SEO and Marketing in 2026 will revolve around AI-driven search experiences, where answer engines and multimodal results replace traditional keyword tactics. Brands will win by creating authoritative, human-centric content and optimizing for intent, trust, and real-time personalization.

Search Engine Journal contributor Kevin Indig has published an article featuring seven SEO, marketing, and tech predictions for 2026.

He says, “This is my 8th time publishing annual predictions. As always, the goal is not to be right but to practice thinking.

For example, in 2018, I predicted “Niche communities will be discovered as a great channel for growth” and “Email marketing will return” in 2019. It took another 6 years. That same year, I also wrote “Smart speakers will become a viable user-acquisition channel in 2018”. Well…

All 2026 Predictions

  1. AI visibility tools face a reckoning.
  2. ChatGPT launches first quality update.
  3. Continued click-drops lead to a “Dark Web” defense.
  4. AI forces UGC platforms to separate feeds.
  5. ChatGPT’s ad platform provides “demand data.””

7 SEO, Marketing, And Tech Predictions For 2026

Search Engine Journal

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