2026 News SEO Trends & Predictions: Insights From 20 Global Experts On What’s Next

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

Video. Not because video is doing well in Discover and the SERPs, although that helps. But because it helps humanise brands and people, builds real connections and helps draw in a new audience. It might not be your job directly, but showing the success of video in our platform can help steer the ship too.

Unique, valuable content. For everything you create, think about whether it is adding something to the wider corpus of information out there. Images, data, quotes, expert commentary. Anything you can do to make your content worth indexing and (hopefully) reading is more important than ever. You have to stand out.

Marketing. Think about distribution. Think about how other channels and engagement data affect search and your audience. Where they spend time, how they're influenced et al and push your content far and wide. Work with other teams to make this happen and avoid siloed departments.

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

The rise of the individual. We aren't just competing with Google, LLMs and other publishers. We're competing against social and video platforms and individual creators, so things are getting busier and busier and the levers we used to be able to pull don't work as well as they did.

As the platforms get busier and attention spans get even worse (if that's possible), you've got to find canny ways to engage with people and be more clickable. You can't forget about quality SEO, but you can't ignore the shifts that are happening.

Alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

Start by figuring out where your audience is and how you can add value. Then think about the type of content most applicable to those platforms and whether it has search value too. Videos, X and Facebook have all shot up in Google Discover because Google is trying to make it a destination.

Apple News has been very effective for some, as have content aggregators like the Drudge Report. So think about areas you can add value to the company commercially. New markets, products, platforms. Nothing should be off limits.

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

I don't see them being a huge threat to straight news content, but evergreen content will be more difficult to push through. Because the search is dead or dying narrative has spread far and wide, it can be harder to get your commissions pushed through.

In some cases that may not be a bad thing. Straighter stories are on the way out. Explainers need a rebrand. Stories need to be sexy to sell, otherwise you're fighting for attention in an already crowded space.

So I suspect newsrooms double down on quality and uniqueness and stop chasing traffic. But we lose traffic needed to generate revenue and publishing becomes harder to make profitable. So everyone who can will paywall.

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

We should try to figure out ways we can generate more value out of them. I don't think there's much value in real traffic from these platforms, but they're a good proxy for how you are seen across the web. You can use visibility reports to establish your wider sentiment and various inaccuracies on the internet to improve your product marketing.

But, if you can find a way to package how valuable it is for others to feature in your publication (if you feature on these pages, your LLM visibility will increase by x%), you have another product line that ecommerce or SAAS companies may find extremely valuable.

So in a roundabout way, yes.

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

A key challenge will be maintaining a strong focus on SEO amidst all the noise about AI. Many publishers think search as a channel will disappear, and they are spectacularly wrong. Losing focus on SEO means losing Google traffic, and publishers who are delusional about AI's takeover will interpret their loss of clicks resulting from abandoning SEO as a sign of Google's demise - and a self-fulfilling prophecy is born. Those publishers that continue to support their internal SEO efforts are expected to do well and soak up the traffic that others have abandoned in their AI-instigated panic.

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

Google's own focus on integrating AI in its results means that the number of clicks Google sends to the web has plateaued. Search is a zero-sum game now, so publishers have to work harder to earn the traffic they have often taken for granted. This means stronger focus on SEO is needed, and publishers who fail at this will leave their readers to be scooped up by competitors.

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

Multimodal content across multiple platforms and channels will be a key strategy for enduring success. Tap into different platforms' algorithmic recommendation engines - YouTube videos, Substack newsletters, etc.

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

The lifespan of news articles in Google's ecosystem will be reduced, with AI Overviews supplanting news stories within a few hours. Publishers have a smaller window of opportunity for their SEO.

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

No. LLMs do not drive traffic, so traffic-dependent organisations like news websites would be foolish to optimise for a channel that intends to replace them entirely.
 

