SEO in 2026
Majestic.com
SEO is continuing to change at an alarming pace. And yet, in some sense, the principles of good SEO remain the same.
Hello, and welcome to SEO in 2026 – a significant repository of current thinking from many of the world’s leading SEOs.
We're pleased to be able to welcome you to the fifth book and fifth series in this podcast, now well and truly an annual tradition, brought to you by Majestic.
“How people search has seen a bigger shift in the last 12 months than the last 12 years, and this makes SEOin2026 a must-read for anyone working in the industry. Majestic has brought together 117 of the SEO industry's brightest minds to share their insights into what matters, and what doesn't, to continue to drive growth with organic search during a period of massive uncertainty, and the book should be seen as a valuable reference point to keep your strategy on the right track.”
JAMES BROCKBANK
Managing Director and Founder, Digitaloft
“I highly recommend that every SEO professional set aside a couple of days for SEOin2026. You'll thank me for helping you plan your year effectively. I'm extremely grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside some of the world's leading SEO champions.”
NITIN MANCHANDA
Founder & Chief SEO Consultant, Botpresso
“This collection of wisdom from many of the best minds in SEO today is a great line in the sand of where we as an industry are, what problems we face, and how we tackle them. Anyone in SEO or marketing should be dipping into this on a regular basis.”
SIMON COX
Technical SEO Consultant, Cox and Co. Creative
“This series continues to be the industry’s leading source of the most timely advice a marketer could ever want. The most forward-thinking SEO experts in the world come together once a year to create this invaluable collection of new knowledge that should never be passed up on!”
PAM AUNGST CRONIN
President and Founder, Pam Ann Marketing and Stealth Search and Analytics
“2025 has been a sprint for the SEO industry, with AI reshaping how we understand visibility, relevance, and authority. SEOin2026 is not just another trends book; it’s a roadmap for what’s actually coming. I loved being part of it and seeing how experts around the world approach the same challenges from different angles.”
RAMONA JOITA
SEO Consultant and Founder
“David is good at drawing out the substance of a conversation. He will explore the topic and challenge assumptions, steer the conversation into an unexpected direction, and build on your ideas – making you think a bit deeper and sharper. Our recent conversation flew by as always, and as always – I’ve come out energised about the topic with more to think about.”
SUKHJINDER SINGH
Freelance SEO Consultant
Hello, and welcome to SEO in 2026 – a significant repository of current thinking from many of the world’s leading SEOs.
We're pleased to be able to welcome you to the fifth book and fifth series in this podcast, now well and truly an annual tradition, brought to you by Majestic.
“How people search has seen a bigger shift in the last 12 months than the last 12 years, and this makes SEOin2026 a must-read for anyone working in the industry. Majestic has brought together 117 of the SEO industry's brightest minds to share their insights into what matters, and what doesn't, to continue to drive growth with organic search during a period of massive uncertainty, and the book should be seen as a valuable reference point to keep your strategy on the right track.”
JAMES BROCKBANK
Managing Director and Founder, Digitaloft
“I highly recommend that every SEO professional set aside a couple of days for SEOin2026. You'll thank me for helping you plan your year effectively. I'm extremely grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside some of the world's leading SEO champions.”
NITIN MANCHANDA
Founder & Chief SEO Consultant, Botpresso
“This collection of wisdom from many of the best minds in SEO today is a great line in the sand of where we as an industry are, what problems we face, and how we tackle them. Anyone in SEO or marketing should be dipping into this on a regular basis.”
SIMON COX
Technical SEO Consultant, Cox and Co. Creative
“This series continues to be the industry’s leading source of the most timely advice a marketer could ever want. The most forward-thinking SEO experts in the world come together once a year to create this invaluable collection of new knowledge that should never be passed up on!”
PAM AUNGST CRONIN
President and Founder, Pam Ann Marketing and Stealth Search and Analytics
“2025 has been a sprint for the SEO industry, with AI reshaping how we understand visibility, relevance, and authority. SEOin2026 is not just another trends book; it’s a roadmap for what’s actually coming. I loved being part of it and seeing how experts around the world approach the same challenges from different angles.”
RAMONA JOITA
SEO Consultant and Founder
“David is good at drawing out the substance of a conversation. He will explore the topic and challenge assumptions, steer the conversation into an unexpected direction, and build on your ideas – making you think a bit deeper and sharper. Our recent conversation flew by as always, and as always – I’ve come out energised about the topic with more to think about.”
