:

Prediction #1:
"Page One" Becomes Irrelevant

By the end of 2026, "ranking #1 on Google" will no longer be a meaningful KPI for most industries. We need to shift our focus from position and traffic-based reporting to looking at where are you visible within the buyer-journey. We need to begin identifying appropriate visibility metrics to track.

Google basically used to be a link directory, but in 2026 its moved on to becoming an answer engine. Between AI Overviews, AI Mode, featured snippets, stupidly well-blended ads, and People Also Ask boxes, the SERP itself has become the destination. Users get their answer, remember your brand name (maybe), and leave. No click required.

And it's getting worse fast. According to Search Engine Land's Q1 2025 data, only 40.3% of U.S. Google searchers clicked on an organic result in March 2025, down from 44.2% the year prior. That means nearly 60% of searches now end without any click to a website.

When AI Overviews appear, the situation gets even worse. According to Ahrefs, AI Overviews trigger a 34.5% decrease in click-through rate.

Why It Matters:

Your content can be performing perfectly (ranking #1, appearing in AI Overviews, getting cited in featured snippets) and you'll see a big decrease in direct traffic vs what you could have gotten just 2-3 years ago.

This breaks traditional SEO reporting. Your stakeholders will look at declining organic traffic and assume your SEO is failing, when in reality, your SEO is working exactly as intended. You're just not getting the right credit for it because the click never happens.

If you're measuring success by organic sessions and your content is increasingly appearing in zero-click formats, you're going to look like you're failing even when you're winning, which is a serious issue that needs to be correctly addressed in 2026.

What to Do About It:

1. Change how you measure success. Stop reporting solely on organic traffic. Start tracking:

• Impressions in Google Search Console (are people seeing your brand?)
• Branded search volume (are people remembering you, and searching for you by name after seeing you in zero-click results?)
• Share of voice in AI Overviews and featured snippets (are you the answer Google/AI is citing?)

2. Optimize to BE the answers on and off Google:

This means:

• Ensuring your content has a clear, direct answers in the first 50-100 words
• Using schema markup to help AI systems extract your content. It doesn't play a role (now) but you shouldnt assume it never will. If it's a low effort task to add - do it.
• Creating content that's quotable, cite-able, and extractable

The companies that thrive in 2026 will be the ones who understand that showing up in a zero-click result is now about awareness, and leads people through the funnel directly to their brand.

Prediction #2:
AI Assistants Will Shop for You

Actually, this isn't really a prediction since it's now here - but buckle up because this will grow.

On September 29, 2025, OpenAI launched Instant Checkout, powered by the Agentic Commerce Protocol. U.S. ChatGPT users can now buy directly from Etsy sellers right in the chat, with over 1 million Shopify merchants rolling out soon—including major brands like Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx, Vuori, Target, and Walmart.

Microsoft's Copilot launched its Merchant Program in April 2025. Perplexity rolled out "Buy with Pro" in late 2024. OpenAI's Operator agent is already handling restaurant bookings, grocery orders, and travel arrangements on behalf of users.

So the reality we have to prepare ourselves for is how much of e-commerce will flow through AI intermediaries instead of traditional websites by the end of 2026

In addition, AI is predicted to drive $260 billion in global online sales during the 2025 holiday season alone. And, 82% of consumers now trust AI-generated product recommendations, and 75% would trust AI to auto-refill shopping carts and automate ordering.

Why It Matters:

This changes how we think of conversion optimization as well as attribution from organic search.

Right now, your SEO strategy is built around this path: Rank → Click → Visit Website → Convert

In an agentic commerce world, the path becomes: Be in AI's dataset → AI recommends you → AI completes transaction → You never see the user

You could have perfect SEO, rank #1, have the best product, and still lose the sale because the AI chose a competitor based on a series of factors you may not be tracking (pricing, availability, reviews, partnerships with the AI platform, algorithm preferences).

This is especially critical for:

• E-commerce: Product discovery and purchase through AI
• Local businesses: "Find me a plumber near me and book an appointment"
• Service providers: "Schedule a consultation with a marketing consultant"
• SaaS: "Find me project management software and start a trial"

As one shopper told CNBC: "I feel like I've got that physical store associate that I'm talking to, so I feel like I'm getting better recommendations. I actually think my tendency to buy is higher because of ChatGPT."

What to Do About It:

1. Get on the platforms NOW. If you're a Shopify or Etsy merchant in the U.S., you can already enable Instant Checkout through ChatGPT. If you're using Salesforce Commerce, you can enable Agentforce Commerce integration with PayPal. Don't wait, early movers will dominate the recommendation algorithms.

Apply here if you're a merchant: OpenAI's merchant application process is open.

2. Ensure your data is AI-accessible. This means:

• Structured data for products, pricing, availability, reviews
• Clear, machine-readable information about your offerings
• Updated business hours, contact info, booking systems
• API integrations where possible (so AI agents can check real-time availability)

3. Optimize for AI recommendation criteria. You need to be the option the AI chooses when it acts on behalf of a user:

• Keep pricing competitive and transparent
• Maintain high review scores across platforms (AI tools pull from G2, Yelp, Google Reviews, merchant ratings)
• Ensure your product/service descriptions are clear and benefit-focused
• Make booking/purchasing as frictionless as possible

4. Monitor where you show up in AI outputs. Start testing monthly:

• "Find me [your product category] for [use case]"
• "Best [product] under $[price]"
• "Compare [your brand] to competitors"

Document whether you're being recommended, and if not, why. Are competitors showing up with better reviews? Clearer pricing? Stronger descriptions?

5. Reformulate your website content strategy. As one Shopify merchant told CNBC (above), instead of keyword stuffing with basic attributes (material, size, color), they're adding detailed information like "good for small spaces," "great for apartment living," "best gifts for kids under one year old." They're optimizing for the questions people ask AI, not the keywords people type into Google.

6. Understand you're shifting budgets. According to CNBC, retailers are "directing funds away from SEO, or search engine optimization, and into AEO, or answer engine optimization, and AEO consultants to help them navigate the shift."

The companies that win in agentic commerce won't necessarily be the ones with the best SEO. They'll be the ones that are easiest for AI to recommend and transact with, and they'll have integrated with the major AI platforms before their competitors did.