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

Looking ahead to 2026, publishers face several major SEO challenges that must be prioritized to build sustainable growth. First, developing a truly cross-functional workflow with social, subscriptions, and other departments is essential to create an omnichannel strategy that diversifies monetization rather than obsessing over the exact source of revenue. Second, publishers need to embrace new formats such as vertical video and shorts, which offer fresh opportunities to reach audiences and monetize content beyond traditional articles. Understanding audience needs at every stage (what users want to achieve and how we can best serve them) must guide content creation and product decisions. Finally, and third, publishers should collaborate more closely with creators and strengthen the personal brands of internal journalists, positioning them as authoritative experts. Traffic for traffic’s sake no longer works; the future depends on building a real, loyal community around meaningful journalism.
 

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

One of the biggest challenges with Google in 2026 is truly understanding ongoing algorithm changes and adapting to them with agility. Publishers must learn how to work more effectively with Google Discover while also maintaining a strong focus on breaking news, which remains at the core of journalism. At the same time, it is crucial to closely track how AI Overviews and AI Mode continue to evolve, identifying the opportunities these features may still offer for visibility and audience growth. Evergreen content will never function the way it used to, as its role in driving large volumes of traffic has fundamentally changed. However, it will continue to serve as a key pillar for building authority, credibility, and long-term trust. The challenge for publishers is to balance fast, high-impact news coverage with strategic, authoritative evergreen efforts that reinforce expertise in an increasingly AI-mediated search environment.
 

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

For me, the answer right now comes down to one very clear word: community. If you have a community, you have a treasure. It’s something publishers should have been building for a long time, but even if you don’t have it yet, it’s never too late to start. Identify your audience, understand their needs, and create a safe environment for them. Offer content and an editorial product they are willing to pay for and truly believe in. You need to become their second home, a place where they feel secure and sense that the people there (both journalists and other readers) share the same interests, the same curiosity, and the same desire to learn and grow.
 

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

I believe that, for now, AI Overviews will keep breaking news largely intact, but we still need to monitor how the algorithm evolves, because their visibility has not been consistent since the initial rollout. Although the impact on publishers has been relatively limited so far, this stability is not guaranteed, and the way Google chooses to surface real-time information could shift quickly. At the moment, AI Overviews seem to affect long-tail and informational queries more than fast-paced news coverage, which gives publishers some breathing room. However, if AI Mode becomes the default experience in the browser, the situation could change dramatically. Such a shift could reduce direct traffic, alter user behavior, and disrupt the traditional relationship between audiences and news sites. Publishers will need to stay vigilant, experiment, and be ready to adapt to a search landscape where AI-generated summaries may increasingly sit between journalists and their readers.
 

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

Yes, I do think we should pay attention to this development and start understanding it, but not with a sense of urgency. The key questions remain: where is the actual business, and where are the clicks? At the moment, this feature contributes only about 0.2% of our traffic, and that is not something that will change overnight. It is important to stay informed, run small tests, and monitor how user behavior evolves, but we shouldn’t divert significant resources from initiatives that currently drive real value. The landscape may shift in the future, and if it does, we will be ready to adapt. For now, though, its impact is minimal, and the priority should remain on strengthening the channels and formats that bring measurable results. Long-term awareness matters, but panic does not. We need to keep perspective, stay strategic, and focus on the areas where growth and opportunity are tangible.
 

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

1. Non-AI created videos, especially YouTube, Tiktoks & Reels. Not only do such videos achieve otherwise unattainable visibility on Google Search (especially from knowledge panel and vertical video blocks), Discover and AI Chatbot surfaces. But they also drive revenues if you sign up for their respective content creator revenue programs.

2. In a world where AI is driving content commoditisation to new heights, we’re witnessing a return to the days of newspapers where readers would choose publications based on the authors. Building a journalist's authority is more than having an author profile page. They need recognisable expertise, validated by credentials, awards, a notable social footprint and most importantly, an informed opinion. Publishers are becoming talent agencies for journalists.

