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
Feb 8, 2024 • 16min
Entity SEO - being a topical authority is key - with Anthony Barone
Anthony Barone and David Bain discuss how being a topical authority is key to your entity SEO.Discussion points include:How do you ensure that you create a comprehensive online version of an entity?Where do you include the information?What do you include?How do you hone your entity to appeal to your target user?How do you measure the impact of creating a comprehensive online entity?How do you differentiate yourself from ChatGPT content?How do you know that you are delivering a real and valuable answer?What should you use ChatGPT for?
Feb 7, 2024 • 15min
We must consider all the organic channels and make them work in synergy - Valentina Stragliotto
In this episode Valentina shares that we should now consider all the organic channels and make them work in synergy to ensure success and that SEO is turning into OSO. Topics covered:What do you mean by OSO?What do you mean by all the organic channels?How do you make them work in synergy?How do you determine what your audience wants?What are the benefits of this?How does this ensure success?How do you measure success?Read the full transcript of Valentina's interview at https://majestic.com/seo-in-2024/additional-insights/valentina-stragliotto
Feb 6, 2024 • 16min
Google is getting more and more focused on authority, expertise and experience - Andrew Cock-Starkey
Andrew Cock-Starkey and David Bain discuss how Google is getting more and more focused on authority, expertise and experience.Discussion points include how too many people are still too scatter-gun with their approach. Andrew shares some advice on how to focus down on topic areas and really demonstrate your Expertise, Authority and Experience to search engines.
Feb 5, 2024 • 17min
SEOs must adopt the content creator mindset for their clients and employers - with Dre de Vera
Dre de Vera and David Bain discuss how SEOs must adopt the content creator mindset for their clients and employers.Discussion points include:What is Google’s new Perspectives filter and how do you take advantage of that?How do you optimise your content on other sites to take advantage of this?How do you need to style your content?What sorts of queries are more likely to surface the Perspectives filter?How do you get content ideas from Reddit and Quora?Can any business take advantage of this?Is this for any type of content?How do you use this to build your build your E-E-A-T?Where do you lie on the use of AI to create content?
Feb 2, 2024 • 16min
Acknowledge that E-E-A-T considerations are no longer "nice to haves" - with Ben Howe
Ben Howe and David Bain discuss how you need to acknowledge that E-E-A-T considerations are no longer "nice to haves".Discussion points include:What do you have to do to demonstrate your use of EEAT principles?Do you have to do this to every piece of content, every type of intent?How do modifiers on long-tail targets look in practice in terms of landing pages? Will we have to rely on optimising for the user to receive the answer on the SERP or in an AI-powered chatbot in the future?How do SEOs segment organic audiences?
Feb 1, 2024 • 18min
Build authority and collaborate to amplify your reach - with Kerstin Reichert
Kerstin Reichert and David Bain discuss how to build authority and collaborate to amplify your reach.Discussion points include:Do we reduce our authority by using AI to generate content?How can we be more selective about content and utilise AI at the same time?How do we use AI to be faster and better at the same time?How do we change our SEO strategy as search engines move from multiple options to answer?How do we stand out with our content in 2024?How do we utilise our authoritative figures in 2024?What style of content will work best?How do we promote the content?
Jan 31, 2024 • 18min
Communicate the value of SEO to your c-suite - Anna Bravington
In the current climate, it's more important than ever for SEOs to communicate to the business their value - ensuring they're aligning with business goals and reporting back in ways that the c-suite/business owners can understand the value SEO brings.In this episode, Anna shares with David:- How do you communicate your value to the business as an SEO?- Why do this?- Who should you communicate with, and how should you communicate? - How do you ensure your SEO activities align with business goals?- How do you report back in ways that the c-suite/business owners can understand the value SEO brings?- Should all SEOs be involved in this?- What does this mean for how you go about building your SEO career?Read the full transcript of Anna's interview at https://majestic.com/seo-in-2024/additional-insights/anna-bravington
Jan 30, 2024 • 19min
Focus on known benchmarks and best practices in UX - with Taylor Kurtz
Taylor Kurtz and David Bain discuss the importance of focusing on known benchmarks and best practices in UX to improve your SEO.Discussion points include:What known benchmarks and best practices are you referring to?What is Virtual Environment Optimization?How do you measure the value of focusing on EEAT?What are best practices in UX and how does this impact SEO? Why should this be a priority?
Jan 29, 2024 • 17min
Follow Google's lead and renew focus on E-E-A-T in 2024 - with Kavi Kardos
Kavi Kardos and David Bain discuss the importance of following Google's lead and renew focus on E-E-A-T in 2024.Discussion points include:Why is E-E-A-T so important in 2024?What are the good ways of using AI?By announcing Perspectives and emphasizing E-E-A-T in their most recent messaging, Google has indicated that they're predicting a future preference for user generated content - what user generated content are they looking for?How do we integrate social with SEO?How do we incorporate community voices into our own content?
Jan 26, 2024 • 15min
Start with EEAT, and your strategy will follow - with Ed Ziubrzynski
Ed Ziubrzynski and David Bain discuss how you should start with EEAT, and your strategy will follow.Discussion points include:How do you start with EEAT?What do you mean your your strategy will follow?How does EEAT integrate with a holistic marketing strategy?How often should you review your EEAT performance and future campaigns?How do you measure EEAT success?
