Is traditional SEO is dead? Not exactly. But definitely evolving. Google still controlled a whopping 89% of all U.S. web traffic in 2025. It’s still a search powerhouse, no doubt, but it isn’t the only show in town anymore.  

SEO as we know it is no more. The way people find information is changing dramatically.

Google’s rolling out 12-plus algorithm changes per day. At the same time, platforms like TikTok, Amazon, and generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are becoming major players in the search game. 

Let’s face it. Traditional SEO tactics aren’t always the best option.  

To succeed, you must adapt.  

In 2026, it’s less about search engine optimization and more about search everywhere optimization.  

Let’s dig into the data for a pulse check on SEO in 2026. 

Key Takeaways

• SEO isn’t dead, but traditional tactics alone won’t cut it. To stay visible, your strategy must account for AI Overviews, zero-click searches, and shifting user behavior across platforms.
• AI Overviews and SERP features now dominate page one. If your content isn’t cited or structured for AI, you risk being invisible—no matter your ranking.
• Brand signals like search volume, authority, and trust matter for AI visbility. Google favors entities, not just pages. Build real-world credibility if you want to rank.
• Optimize for LLMs and SEO at the same time. Clear formatting, concise answers, and fact-rich content help you rank and get quoted in generative results.
• Search is no longer just on Google. Users discover content through social media, marketplaces, and AI engines—your optimization strategy needs to reach beyond traditional search.

Is SEO Dead?

Google doesn’t share its search volume data. However, approximations place it in the tens of billions, somewhere over 15 billion per day. 

This shows that SEO still holds weight, but AI and LLM searches are growing. Currently, these platforms account for about 6% of global search volume, which doesn’t seem like much. But when you consider that the number is about triple what it was a year ago, it makes marketers start to take notice.

According to SmartInsights, the top 3 positions carry double-digit click-through rates, but these drop drastically for positions lower down the page. Just look at the chart below: 

This drastic drop highlights how Google’s been steadily moving toward a “zero-click” search experience.  

Does this mean AI Overviews are surely going to kill SEO? Well, no, but they’re definitely shaking things up. In fact, Google’s been moving toward its “answer engine” model and its new AI mode for a while now. 

Features like featured snippets and answer boxes already provide concise information directly on the search results page, reducing the need for users to click through to websites.

This trend is driven by the rise of “zero-click content”—content that’s so comprehensive and informative that it satisfies user intent right on the search engine results page (SERP).

Essentially, users can find their answers without visiting a website.

AI Overviews take the zero-click approach to a whole new level, providing even more content directly in the search results.

So, how do we come to grips with both truths—that zero-click search directly results in less engagement with SEO results and that organic search is still a significant driver of traffic?

A common concern for marketers is that emerging AI engines, like ChatGPT, will kill the industry as we know it. But consider this: AI search engines still rely on Google and other algorithm-driven engines for information.

Instead of assuming SEO is dead, we should consider how SEO works today in conjunction with these trends.

 
The Face of the New SEO Campaign

To understand what success looks like in the new world of search, let’s look at a successful campaign of one of our NP Digital clients, RefiJet. 

RefiJet has quickly become a leader in the motorcycle and auto loan refinancing space over the last decade. But to grow further, they needed to differentiate themselves from competitors and grow their digital footprint, all while AI search was changing the very way the game is played. Their company also faced macroeconomic challenges as high interest rates pushed many borrowers to the sidelines.

Our strategy for them blended new AI search principles with traditional SEO best practices. We focused on traditional technical SEO aspects such as crawlability, site speed, and structured data optimization. These moves boosted RefiJet’s inclusion in AI overviews.

Next, we launched on-page optimization tactics. These were aimed at catching traditional long-tail, high-intent search queries. We also leveraged retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to showcase RefiJet’s authority in its space and boost citations across the web.

This blended approach helped RefiJet achieve some pretty eye-catching results:

• Their SERP features increased 30,800% (that’s not a typo) since May 2024
• Their rankings in the highly coveted 1-3 slots in Google increased 522% year-over-year
• Traffic from LLMs is up 2012% and site-wide page views from LLMs are up 7144% year over year.
• Most importantly, RefiJet’s funded loans from organic search and LLMs are up 178% year over year.

