What happened in SEO in 2025? SEO Predictions for 2026

In the first episode of 2026, hosts Jack Chambers-Ward and Mark Williams-Cook discuss the major SEO news stories of 2025 and make predictions for the upcoming year.They reflect on their predictions from last year, including the impact of zero-click searches on organic click-through rates, the rise of video and visual search elements, and the importance of community and real marketing.The episode also covers Google's AI mode rollout, the challenges posed by automated advertising and privacy laws, and potential advancements in agentic search and browser-based AI.00:00 Introduction and New Year Greetings00:33 SEO Predictions for 202601:42 Zero Click Searches and AI Summarization07:40 Trends in Video and Visual Search12:30 The Return of Real Marketing20:39 Biggest News Stories of 202522:32 AI Mode Rollout Timeline23:30 Personal Use of AI Tools25:26 Global Expansion of AI Mode25:46 AI Mode and Search Functionality Predictions27:11 Impact of AI on Click-Through Rates31:12 Predictions for 202632:34 Automation and Data in SEO35:37 Challenges with Scraping and Indexing40:39 Agentic Search and Browser Integration44:52 Concluding Thoughts and Future Episodes