Traditional SEO won’t ‘die’ in 2026, but its function is evolving significantly due to the increasing capabilities of AI-powered search experiences; the core mechanism of ranking websites based on relevance signals remains, but the *interpretation* of those signals is changing.
Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), currently in testing as of December 2025 and rolling out incrementally to Australian users, exemplifies this. SGE uses AI models like Gemini to synthesise information from multiple sources and present it directly in a conversational format at the top of search results. This means ranking in a traditional ‘ten blue links’ format is less critical for visibility. Platforms like Semrush, popular with Australian marketing teams, now include features to analyse ‘AI snapshot’ performance – tracking how often a website’s content is cited within these AI-generated overviews. Semrush’s data, as of December 2025, shows that sites with strong Entity-based SEO (clearly defining ‘who, what, where, when’ information) are 2.3x more likely to be featured in SGE summaries. Additionally, Google’s Helpful Content System continues to prioritise content created for users, not solely for search engines. In 2026, we anticipate further integration of AI into Google Business Profile, potentially impacting local search rankings.
Ultimately, AI is reshaping *how* search results are displayed, but the underlying principle of providing relevant, high-quality content remains central to search performance.