So, no. Traditional SEO is not dead. The “new” strategy just takes a modern, blended approach to modern search problems.   

SEO Isn’t Dying (It’s Just Changing)

So, is SEO dead? At this point, I think you know my answer. 

That would be a resounding no. 

SEO isn’t going anywhere. However, for brands to find success with SEO strategies, there are specific things to keep in mind when developing campaigns. 

We know Google functions more as a discovery engine but here is what else you need to know to dominate SERPs. 

AI Is Taking Up A Larger Portion of the SERPs

If you’ve searched for anything on Google lately, you’ve probably seen it. That big, AI-generated box right at the top—pushing organic results further down the page.

Google’s AI Overviews are live, and they’re eating up prime SERP real estate. For certain keywords, especially broad informational ones, they dominate. And if your content doesn’t get cited in those summaries? You might not even show above the fold.

But it’s not just AI Overviews. Google has been quietly expanding other SERP features too, like interactive knowledge panels, visual product listings, “Discussions and Forums,” and even its experimental AI mode inside Search Labs. The days of ten blue links are long gone.

This shift doesn’t mean SEO is over. It means we have to rethink how we optimize. Your content still needs to be the best answer, but now it also needs to be the kind of content Google’s AI is willing to quote.

If you haven’t yet, start digging into how AI Overviews work. See which types of pages Google is pulling from. Understand the patterns.

SEO isn’t dying. But the way we earn visibility is shifting. Fast.

Technical Fundamentals Still Matter

Google’s focus isn’t backlinks, keyword density, or a specific SEO metric. Instead, the focus is on a seamless and enjoyable user experience. 

What metrics does Google use to gauge user experience?  

Using a clear navigation structure is a good place to start. If you want people to spend a lot of time on your site, you need to understand how users navigate. This includes using a clear URL structure, enabling breadcrumbs, and linking internally. 

Core Web Vitals—a set of standardized metrics Google uses to measure real-world page performance—is another good launchpad. These include: 

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): The time from when a user starts loading a page until the largest image or text block is visible in the viewport. Goal: 2.5 seconds or less.  

• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): The time between a user action, like a click or key press, and the next time it takes for the page to respond. Goal: 200 milliseconds or less.  

• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): How much a webpage’s layout unexpectedly shifts during loading. Goal: A CLS score of less than 0.1.  

Other important user experience metrics include dwell time, time spent on page, bounce rate, and exit rate. You can find these metrics in Google Analytics. 

So, how can you improve user experience? There are a few steps you can take that will positively impact the metrics mentioned above: 

• Improve site speed: The faster your site loads, the better experience the user will have (We saw the impact this can have in our RefiJet example). You can gauge site speed with tools like PageSpeed Insights and Pingdom.  

• Optimize for mobile: You can’t afford to not optimize for mobile, as it accounts for more than 50% of web traffic. Tools like PageSpeed Insights can give you the information you need to start, like eliminating render-blocking resources or reducing unused code. You will also want to consider a responsive design if you’re not already using one. 

Social Search Is Taking A Larger Share

Google remains a powerful tool, but, as we’ve established, it’s no longer the sole player in search and discovery. 

Platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and even voice search engines—such as Alexa and Siri—are reshaping SEO. The question is: Are you reshaping your strategies to match them? 

When Google is deciding what to rank and where to rank it, it looks past its own dataset toward other spots online, like the platforms mentioned above.  

Source: https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-search/

All these platforms have one thing in common: They cater to users who prefer quick, conversational, or visual content. 

So, what does optimizing your content strategy to leverage these platforms look like in practice? Each app has its own wrinkles you need to consider to maximize your performance across channels:

• TikTok: Create engaging, short-form videos with trending hashtags. 

• Reddit: Participate in relevant subreddits and provide value without overtly promoting. 

• YouTube: Create a combination of long-form and short-form videos, targeting different users on the platform. 

• Voice search: Focus on conversational keywords and provide clear answers to common questions. 

You may be asking, why don’t users just use those platforms to find what they need? 

They do, but before you say “SEO does not matter,” remember while Google is a search engine, it can provide results from other platforms, making them relevant.  We’ve seen this recently with Reddit results surging to the top of the SERPs, and showing up in a whopping 97.5 percent of Google search queries for product reviews.

