5 SEO Trends to Watch in 2026
With ongoing advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), the world of search engine optimization (SEO) continues to shift rapidly. Keeping up with these trends is essential to your success as a web designer and your client’s ultimate satisfaction.
There are several emerging search engine optimization (SEO) trends that are shaping the digital landscape. By understanding and implementing these strategies, you can position yourself and your clients to result in higher search rankings with increased online visibility. The following trends will redefine how you approach web design and SEO in 2026.
1. AI optimization (AIO)
Search engines are increasingly using AI to improve search results through AI summaries and overviews. AI search engines, such as SearchGPT and ChatGPT Atlas, are also becoming more popular.
AI isn't just an emerging technology; it’s taking a huge slice of the search market, with ChatGPT attracting about 2.5 billion queries per day.
For businesses looking to get more visibility and be included in search recommendations from these new tools, AI optimization—the art of making your website visible in AI overview summaries and AI chat responses—is indispensable.
Unlike traditional search engines that direct visitors to your website, AI search engines can present your brand directly in search summaries. This approach demands a shift in strategy: it's not just about being visible; it's about being an authoritative voice that AI agents will recommend and interact with.
To keep up with the trend:
Regularly conduct AI audits to understand how AI search engines perceive your brand. You can do this by asking your preferred AI platform questions like “Do you know what makes brand_name unique?”
From the responses, see how AI presents your brand. Then, compare it with what you want to be recommended for and decide what changes need to be made on your site.
To change how your online presence is perceived, identify the source of the displayed information. Then, edit it what you have access to or contact whoever manages the referring site to help you correct the impression.
You can also ask AI to tell you what it usually looks for when recommending a brand or business like yours. This will give you specific ideas of what to improve.
Use Squarespace’s AI Visibility to see if and how your site appears in ChatGPT results. The tool analyzes your site content, generates relevant branded and non-branded prompts, checks whether ChatGPT mentions your business, and summarizes visibility in a dashboard within Squarespace. From there, you can review prompts, customize them, set benchmarks against competitors, and track shifts over time.
2. Brand sentiment
AI search engines rely on user experience (UX) to gauge a brand or business’s reputation. Since AI lacks personal experience, these systems depend on indicators, such as public opinions and brand mentions, to determine whether a site is worth recommending.
You’ll want to position your brand so that you provide as much information as possible for when the AI recommends a web design business to potential clients.
Here’s how you can ensure traditional and AI search engines are aware of your brand:
Keep an active social media presence. Create posts that prompt clients to express how they feel about your brand, e.g., “How can we serve you better?”
Encourage user-generated content (UGC). Engage with current and potential clients in forums and on social media, fostering a community that actively discusses and supports your brand.
Engage with content creators. Identify journalists and influencers who can enhance credible brand mentions. This contributes to your site’s AIO relevance by acting as a digital vote of confidence.
Consistently deliver exceptional service and products. This is the foundation of positive brand sentiment.
3. Local search
Local search continues to play a pivotal role in SEO strategies, especially for businesses with physical locations or service areas. In fact, over 46% of Google searches aim to find local information, and 76% of such searches conducted on mobile devices lead to business visits within a day.
In 2026, optimizing for local SEO will be more crucial for your clients with brick-and-mortar businesses than ever before.
Here’s how to prioritize local search presence for you (or your client):
Make your business discoverable to locals. Your Google Business Profile (GBP) remains your most powerful tool in the local SEO toolbox. You need to claim and verify your profile, ensuring that your business information, including name, address, and phone number (NAP), is up to date.
Create engaging, location-centric content. Ensure you have a dedicated page for each location you serve and use phrases often used by your customers when looking for your product/service throughout the website.
Encourage clients to leave honest reviews on your business profile. About 71% of customers check online reviews before visiting a local business, and AI search engines depend on these reviews to gauge your business relevance. You can generate a Google reviews page link and QR code with SEOSpace Local.
Pro tip: Get listed on other local business directories and actively reply to all reviews to show your commitment to customer service and ongoing improvements.
4. Visibility-driven video marketing
The increasing popularity of AI search and summary means fewer direct clicks to websites on search engine result pages (SERPs). Many brands are now turning to video platforms like TikTok and YouTube to improve brand visibility.
With YouTube garnering more than a billion hours of views per day, it offers a space where brands can tell their story and engage viewers more interactively. The platform has become a place to explore knowledge and entertainment across a vast range of interests. You can find your audience by consistently creating the type of content they're looking for.
In addition, TikTok is popular among Gen Z (accounting for 60% of its users), who value authenticity and relatability. As a business owner, make a good impression on this audience by creating content they can relate to.
5. Experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (EEAT)
According to a study on 900,000 new web pages, 74% contained some form of AI-generated content. While Google does not outright penalize AI content, it has historically stated that experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (EEAT) are key indicators it looks for when ranking a web page.
AI hasn’t been able to replicate the EEAT signal that human creators naturally exhibit in their content, thus the increasing apathy among users. As a business, sticking with the EEAT concept will help you create content that resonates more with users, ultimately improving your search visibility.
I recommend the following:
Create content that showcases your experience and deep understanding of your niche. These types of content are well-researched, insightful, and often cite expert opinions. This can mean publishing case studies, conducting exclusive interviews, or sharing unique industry insights.
Humanize your brand. Research shows that sharing your business stories, like behind-the-scenes, challenges, and milestones, helps build trust with customers. This helps to showcase that you aren't just an experienced business but a growing one. No one can tell your story better than you; make the most of it.
Emerging SEO and AIO trends in 2026
As you adapt to the constantly changing world of SEO and AIO, incorporating these five trends will be essential for achieving success for both you and your clients in 2026 and beyond.
Staying ahead of these trends isn’t only about maintaining relevance—it’s about driving tangible results for your clients and projects. Implement these strategies methodically, measure their impact, and continuously refine your approach. For more SEO- and AIO-related content, check out the following articles:
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