3. News cycle dominance. This is achieved by owning both the fast hit and the authoritative follow-up capture the largest compounding traffic and ad yield. Being the fastest involves not only publishing first, but being indexed first. Optimising for speed with technical improvements such as XML sitemaps, RSS feeds, 304 response codes and strong information architecture. Follow-up coverage necessitates editorial playbooks covering priming evergreen content for topical authority, a pre-existing network of experts for commentary and fact check flows. This allows you to produce the highest quality quick follow content to the breaking news story.

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

More people will read the news in situ in AI Mode as it rolls out wider. But being included in the citations is not enough. You need to be a seen citation, where, as it stands, the top placement is key. And the title and the square image need to grab the user's interest to the point they will click to read more.

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

As always Google Discover is the obvious one. So too are YouTube, Tiktok and Reels. These are important and should be a focus of any healthy strategy. But what is often underappreciated are the smaller channels, that alone do little, but together can be powerful. Don’t sleep on X and LinkedIn posts, both of which are often featured in Discover. Or News aggregators like Apple News, MSN Partner Hub or Flipboard. Supporting multiple touchpoints earns more digital availability and thus helps to build brand salience.

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

I don't foresee the presence of AI Overviews significantly changing, as Google is focussed more on AI Mode and Web Guide.
 

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

Of cause. It's important for brand salience and while click numbers are lower, there is still traffic to be earned. The key is earning a visible, ideally top, citation and working on ensuring the <title> tag, previously over-keyword-optimisied for SERPs, is rewritten to be more engaging. It must give the user a reason to click beyond the commodity content they can read on the LLM. Do you have exclusive video? Images? A expert perspective? Include what makes you standout beyond the information provided by the LLM.
 

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

1. Video: How people consume news is changing, and if we don’t pay attention, we’ll miss a real opportunity. Google is certainly paying attention – just look at how much more video we’re now seeing across both Search and Discover. This isn't accidental. It's also worth noting that YouTube is currently the most visible site on the platform in both the UK and the US. That tells us a lot about where Google thinks user demand is heading. There’s a big opportunity here, so now is a good time to think about what this means for your own site and how you can work more closely with your video teams to make the most of it.

2. Establishing your site's definition of a meaningful PV: With traffic down across publishers globally, it’s worth asking whether pageviews should still be your primary KPI. The reality is that not all PVs carry the same value. Some drive revenue. Some drive subscriptions. And some, frankly, don’t contribute much to your site's longterm growth at all. The key is to identify which pageviews matter most to your business and centre your strategy around those. By doing this, you can show how your work is actively supporting revenue and subscription growth – instead of focusing on raw PVs at a time when overall traffic opportunities simply aren’t what they used to be, for reasons largely outside your control.

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

We can expect more AI-driven features to roll out from Google next year, and many of them will pose a real threat to publisher traffic. The strongest way to compete isn’t to out-AI the AI — it’s to lean into your brand identity and create the kind of content AI can’t replicate. While AI has its place, people still crave a human voice, human judgment, and human connection. 
Publishers should embrace that, not shy away from it.

That said, News SEOs should keep a close eye on the EU’s investigation into Google and its use of publisher content for AI products likes AIOs “without appropriate compensation.” It’s an important development that could shape how AI and publisher relationships evolve in 2026 and beyond.

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

Google is clearly leaning hard into video. At Search Central Live in Zurich, they even confirmed that they’re prioritising more creator-led content from platforms like YouTube and Instagram. On top of that, they’ve started rolling out social channel integrations — including YouTube — inside the Google Search Console Insights report (though only some users have access so far). The direction of travel couldn’t be clearer. YouTube and TikTok should be considered part of your SEO strategy for 2026. After all, both platforms are effectively video-driven search engines in their own right.
 

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

The big question for 2026 is how AI overviews will evolve. Google has already started sending news push notifications that direct users straight to AI Mode. Once there, users aren’t just seeing a summary — they’re served full articles compiled from content published on news sites, including exclusive pieces. This raises a key concern: will AI “overviews” eventually become full-on AI “articles”?

