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Top AI SEO priorities for 2026

October 6th 2025 / SEO

Author: LOUISE CRANSTONE

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Top AI SEO Priorities for 2026

SEO has changed more in the last two years than it did in the last decade. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming how search engines like Google, Bing, and even AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini deliver results.

For small business owners, this is both exciting and overwhelming. The good news? If you adapt now, you can get ahead of bigger competitors who are slower to move.

Here’s your complete guide to AI SEO in 2026 – and the trends you need to prepare for to stay ahead.

Top AI SEO tips from Whizz Marketing in Hampshire

Why AI SEO Matters for Small Businesses

Traditional SEO was all about keywords and backlinks. Today, it’s about user intent, authority, trust signals, and AI-driven visibility.

That means your business doesn’t just need to “rank on Google” – it needs to show up in:

  • Google’s AI Overviews
  • Voice searches on smart speakers
  • Summaries inside ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity
  • Local search results like the Map Pack

The businesses that adapt early are going to win.

Top AI SEO Priorities for 2026

  • Make sure your site is lightning-fast and mobile-friendly.
  • Structure your content so AI can easily “read” and reuse it.
  • Include headings, FAQs, and clear formatting.

Whizz Tip: Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights and Schema markup validators to check that your site is AI- and mobile-ready.

2. Write for People First – But Train AI to Love Your Content Too

  • Create conversational content that answers real customer questions.
  • Target long-tail, natural phrases (e.g., “best family dentist open on Saturdays in [city]”).
  • Include FAQs and guides – perfect for AI assistants to pull from.

Whizz Tip: Record your customer service team’s most common questions. Then turn those into website content.

3. Strengthen Your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

  • Add author bios to blogs and show off real credentials.
  • Publish customer stories, testimonials, and case studies.
  • Share photos, behind-the-scenes content, and community involvement.

Whizz Tip: AI values authenticity. Generic content won’t cut it.

4. Keep Your Metadata Fresh and AI-Friendly

  • Refresh your meta titles and descriptions with benefit-driven keywords.
  • Write them as if they’ll be read out loud by an AI assistant – clear, short, and engaging.

Whizz Tip:  Be careful not to exceed the maximum character limits for meta titles and descriptions.

5. Become an Authority in Your Niche

  • Build a content hub around your main services or products.
  • Interlink all related blogs and guides back to your key service pages

Whizz Tip: Think of your hub as the “Wikipedia of your niche” – the go-to resource that AI will pull from.

6. Expand and Refresh Existing Content

  • Update old blogs with new data, images, or short videos.
  • Expand thin service pages with more detail and customer FAQs

Whizz Tip:  Run a blog audit to establish which blogs are driving traffic, and which are old, outdated and can be removed.

7. Showcase Your Local Presence

  • Optimise and regularly post on your Google Business Profile.
  • Encourage reviews with keywords and location mentions.
  • Build location-specific landing pages that feel personalised.

Whizz Tip: Post weekly on your Google Business Profile – just like you would on social media.

8. Level Up with Structured Data

  • Add schema for products, services, reviews, and events.
  • This makes your business eligible for rich snippets and AI overview features.

Whizz Tip:  Validate your markup with Google’s structured data validating tool. 

9. Boost Engagement Across Platforms

  • Be active on the platforms where your customers are.
  • For B2B, focus on LinkedIn; for B2C, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
  • Share community projects, partnerships, and awards – Google notices.

Whizz Tip:  Show Google and users that you are a trusted brand with lots of lovely 5* reviews!

10. Embrace Multimedia SEO

  • Optimise images (correct sizes, alt text) so they appear in image search.
  • Use video SEO: titles, captions, and local keywords.
  • Create short videos answering FAQs or showcasing services.

Whizz Tip:  Drive engagement by promoting the videos you create for the website to all your social followers.

If you want to stay ahead of your competitors, here’s where search is heading:

Optimisation for AI Assistants

  • More searches will happen inside ChatGPT, Gemini, and voice assistants.
  • Structured data, FAQs, and conversational content will be key.

Hyper-Personalisation

  • AI will tailor search results to the individual.
  • Authentic, local content will perform best.

Voice and Multimodal Search

  • People will search with images, videos, and voice commands.
  • Optimise with alt text, video transcripts, and conversational answers.

Community and Trust Signals

  • Reviews, social proof, and community engagement will be direct ranking signals.

Sustainability and Ethical SEO

  • AI algorithms will highlight transparent, ethical, and eco-friendly businesses.

Measuring SEO Success in the AI Era

Forget just tracking “rankings.” In 2026 and beyond, you need to measure:

  • Organic traffic and impressions
  • Engagement time on pages
  • Click-through rates from AI snippets and AI overviews
  • Review growth and sentiment
  • Conversions across devices and platforms

Whizz Tip: Use GA4 and AI-driven analytics tools to track engagement metrics, not just traffic.

The Wrap Up

The SEO book has been rewritten since the emergence of AI and for 2026 there are going to be no short-cuts to getting those top positions on Google Page 1.

AI SEO is about proving you’re the most helpful, trustworthy, and relevant business for your customers.

This means you need to:

  • Optimise your site for mobile and AI
  • Write people-first content
  • Build authority in your niche
  • Show up consistently on Google Business and social platforms
  • Embrace video, voice, and structured data

…and if you do, you’ll be ready not just for today’s SEO, but for 2026 and beyond.

Don’t wait until your competitors leave you behind. The future of SEO is already here – and businesses that take action now will dominate local and AI search in 2026.

Book a free SEO audit today and discover how your business can:

  • Show up in Google’s AI Overviews
  • Attract more local customers
  • Build trust and visibility with future-proof SEO strategies

Let’s make 2026 the year your business owns the search results!

If you would like to learn more about AI SEO and how to fuel the fire with a successful strategy to future-proof your website for 2026 and beyond, please get in touch today!  Call Whizz on 07814 391221 or visit whizzmarketing.co.uk for further information

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    Summary
    Top AI SEO Priorities for 2026 - Whizz Marketing Shares Top Tips
    Article Name
    Top AI SEO Priorities for 2026 - Whizz Marketing Shares Top Tips
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    Learn the top AI SEO strategies for 2026, from optimising for AI-driven results and mobile search to building trust, authority, and local relevance.
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