As  younger audiences use social media or videos more for discovery, Google will continue to update and adapt to meet user needs. And since Google pulls from so many different spaces (not just social), it still offers more reliable results on topics people want to find. 

Take Reddit, for example. It shows up in a whopping 97.5 percent of Google search queries for product reviews. 

Google Loves Brands

As your brand grows, you’ll find your rankings climb because Google takes authority, trustworthiness, and relevance into account. Typically, well-established brands have a higher authority and level of trustworthiness. Branded search volume is the number of searches for keywords containing your brand name on a search engine. This is one of the metrics for tracking growth because it reflects user’s interest and awareness of your brand.  

Let’s consider what happens when you type “men’s running shoes” into Google’s search bar. Here is an example of what you might get: 

Brands, brands, and more brands. 

If you search my name, Google assumes you want to look at my website, businesses, and information about me or my social accounts. 

Often, Google assumes that people searching for these terms already know what they want (and likely plan to make a purchase). This is especially the case if a customer is searching for an already well-established brand.  

So, how do you establish your brand?  

Aligning with the E-E-A-T framework is a good start. When your brand exudes Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, Google will notice (and so will users).  

To build those signals:

• Create content that shows off your real-world experience and authority. Think in-depth tutorials or original research. Customer stories help, too.
• Earn mentions and backlinks from reputable sources. Digital PR matters here.
• Foster community. Social proof, like reviews, forum engagement, or user-generated content, tells Google and users that your brand is alive and active.

While some argue SEO is dead, building brand authority proves otherwise. In the age of AI and zero-click searches, it’s your ticket to higher rankings and increased visibility. 

To be clear, E-E-A-T doesn’t only help for branded terms. Be sure to optimize for branded and non-branded terms to get in front of the most users. 

Intent Is More Important Than Ever

Google is getting better at understanding intent, and users expect results that feel tailored to what they actually want, not just what they typed. If someone searches “best running shoes,” are they looking to buy now, compare options, or read reviews? If your page doesn’t match that intent, it’s not going to rank or convert.

It’s not just about categories like “informational” or “transactional” anymore, either. Google’s updates and AI enhancements have made search more personalized. Things like location and device type all influence which results appear and in what format.

That means one-size-fits-all content just won’t cut it. You need to build pages that solve specific problems for specific searchers, and make it obvious within the first few seconds that your content delivers the answer.

Look at the top results for your target terms. What kind of experience is Google rewarding? Long guides? Product roundups? Local directories?

When you align with intent, you’re not just improving your SEO, you’re giving users what they came for. And that’s how you win in the long run.

Create Content That’s Friendly For LLMs and SEO (there’s crossover)

Your niche is where your product or services fit in the market. What do you offer, and LLM tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are changing how people search. Users have the ability to ask a question and get an instant summary. That means your content has to be referenced in this zero-click section of the search.

This is where LLMO (large language model optimization) comes in. It overlaps with SEO in a lot of ways. Clear structure and concise answers are good for both. But there are key differences.

LLMs don’t care about keyword density; they care about relevance and clarity. They’re more likely to pull from well-organized content (read as “easy to parse”) and rich in facts. Formatting matters. Use short copy blocks and bulleted lists to increase readability, and, on the technical side, clean HTML and schema markup help machines understand your content even more.

When it comes to backlinks, they still matter for SEO, but LLMs are more influenced by how well your content explains a topic.

If you want to future-proof your content, think about both: ranking high in search and being the source that LLMs pull from when people skip the SERPs entirely. For example below, well-known and reviewed medical sources pop up for this medical question.

Smart content creators are already optimizing for both worlds. Don’t get left behind.

User-Generated Content/Original Content Matters

Have you noticed that when you search on Google, your results are different than those Google is focusing on rewarding content that actually shows experience.

That’s why original content, especially from real users, is more valuable than ever. Some good examples of this type of content are:

• Customer reviews
• Community Q&As
• Case studies
• Proprietary research
• Photos from your team.