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

"Apologies, but… it depends! The value of LLMs depends entirely on your business model. If your primary KPI is PVs, then the answer is no — LLMs currently drive only around 0.2% of publisher traffic on average. In that case, Bing should be a higher priority than any LLM strategy.

That said, there is an opportunity here — it’s just not website traffic. More than 92% of LLM brand citations come from mentions on news sites. So while LLMs might not drive traffic, those mentions on news sites are very valuable to brands."
 

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

1) social search optimisation: Google's reign as the front door to the internet is no longer something we can take for granted. Depending on the intent behind their query users are increasingly chosing other platforms to begin their search journey. In 2026 having a 360 view of where readers are engaging with your content and understanding how you can serve their needs on those platforms will be crucial. The new starting point might be ChatGPT - but it could also be Reddit, TikTok or YouTube

2) test and learn with LLMs: the acronym isn't important (SEO, GEO, AEO etc) but getting familiar with how AI answer engines work is the only way to find out if there really is value in optimising for them. There's a lot of noise and some very strong, diverse opnions out there and it can seem overwhelming to know where to start - but that's the crucial first step, just start. Use all the chatbots, run some tests and have the reporting in place before you start so you can accurately assess and feedback to the business on what works and what's just not worth the effort.

3) SEO fundamentals: SEO became a bit of a dirty word in 2025 but next year it should be rehabilitated. Especially for publishers who care about Discover traffic... or AIO/Mode visibility... or citations in LLMs. SEO fundamentals baked into product decisions and editorial best practices have never been more important. At its core, SEO is about creating the best possible user experience and making it as easy as possible for real people to find the highest quality, most helpful content on the web - long live SEO.

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

The optimist in me hopes that 2026 will be the year Google remembers how important News is to the ecosystem. AI answers are only as good as the content they learn from and if the value exchange breaks down to such an extent that news publishers can no longer afford to create high quality, original content, the whole experince starts to deteriorate. I really hope the recently announced AI partnership deals are the start of more inclusive, broader conversations that benefit all - fair payment for publishers, clear attribution and a richer, deeper pool of diverse sources for readers to angage with.
 

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

YouTube - the most cited publisher in AIOs and Google Discover. It's not just about optimsing for visibility on the platform itself (although that is probably where most users will engage), but also for citations and maybe even clicks on these other surfaces. We're starting to get social channel tracking in Search Console and some other third party tools now so what was previously a bit of a black box is now opening up. In 2026 we should be able to implement a proper social search optimisation strategy AND be able to report back to key stakeholders on what's actually working.
 

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

It really depends what the goal is. I think there are situations where it makes sense - for example in commerce, working with brands - but LLM citations will clearly never subsitute for actual clicks for ad-funded organisations reliant on scale.
 

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

- Google Discover remains a key focus for news publishers and this will become more important when it is rolled out across desktop. Be careful though, newsrooms that pivot their entire operation to Google Discover often find themselves at the whims of the algorithm and forget about building sustainable audiences though distinct, thought-provoking or exclusive content formats.

- In 2026, video, especially vertical video, will become as critical as ever before. We’re already seeming the numbers of creators explode (103 million by 2030 according to Goldman Sachs) so newsrooms need to adapt or die. Whether it’s connecting with external news creators or making stars from your own newsroom, as an SEO, you NEED to be across video optimisation. It’s no longer a side quest!

- Become the AI search visibility ambassador for your company and, by doing so, BOOST your own visibility in your organisation.  The C-Suite are looking for experts and you can fill that space which, in turn, will help with getting traction for your campaigns and  further investment.

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

The. big one is going to be the evolution of AI Mode - will it eventually replace organic search OR will there be a hybrid in the form of something like Google’s Web Guide?  Whatever the UX, AI visibility optimisation is going to lead more, hence why you should be swatting up on this stuff now before the storm hits.

