2026 is already at the door, and if the last year has taught us anything, it’s that SEO is no longer just about keeping up with updates — it’s about adapting to a new reality, and doing so fast.
With AI-driven search experiences, shifting SERP layouts, growing content saturation, and constant discussions around what still works, 2025 was anything but predictable. The rules didn’t just change — in many cases, they became less clear.
To better understand where search is heading next, we turned to professionals who work with SEO every day. We asked 13 experienced SEO experts three straightforward but revealing questions:
- What’s your prediction for SEO in 2026?
- What’s one thing you want to leave behind in 2025?
- What’s your SEO wish for 2026?
Their answers offer a grounded view of the industry’s direction and potential SEO trends for 2026. Across the responses, some common themes emerged: from more realistic expectations around AI and automation to a renewed focus on fundamentals, strategic thinking, and long-term value.
For example, Artur Perrella Glukhovskyy says that “Site traffic will continue to decline, but SEO's importance for business growth won't change.”
Connor Gillivan believes that “In 2026, SEO becomes reputation-first,” while Davor Bomestar expects that “AI platforms will upgrade their algorithms which will make it harder to manipulate AI results.”
And Angie Perperidou points to a much broader view of visibility, saying that “SEO becomes fully multichannel.”
Are you ready to find out which habits SEO experts are ready to retire, what they believe will matter in 2026, and what they are genuinely hoping for next? Let’s hear it straight from the source.
What’s your 2026 prediction for SEO?
Overall, experts agree that SEO in 2026 will be less about chasing rankings and more about earning trust. As AI-driven search, social platforms, and chat-based tools continue to shape how people discover content, brands that stand out will be the ones with clear positioning, strong topical focus, and human expertise behind their posts. Traffic patterns may change, and in some cases decline, but SEO will remain essential for long-term growth and visibility.
AI will continue to play a bigger role in everyday SEO tasks — from content creation to internal linking and technical optimization. And while search engines and AI platforms become better at filtering out low-value or overly generic content, content built on first-hand experience, original insights, and genuine authority is expected to matter more than ever. In short, winning in 2026 means focusing on real problems, creating content that stays useful over time, and treating SEO as part of a broader, multi-channel strategy rather than a standalone tactic.
Let’s hear more from the experts themselves:
What's one thing you want to leave behind in 2025?
When reflecting on what to leave behind in 2025, experts consistently pointed to unnecessary complexity and distraction. Many want to move away from chasing every new tactic, overthinking decisions, and spreading efforts too thin with little to no impact. Everyone is tired of vanity metrics, forced optimizations, and low-value practices. Spammy outreach, unnecessary content, and obsessing over LLM tweaks at the expense of real users came up again and again as things that need to go.
Overall, experts agree that 2026 should be about focus, clarity, and execution: fewer shortcuts, less noise, and more intentional SEO that serves a clear purpose and delivers measurable results.
So, what exactly has to go?
One of the simplest and most widely echoed answers came from Kasra Dash: “Chasing every shiny tactic.” And while many agreed with that in different ways, the full list of answers shows just how much frustration there is with how SEO was done in 2025.
What’s your SEO-wish for 2026?
For 2026, everyone is hoping for a calmer, clearer SEO landscape. Many want less guessing and experimentation from search platforms, and more consistent signals that reward real authority, useful content, and long-term effort. We all want low-quality AI spam filtered out, so high-quality, experience-led content finally can get the visibility it deserves. As AI-driven search grows, experts also wish for better tools, cleaner data, and clearer attribution — so brands that power answers are properly credited and can measure real impact.
The common wish is simple: fewer shortcuts, less noise, and an SEO ecosystem that values clarity, trust, and sustainable growth.
Here’s what the experts are hoping for in 2026:
Wrapping Up
If there’s one clear takeaway from these experts, it’s that SEO in 2026 isn’t about chasing every change — it’s about choosing the right strategies. As search expands across AI tools, platforms, and formats, the fundamentals remain the same: focus, real expertise, useful human-oriented content, and long-term thinking.
The tools will keep evolving, and the interfaces will keep shifting. But the teams that do best won’t be the ones reacting to every update — they’ll be the ones building trust, solving problems fast, and staying consistent while others chase shortcuts.
Armed with these perspectives, you don’t need to predict the future of SEO perfectly. But you need to approach it with clarity, intention, and a willingness to adapt — the rest will follow.
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