SEO in 2026 is not the same as it was five years ago. With the rise of Google's AI Overviews, the growth of voice search, and the consolidation of EEAT as a ranking factor, the rules of the game have changed. This guide brings together the most important trends.
AI Overviews: the new zero-clicks
AI-generated summaries at the top of search results are stealing clicks from traditional websites. To appear in AI Overviews, your content needs to be: authoritative (high EEAT), structured (schema markup, clear headings, lists, and tables), and objective (answer questions directly). Google prioritizes snippets that can be extracted as quick answers.
EEAT: the decisive factor
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EEAT) has ceased to be a differentiator and has become a basic requirement. In 2026, Google evaluates: author biographies with real credentials, citations from authoritative sources, frequent content updates, and outbound links to high-authority sites.
Voice and Conversational Search
With AI Mode and conversational search, queries are longer and more natural. Optimize for: complete questions (not just short keywords), featured snippets (direct answers in 40-60 words), and natural language.
Core Web Vitals 2026
Google has updated the thresholds for Core Web Vitals. LCP (largest contentful paint) should be under 2 seconds, INP (interaction to next paint) under 150ms, and CLS (cumulative layout shift) under 0.05.
Local SEO and Google Business Profile
The Google Business Profile has gained more prominence in local results. Businesses with complete profiles (photos, posts, reviews, Q&A) are ranking better than optimized websites without local presence.
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