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

As John Shehata said at Ness 2025, you need to own your audience across all your brand touchpoints and platforms. You need to be think TikTok, podcasts, newsletters etc. But if we focus on one area which I spoke about in my own YouTube Optimisation Ness session, video consumption is only going to rise and with it the number of creators. That’s a hella lot of video competing with your news brand. My advice would be to work with the news creators - they will help you understand how to crack the algorithm - and then get your staff training programs organised!
 

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

I’m afraid AI Overviews will continue to eat into publisher search referral traffic - most notably in areas like Health, Entertainment and Science. We will need to monitor it’s impact on hard news and come together as an industry to object if we see more news queries populated by AI boxes.

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

Undoubtedly. I think we are eventually heading towards a  bot-to-bot transactional exchange:  You want a video that shows you how to fix that old old synth you’ve just bought? Well, go tell your preferred LLM and they go away armed with a budget and source it from a publisher bot. Yes, it’s going to be micropayment heaven. In that world, websites and apps become less important - but I think that’s a long way off yet, I’m still waiting for the next Virtual Reality evolution!

Optimise by first understanding your current AI Search visibility against competitors, then check your topic authority, then put together a content strategy to reformat current pages and plan for new content. Also invest in content that LLMs will find HARD to scrape like opinion pieces, first person stories, interactive storytelling, video!

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

1. Brand authority is a critical ranking signal - Google assess which brands are trustworthy to surface by name. This means brand signals, not just the domain level but topic/vertical level, becomes more important. Know your niche and push to expand Google's categorization of your brand.  

2. Own your beat - don't be the third outlet to cover a story with wire-sourced facts. Of course you can and have an obligation to readers to cover breaking news, but if you're the outlet that broke the story, has the expert reporter, or provides unique analysis you become the citation.

3. Speed still matters - be first, be accurate, be authoritative, be unique. Tactically this means LiveBlogs, IndexNow, AMP (sigh), sitemaps, RSS feeds and aggressively pushing for resources to support speed to indexation. Strategically this means, investing in original reporting, expert quotes, unique analysis that differentiates your brand - all in coordination, that makes you citable.

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

The shift from click-based to citation-based search means publishers must become sources Google has to name, not just summarize.

There are uncomfortable realities all publishers need to accept as Google continues to commoditize news and how it's presented. If Google can summarize information without the need to drive traffic, they will (and they are).This means publishers must shift focus to specific verticals, commentary, analysis, and original reporting with citable value. 

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

Video. Video through player pages, embedded into articles, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube. 

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

Build other traffic drivers, outside of core search.  Make sure to bolster your email list.  Leverage Google Discover traffic while you can, before it goes the way of AI.
 

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

AI, for publishers, AI is not just reshaping how journalists do their jobs but it is hurting traffic from Google Search.  AI responses are everywhere, leading to fewer clicks and impressions on your web site.
 

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

Loyal readership, through email lists, app users, private areas for subscribers...
 

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

It will be a negative impact.
 

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

Yes, they should not block these LLMs.  Let them in and see how you can leverage that traffic and brand mentions, if any.
 

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

1. Grow your brand to become a destination for your readers, rank and get cited more easily: from your content topics, to your user experience: ask if this is how you want to be recognized. 
2. Focus on ""on brand"" topics that are meaningful to target from a topic standpoint and grow your topical authority further 
3. Expand your presence beyond Google to reach your audience in other platforms where they're consuming news: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok... and bring them to have a direct engagement with you via your newsletter 

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

The expected full release of Google Discover on Desktop and the likely further integration of AI Mode with news related information. 
 

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

It depends on where their audience engages, but I would recommend assessing YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and of course, bringing them to their own newsletter for ongoing direct communication that they control. 
 

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

Rather than AI Overviews, the biggest shift will happen with AI Mode becoming more integrated in the default search experience, where AI Overviews are shown right now and further, not only necessarily for evergreen topics. 
 

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

Yes, they should, but can't consider it a performance only channe and have the same type of expectations than with traditional search with Google so far, but a blend of branding and performance, also measuring its success in visibility, reputation, share of voice, etc. 
 

