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AI-generated responses appear like a direct hazard to the standard natural traffic sites used to get from search engines. Today, LLMs simply rip the content on websites and individuals no longer need to check out a site any longer.
While I personally think this hazard is blown totally out of proportion (based upon data from sites I've personally seen), I do not think it's an excuse to ignore it totally. From my own experience growing both blogs and YouTube channels, specifically to offer something, I can tell you that video converts way more than written material.
And the viewer can detect more subtleties in your message. It's a lot simpler to inform if someone is lying or filled with it if you can see their facial expressions and their tone of voice. So YouTube ought to certainly remain in your SEO and content method. Use video as demand generation and a method to construct trust with an audience.
And because you have actually built the trust with video, your standard SEO efforts will convert better. But there's much more to it. Earlier this year, I had an inkling that if I turned some of my finest ranking post into YouTube videos, and embedded them into my existing article, my article would rank even better.
I used rank between 2-3 for the keyword "AI marketing tools." I made a YouTube video about the topic, embedded it into that blog site post, and I've been ranking # 1 given that. In 2026, believe of YouTube videos as a method to beef up your SEO blog site posts to rank even much better.
Keep focusing on Google, which still owns 90% of search market share. Purchase AI search experiments if you have budget plan, however do not abandon what's actually driving traffic and conversions today. In 2025, we saw everyone talking about how AI search was going to take control of Google. Beyond simply SEO, the marketing neighborhood as an entire begun to get bombarded with influencers attempting to ride the AI buzz train.
It became difficult to discover trusted sources that weren't prejudiced or had a surprise program to offer us something. While I do believe there are benefits to using LLMs in our workflows, I do think it has actually been overhyped. And in 2026, I anticipate numerous marketers will understand that ChatGPT and Perplexity are simply a small part of the SEO market.
Google still controls 90% market share and with its AI Mode and AI Overviews, it remains in the ideal position to win the AI search engine race. Search habits hasn't essentially moved far from Google. Beyond simply that, there are a few things that have actually rubbed me the incorrect way about the AI SEO pattern.
Some claim ChatGPT has a 16% discussion rate and is much better by more than 2X compared to Google. But what these marketers do not understand is that Things like homepages, pricing pages, or bottom of funnel content, tends to be displayed in ChatGPT. The informational top of funnel material is "consumed" by LLMs and revealed to users without anywhere to click.
Google's conversion rates reveal less because the traffic is greater due to it being diluted by all the top of funnel material that is in the equation. Other things like how ChatGPT can make stuff up, it never totally follows triggers correctly (i.e.
I do still believe that larger companies bigger business aside an experimental budget speculative budget plan things check ChatGPT apps and other AI SEO tools.
These techniques might work now in ChatGPT and other LLMs, but they're short-term plays that will ultimately get penalized. Focus on white hat techniques that construct genuine authority and trust over time instead of chasing quick wins that won't last.
Now, the algorithm is mature enough to overlook all that rubbish. ChatGPT and other LLM algorithms are not as mature. I can't call this individual, however I fulfilled an SEO director at a huge banking business. This person informed me they (and all their competitors) are developing microsites (like small blog sites) on various domains.
And from there, they are using their primary business domain, that has an incredibly strong brand name authority, and sending out backlinks to the microsite. And this has actually resulted in greater rankings for their brand in LLMs like ChatGPT.It blew my mind that huge, reliable companies are doing this. And I realized just how much black hat (or grey hat) methods are going on behind the scenes.
In 2026, I anticipate these methods will continue to happen. Till ChatGPT's algorithm gets as smart as Google's search algorithm.
Concentrate on quality over amount. Share genuine insights, use your own images and videos, and develop topical authority in your niche. This is how solo creators and little teams can beat big brand names in 2026. Specific niche blogging is back infant. With a twist. This is among the most significant SEO patterns for content marketing I'm seeing right now.
You require a genuine organization, be it a newsletter organization, a service-based organization, SaaS business, or ecommerce shop. And then you add on this human-centered specific niche blogging to the website to organically grow your core product/service offering. In 2026, I anticipate that Google's algorithm will continue to get smarter about which web pages contain AI material and which do not.
I understand lots of individuals silently crushing it with AI produced content (even going after top of funnel keywords). What I am saying is that engaging, human content will outrank AI created content with no initial insights. There are two paths I see with SEO's right now: Produce countless AI-generated post and get them to rank in the middle/bottom of page 1.
Produce a hundred human blog posts and get them to rank at the top of the very first page. Quality over amount. The first route is based upon large volume, and can lead to traffic growth. You do run the risk of a potential algorithm update injuring your rankings. And anyone who composes better human material will rank higher in positions 1-3. The second path is slower, however can yield greater ranking positions and more trust with readers.
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