8
In 2026 organic search volumes will continue to increase.
I'm seeing SO MUCH AI hype, but the reality is, a MAJORITY of searches are still traditional searches in Google for information, products, services etc.
Traditional SEO is STILL big, still in HIGH demand, still wanted by businesses.
But you know what I am seeing?
Hi Dan, we're looking for SEO support + GEO – yes, businesses are asking me for GEO.
Here are some KEY THINGS to think about:
1. Primary focus should be on SEO – good SEO is good GEO.
2. There is naturally cross-over with SEO and GEO i.e. what does the non JS rendered output look like? how popular is the brand? what does the content say about the brand, product, service, offering? how popular is the website (links, citations) etc.
3. YES, clicks are HARDER to get now – what with AI overviews, Google's push towards more AI mode utilisation + with more subtle blending between sponsored and paid results.
BUT – the demand is still there.
People still click on organic results.
Opportunity exists.
4. Forward SEO strategies should rely LESS on producing aimless content but MORE on producing content that is more likely to rank, be used in an AIO, more likely to be referenced in AI mode and picked up by LLMS.
In short:
- AI is answering a lot of questions that blogs once did.
- That means – brands get LESS exposure.
- It means – brands have less power to convert earlier in the user journey i.e .consideration phase.
- But it does not mean you won't get clicks.
A GOOD SEO Strategy in 2026 is:
1. Continuing to generate content that solves problems.
2. Build assets for content i.e. videos that you can also embed in your content and share via Youtube, Vimeo, Insta, TikTok.
3. Use your content + assets on other channels such as social.
4. Create more content around your brand, look at problem/solution content, look at ways you can leverage AI to give people something useful, a tool, a calculator, something interactive – make your content SEXY.
5. Focus on earning links – there's a HUGE web out there with billions of high quality websites – getting GOOD LINKS remains a cornerstone part of any SEO strategy.
6. Build POSITIVE brand sentiment – reviews, positive social interactions, encourage positive searches with your brand name.
7. Build a consistent brand profile (phone numbers, address, company details, contact, complaints, returns, support) – audit and maximise brand consistency both at website level and externally.
8. Focus on QUERY COUNTING! Query counting is powerful – why? because knowing if Google serves your content for more or less queries is VERY telling in terms of content value. PLUS, there's likely a correlation between being served for MORE QUERIES and being served in more things such as query fan out.
9. Maintain a CLEAN INDEX – got loads of clutter, non indexed pages in search console? CLEAN UP – get rid of dead weight.
SEO is still alive.
Author: «Daniel Foley Carter»
Other articles