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

Over-reliance on Discover traffic has become a deadly danger: it is particularly essential for a news site to diversify its traffic sources, even if this means changing its business model.

Those who hoped that ChatGPT, Perplexity or other generative AI platforms could play a key role in this diversification in 2026 will be disappointed: what lies ahead in the coming months is a landscape in which traditional traffic sources remain strongly predominant: don't chase shadows.

Too many of my clients also have siloed digital strategies. To continue to perform well in 2026, it has become crucial to deploy holistic strategies in which brand strength, reader support, editorial quality, technical quality, added value and the usefulness of what is produced are key factors.

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

I work mainly in the French market, which has become a very unique market in recent months.

A very French peculiarity is the highly visible presence of ‘Made for Discover’ sites on GD, whose content is entirely generated by AI. We see this in other countries, but in this market, it is done on an industrial scale, and the sites that appear in other European countries are often created by the same French black hats that pollute the Discover feeds in France.

Google seems to be having difficulty preventing these sites from appearing in the feeds, and only removes them after a significant delay.
As a result, Google's recent statements about addressing the problem are not reassuring, as the measures envisaged have not yet solved the problem.

If this were classic spam, one might say that it is no more serious than usual. But these sites spread fake news, including on topics that can have a real negative impact on readers who believe this information. In France, spreading fake news has been a criminal offence for over 140 years, and this exact type of false information falls under another law dating from 2018. But without the cooperation of the digital platforms that relay them, enforcing these laws is slow and tricky.

Publishers need to convince Google this issue is serious

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

Video content and video platforms in general are a smart way to diversify. Having a large amount of this type of content helps to gain visibility on YouTube and other streaming platforms,  as well as on all social media tools.

Don't overlook tools such as newsletters, which are not a thing of the past. Use them as a way to reach your most loyal readers and encourage them to provide feedback on what interests them and what they like about your content.

The same logic applies to all tools that help you build a real community around your media, enabling you to read weak signals and trends and take them into account in your digital and editorial strategy. The digital media landscape is changing rapidly, and you need the information you need to adapt.

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

The Digital Markets Act has already created significant differences within the European Union for large traffic-generating platforms between their interfaces in the US and Europe.
But, more surprisingly, in France, neither AI Overviews nor AI mode have been deployed by Google. Officially, the reasons are legal (even though, in theory, these reasons could also apply in Spain or Germany). This transforms this market into an ‘island’ that has not been contaminated by AI features in Google.

In practice, therefore, there has been no significant drop in traffic for news sites due to AI Overviews in France, but rather a limited erosion.

Will this French exception last over time? Will Google push its AI features on Google FR from the beginning of 2026? Or will there be a version ‘adapted’ to the requirements of the French regulatory authorities? Only time will tell.

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

Yes, you need to optimise for LLMS, but only after carefully considering the ROI of these projects, which can become very negative if you follow the advice of all the pseudo-experts in AI who hang out on social media.

Essentially, a traditional SEO strategy focused on EEAT does most of the work (especially on the technical aspects). Then you can work on topics such as structuring into ‘chunks’ adapted to Transformer windows, optimising the value of citations, or creating files covering the need for ‘topical breadth’ induced by Query Fan Out behaviours. But don't overdo it, because AI-based tools are evolving rapidly and what works today may no longer be relevant tomorrow.

And given the traffic sent by others (which is fairly symbolic at the moment), these optimisations may only target Google's features and models (or Bing's, at a pinch).

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

The year 2026 will be defined by an irreversible shift: Generative AI is changing the discovery and consumption of news. For News SEO professionals focused on traffic and revenue, the strategy must pivot from purely ranking in “10 blue links” to securing authority and owning new channels. I’ve identified three crucial trends for the year ahead:

1. The Triumph of Brand Authority and AI-Resistant Content

As AI models increasingly summarize and synthesize information, traffic expectations must be reset. The winners will be publishers who double down on content that AI cannot easily replicate: original data, in-depth analysis, live coverage, and expert commentary that offers unique insights beyond what a summary can capture. This is an E-E-A-T-first strategy. Publishers must actively track brand visibility to understand where LLMs consider them the definitive expert, which secures citation and prominence within AI Overviews. This focus on quality also provides an internal opportunity to get high-value SEO initiatives prioritized by leveraging the current hype around AI search.

