6 SEO Trends for 2026 You Should Know

With search capabilities growing and generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools regularly making waves in search engines, it’s not uncommon to wonder how SEO will look in 2026. Keeping up with the latest SEO trends is essential for staying competitive.

Search engines are already such a dynamic landscape of brands vying for users’ attention, meaning it’s all the more critical that businesses optimize their SEO strategies for 2026 to stay ahead of the curve.

Percepções de

"Gosto de comparar a SEO aos automóveis - embora continuemos a ter quatro pneus e um volante, o aspeto e as capacidades do que conduzimos mudaram.

SEO changes too, whether we’re talking about helpful content, page experience, or AI search (all of which have happened in the span of less than three years).

É por isso que é importante não só manter a sua SEO, mas também adotar uma abordagem proactiva na evolução da sua estratégia de SEO."

Sara Especialista em SEO WebFX

The good news? You can start creating an SEO strategy that’s flexible amid emerging trends and stands out among competitors with the help of these six SEO trends.

1. Optimizing for AI search

To no surprise, one of the biggest SEO trends for 2026 is optimizing for AI search. There’s no disputing that 2025 was the rise of AI, with ChatGPT and AI Overviews taking center stage (among others). Now, going into 2026, the focus is on optimizing for AI search.

The increased use of AI search means:

• More zero-click searches
• Struggles with attribution (dark traffic)
• Bigger focus on brand visibility
• Increased focus on content quality

To leverage this 2026 trend, follow these best practices:

• Focus on quality vs. quantity of content: Creating unique, helpful content will help you earn more citations than putting out lackluster, unoriginal content. Focus on providing value and adding to the conversation.
• Answer questions directly: Don’t give paragraphs of fluff and anecdotes without directly answering the query. Providing direct, succinct answers will create more opportunities for you to be cited vs. dragged-out, indirect answers.
• Add schema: While it’s not confirmed that schema impacts AI visibility, there are indicators that it could be helpful for providing AI engines with context. Integrate relevant schema into your pages to help improve AI search visibility — it’s beneficial to traditional SEO too!
• Target conversational phrases and prompts: Don’t limit yourself to long-tail keywords. Start targeting longer, more conversational phrases (Ex. “How do I start building a 401K?”) related to your keywords to help show relevancy and earn more visibility.

2. E-E-A-T more

E-E-A-T, ou Experiência, Especialização, Autoridade e Confiança, tornar-se-á cada vez mais importante na criação de conteúdos SEO no próximo ano. Especificamente, a experiência terá provavelmente mais peso na classificação das páginas nos motores de busca.

Como demonstrar E-E-A-T aos motores de busca

Então, o que é a E-E-A-T e como a pode demonstrar? Relativamente ao E-E-A-T, a experiência refere-se à credibilidade e ao conhecimento das fontes. Com o Google a dar ênfase à experiência das fontes num tópico ou nicho, será cada vez mais essencial que as páginas Web estabeleçam claramente a sua experiência e credibilidade em tópicos para obterem uma classificação mais elevada nos motores de busca.

 

Por exemplo, os artigos escritos por realizadores de cinema e críticos de cinema de renome podem aumentar a autoridade e a SEO dos sítios Web de entretenimento.

Seguem-se algumas formas de as empresas demonstrarem E-E-A-T (mais importante ainda, experiência) à Google:

• Prove o valor do seu conteúdo, incluindo informações pormenorizadas
• Mostre que há pessoas reais por detrás do seu sítio Web, incluindo estudos de casos e destacando críticas e testemunhos verificáveis
• Certifique-se de que o seu conteúdo está isento de erros gramaticais, gralhas e desinformação, e ligue a fontes respeitáveis

3. Micro-intents in search

One of the biggest trends shaping up for 2026 is a new look at search intent — specifically, the focus is on how search is becoming more focused on micro-intents and context. The focus is no longer on just matching keywords — it’s about understanding the behaviors and patterns behind user searches.

A lot of this shift in search intent is driven by AI. Platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and the like all leverage user behavior and past interactions to help deliver better results. It’s not just about targeting relevant keywords — it’s about understanding the micro-intents behind each search and catering to them.

So, how can you cater for micro-intents?

The easiest way is to ask yourself this with every page: “What does this user actually want to do right now?”

We can’t live in an idealistic world anymore where we’re saying, “Well, we want them to do this or that!” Instead, we’re focusing on all the possible reasons why they’re coming to your site and what intentions they have.

Think of the term “SEO audit.” There are dozens of micro-intents hiding behind that query, including:

• How do I audit my SEO
• I’m looking for a free checklist to audit my SEO
• I need a tool to help me audit my SEO
• I need an agency that can help me audit my SEO

So, how can you address micro-intents and ensure you’re delivering helpful information the user wants?

The answer is my next trend.

4. Content clustering

Content clustering is one of the biggest SEO trends for 2026. This strategy operates like a spiral. You take a main topic and come up with subtopics for it — then, from those subtopics, you branch out into even more specific topics.

So, how does this help with micro-intent?

Since multiple micro-intents can happen with a certain search term or query, creating content clusters helps you address the varying micro-intents that someone may have, like the ones I mentioned above.

5. Leveraging multimedia

In 2026, having text-only pages isn’t an option. Most search results include a mix of multimedia, like images, videos, and interactive elements. You need to include elements like these in your content if you want it to rank and be cited in search results.

Optimized videos and images are becoming more important in search engine ranking processes, and it’s safe to assume they’ll significantly impact SEO in the coming year.

Start integrating images, graphics, and videos into your content to add visual engagement to your content.

6. Conteúdo personalizado e centrado no utilizador

Our final SEO trend for 2026 is one you’ve likely heard before. To crush your SEO goals in the new year, create user-focused content that provides helpful information. After all, the content you create for your website is all for users, right?

It’s about giving searchers exactly what they want in your content. Provide clear information, answer all questions, and ensure you’re explaining things easily.

Em última análise, a criação de conteúdos centrados no utilizador consiste em ajudar os utilizadores a encontrar as informações de que necessitam sem complicações. Manter-se informado sobre as últimas tendências de SEO ajudá-lo-á a criar conteúdos que se identifiquem com o seu público.

Optimize your 2026 SEO strategy with SEO.com

Ready to start incorporating these SEO trends for 2026 into your next campaign? Team up with SEO.com, a group of digital marketing experts with 25+ years of experience in helping clients successfully navigate ever-changing search algorithms while outperforming competitors in search results.

Contacte a SEO.com online hoje mesmo para saber mais sobre os nossos serviços de SEO!