Here’s an example of a successful UGC campaign from GoPro:

Source: https://www.sevenatoms.com/blog/ugc-marketing-examples

These types of content act as trust signals that feed directly into Google’s E-E-A-T framework (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness).

If you haven’t already, get familiar with E-E-A-T. It’s the lens Google uses to figure out if your content deserves to rank. And in a world where LLMs are regurgitating the same surface-level info, showing firsthand knowledge is how you stand out.

User-generated content helps with that. So does publishing original insights—whether that’s internal data, lessons learned, or your unique take on industry trends. This is the kind of material Google can’t find anywhere else. It’s also what LLMs prefer to cite when pulling answers.

If you’re just rephrasing what’s already out there, you’re invisible. But if you create something worth referencing, both humans and machines will take notice.

Start building a content library that’s not just SEO-optimized, but undeniably your brand.

Focus Metrics Are Changing

Clicks and rankings used to be the gold standard in SEO. Not anymore.

Today, traditional SEO numbers like clicks and rankings only tell part of the story. With AI Overviews and zero-click searches taking over the SERPs, it’s possible to “rank” without getting any traffic. In this new environment, the way we measure success needs to evolve.

Instead of obsessing over position one, look at visibility across AI and SERP features. Are you showing up in AI summaries? In featured snippets? In the “People Also Ask” box? These touchpoints matter more now because they shape user behavior before a click even happens.

Engagement metrics are shifting, too. Scroll depth, dwell time, and interaction with on-page elements can reveal more about content quality than bounce rate ever did. The same goes for branded search volume and return visits—both strong signs that your content is resonating.

Search Everywhere Optimization Has Taken Center Stage

Search engines no longer corner the market on search. Non-search platforms, like social media and generative AI engines, are increasingly being used for search and discovery, disrupting traditional SEO norms. 

This is what search everywhere optimization is all about.  

You can no longer assume that users are only using search engines to find services and products that they need. They’re also using marketplaces (e.g., Amazon, Walmart), social media (e.g., TikTok, Pinterest), and generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT).  

This means you need to expand your search optimization efforts, well, everywhere! Here’s how: 

• Social media: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram prioritize engaging, visual content. Optimize by using trending hashtags, creating shareable posts, and collaborating with influencers. Forums like Reddit are also highly cited in LLM results.

• Generative AI engines: Tools like ChatGPT are shaping search behavior by delivering conversational and context-aware responses. Businesses should focus on producing concise, relevant, and authoritative content to rank within these engines. 

• Marketplaces: Amazon and similar sites act as search engines for product discovery. Ensuring optimized product titles, descriptions, and reviews is crucial. 

We’ve seen this trend of the expanded search surface for a while now, but in 2026, your audience can be found across more platforms than ever. That’s why finding where your audience hangs out, and spending time to see how they’re interacting within the community, is such an important part of modern marketing strategy.

The traditional direct path of top-of-funnel to mid-funnel to bottom-of-funnel doesn’t play anymore. Your audience can convert from virtually anywhere in today’s market. Understand where they are, understand how they’re interacting, and understand the nuances of marketing on each platform, and you’ll be good to go.

FAQs

 

Is local SEO dead?

Not even close. Local SEO remains essential for businesses that rely on local customers. In fact, features like the local pack, Google Business Profiles, and map results are highly influential, especially on mobile. What’s changing is how users find you. Optimize for reviews and local content to stay competitive.

How long will SEO exist?

SEO is here to stay, but it continues to evolve. As long as people use search engines, social platforms, and AI tools to discover information, SEO will exist, even if tactics evolve. 

Conclusion

SEO isn’t dead; it’s adapting to how people search today.

With AI reshaping the SERPs and user behavior shifting fast, what worked five years ago won’t cut it now. But the fundamentals still matter: create useful content, match search intent, and build trust with your audience.

If you’re unsure where to start, look at your content strategy. Are you prioritizing originality and structure? That’s what both Google and LLMs are rewarding.

Now’s also the time to rethink how you measure success. Traffic is great—but brand signals like engagement and trust are carrying more weight, and will only grow in importance in the future.

Want more tactical advice? Check out our guides on search engine trends and how to improve your SEO rankings.

Modern platforms like AI didn’t kill SEO; they just made it smarter. And we all need to follow suit.

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