2. YouTube and Short-Form Video: The New Battleground for Breaking News

Video is no longer an ancillary platform; it is a primary news delivery channel. In 2026, YouTube SEO will shift from optimizing evergreen explainers to becoming a critical source of rapid audience acquisition for breaking news. Publishers need to treat their journalists and reporters as on-camera creators, building their individual profiles and fostering off-platform audiences. Optimizing for YouTube's search and recommendation algorithms—which prioritize authority and engagement – requires dedicated investment in high-quality vertical video (for platforms like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok) and ensuring that video content is fully transcribed and optimized to capture non-video search queries. Traffic and revenue growth will come from monetizing the direct relationship and engagement built via these video platforms.

3. Local News: The AI-Resilient SEO Opportunity

While national traffic declines, local news publishers have a uniquely resilient opportunity in the age of generative AI. Large Language Models (LLMs) often struggle with real-world, time-sensitive local intent and lack reliable location awareness, making AI Overviews less likely to appear for these queries. Success hinges on a hyperlocal content strategy that goes beyond city-wide pages to cover specific neighborhoods, local events, and community issues. Furthermore, local outlets must explore new mechanisms, such as licensing their unique content to AI companies on a per-crawl basis, to generate meaningful revenue and assert pricing autonomy in 2026. Investing in consistent local data (Google Business Profile accuracy, local reviews) will also remain paramount, as AI models rely on these fundamentals for validation.

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

News SEOs already know they need to watch AI Overviews like a hawk. According to the Pew Research Center, "Online publishers ... have attributed declining web traffic to these summaries replacing traditional search results, claiming that many users are relying on the summaries instead of following links to the publishers’ websites." But if you drilled down deeper into the data, Pew also said, "The most frequently cited sources in both Google AI summaries and standard search results are Wikipedia, YouTube and Reddit." Now, I've been urging online publishers to embrace YouTube as a complementary news platform for more than 15 years. In 2026, this is mandatory for survival.
 

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

YouTube. It's the second largest website after only Google. And the data that supports that is based on visits from computers or phones. It doesn't include watch time on connected TVs (CTVs). And in February 2025, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said, "People aren’t just watching YouTube on their computers or phones. TV has surpassed mobile and is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the U.S. (by watch time), and according to Nielsen, YouTube has been #1 in streaming watch time in the U.S. for two years." So, while some might encourage publishers to diversify their portfolio of platforms, I'd share Andrew Carnegie's counter-intuitive advice: "Put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket."
 

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

It will be bigger than the advent of Yellow Journalism, which was most popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly during the period of intense competition between publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst in New York City, roughly from 1895 to 1905. This era saw sensationalized reporting and news pushed to extremes to attract readers, with the Spanish-American War being a key event that exemplified these practices. 
 

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

Yes they should. And they should attend NESS 2026 to learn how.
 

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

1. Focusing on EEAT isn't enough anymore - you need to be building up your experts' influence and building their presence on social media. People want to connect with people more than brands. 
2. If you're struggling to compete in news/Top Stories, you need to continue to build your brand authority through digital PR efforts. I would also try to specialize in the particular niches that Google is associating with your brand and slowly expand from there. 

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

We're moving to a zero-click search reality. We're already seeing it with LLMs, AI Overviews, and AI Mode. To adapt successfully, we're going to need to be very focused on building subscribers and engaging with audience more directly rather than through search. The video and podcast world is getting crowded, but there's still room to grow new shows and build audience if you can come up with a good, unique hook. 
 

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

Video-focused platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram are one way to reach new, different audiences. Niche and community platforms could also be a good way for your experts to connect with new, engaged audiences (or you could experiment with advertising there). Partnering with Substackers could also be a powerful way to connect with some new audiences. 
 