SUKHJINDER SINGH
Freelance SEO Consultant
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 22, 2026 • 16min
Tidy up your online presence for the eyes of AI – with Dani Leitner
In the past, it didn’t matter so much if old, less relevant content existed on your website and elsewhere. Dani Leitner shares that this isn’t the case anymore.Dani says: “My tip is a really easy one: Clean up your online presence because AI sees everything.”
Jan 21, 2026 • 16min
Translating SEO into a language of tangible business impact - Kristina Bergwall
Kristina Bergwall discusses the importance of translating SEO into a language of tangible business impact in the future AI search landscape, and using that narrative to align all teams such as social, PR, and brand to work together, is what's going to make you win at SEO in 2026. Talking points include: How do you identify the areas of SEO that are likely to result in tangible business impact? What are examples of areas of SEO that don’t tend to deliver tangible business impact? How do you ensure that you don’t shut off SEO activities that take longer to have an impact? How does the future AI search landscape change for different businesses? How do you align different marketing teams to work more effectively together in this changing landscape?
Jan 20, 2026 • 16min
Re-order your content for search dominance – with Damien Robert
Damien Robert explains the need to move beyond traditional web content, achieved by making content modular, leading with irrefutable evidence. In addition, he recommends managing all assets from a single source of truth to please both humans and AI consumption.Damien says: “Re-order your content to future-proof your search dominance.”
Jan 19, 2026 • 18min
Identify searches that need grounding to focus your AI strategy – with Mark Williams-Cook
Mark Williams-Cook explains that you also need to consider the type of search that you’re attempting to optimize for, and the way that AI engines deal with different types of searches.Mark says: “Everyone should be determining whether their AI searches need grounding or not.”
8 snips
Jan 16, 2026 • 20min
Master AI visibility by understanding the Algorithmic Trinity – with Jason Barnard
Jason Barnard, Founder and CEO of CaliCube, dives into the concept of AI-assistive engine optimization. He presents the Algorithmic Trinity, detailing how knowledge graphs, LLMs, and web search interplay to enhance SEO. Barnard emphasizes the importance of knowledge graphs in preventing misinformation and explores how brands can shape their online presence for optimal recommendations. He discusses the rising significance of chat interfaces and offers insights into measuring their impact on conversions, urging marketers to optimize their entire digital footprint.
Jan 15, 2026 • 17min
Navigate the probabilistic world of AI search – with Garrett Sussman
Garrett Sussman shares that, even though there is great opportunity in being included in AI search results, results aren’t guaranteed.Garrett says: “Treat AI search as probabilistic, not predictable.Build content strategies rooted in deep audience understanding, because what shows up in search results depends on who's searching and how they search.”
Jan 14, 2026 • 17min
How to track metrics that actually matter in 2026 - Katie New
Katie New shares the importance of tracking metrics that actually matter to you in 2026 (not just the default ones that you're used to asking for!) Talking points include: What are the default metrics? How do you determine the metrics that matter to you? How do you know that these are the best metrics to track? How do you know the best way to go about tracking them? How often should you review your metrics? How do you persuade stakeholders to change metrics?
Jan 13, 2026 • 18min
Don’t be a passive subject of AI's opinion; become an active engineer – with Nik Ranger
Nik Ranger shares that you shouldn’t necessarily conclude that ranking on Google means ranking well on AI search engines.Nik says: “Stop thinking just about ranking on Google and start focussing on a new discipline: AI visibility engineering. This is where you can systematically probe AI models to measure brand associations, quantify perception, and then use those insights to engineer on-page, off-site, and then use those insights to engineer on-page, off-site, and strategic actions that influence how these machines understand and represent your clients.”
Jan 12, 2026 • 18min
Make your content interpretable, not just crawlable – with Chris Green
When we consider the fact that AI agents are starting to visit our sites, with a view to making purchase decisions or recommendations, and other AI engines are regurgitating our content, we have to ensure that they understand the essence of what we provide. Chris says: “Technical success for SEO in 2026 requires us to understand the interpretability of content rather than just the crawlability.”
Jan 9, 2026 • 16min
Keep track of how AI user agents are accessing and navigating your website – with Itamar Blauer
When we start preparing for the consumption of our goods and services by AI, we should also be preparing for AI user agents to navigate our sites.Itamar says: “In the age of AI platforms and LLMs, it's important to really understand how these different platforms, and more specifically user agents, are accessing and navigating your website.”