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

We're already seeing declines in traffic; I would expect that to continue. Getting visibility high in the AIO can still lead to more traffic though similar to a featured snippet. 
 

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

Yes; I would focus on building the best Homepage and About page on the internet since those are the pages that increase traffic when LLM visibility increases. 
 

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

• Integrate SEO and AI optimization
• Experiment with AI-powered paywall strategies
• Expand SEO to social and non-traditional channels
• Embrace personalization
• Streamline workflows with modern tools

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

1. SEO + AI Search: A Unified Approach
The NFL’s use of agentic AI in 2025 shows how AI systems can interpret and deliver content rapidly and intelligently, offering a glimpse into the future of AI-assisted content discovery. Publishers who integrate Agentic AI into their workflows now will have a competitive edge in 2026.
2. Optimizing Paywall Content with LLMs
LLMs will revolutionize paywalled content by enabling dynamic adjustments based on user intent. AI-generated previews and targeted access models will balance visibility with monetization, driving subscriptions while optimizing for AI search.
3. Personalization and 'Top Stories' 
Google's 'Top Stories' and AI-curated results will prioritize user preferences and history. Create engaging, adaptive content that speaks to individual interests to build loyalty and increase brand search.

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

1. SEO Beyond Traditional Search Engines 
Social media, newsletters, and apps are now search-driven and indexable. With Facebook content discoverable on Google, optimizing for social SEO and Google Discover is critical for expanding reach and brand visibility.

2. Content Creation with MCP Connectors & CMS Platforms
MCP connectors and advanced CMS platforms will standardize multi-channel distribution. Publishers who adopt these tools will lead in making content discoverable and engaging across all touchpoints.

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

It's stopped mass production of informational commodity content as publishers have experienced ctr and traffic declines. I think key thing to will be evident is the currency of trust and how that will lead into brand searches, personalized results and AI overview prominence for strategic content.
 

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

Yes, one tactic to conduct is create customised previews based on content formats (for gated or non-gated content) so that it can be distribution ready.
 

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

1. Optimize for AI Overviews, chatbots, and zero-click search, to build E-E-A-T with AI platforms and readers  
- Techniques like straightforward formatting, FAQ style structuring, bullet points, and lists can make information easier to cite and improve odds of appearing in search results
- Strategic updates also make a difference, as AI bots are known for swapping featured results in and out based off of freshness
- Declining click-through rates are concerning with AIO, but you can still build brand loyalty by appearing in these modules; it's more of a psychological play over time. 
2. Recirculate search-friendly content always *in all ways* beyond the first page of Google, to remain relevant and authoritative in timely news windows 
- Search (not dead!) remains a powerful trigger to signal what people care about in real-time, but success can't be defined by the first page of Google anymore. 
- Apps, newsletters, and social media channels can allow you to connect with your existing audience and draw in new readers where topical trends cross streams. 
- SEO strategists must be *audience strategists* in 2026 and beyond, to maximize reach in this new era of search.  
3. Diversify SEO content strategy with video, audio, and other formats, to reach readers every way that they consume news 
- Traditional articles aren't a universal preference, and we need to adapt our editorial strategies to align with evolving audience behavior. 
- Actual SERP pages reflect this shift, showcasing more and more YouTube results, podcast snippets, etc. 
- Think strategically about which topics would be best suited for different formats, to create a diverse portfolio of offerings that can showcase your expertise and keep readers engaged. 

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

1. Personalization
- Though Google has always factored in personal elements (EX: location) to influence search results, things took a big turn this year with the introduction of features like Preferred Sources in Top Stories and the follow feature in Google Discover. 
- SERPs can look wildly different depending on who is conducting the original search, emphasizing that publishers can't succeed long-term with a one size fits all approach to content strategy. 
- In addition to encouraging readers to sign up for search personalization features, publishers should strive to personalize the on-site experience as much as possible, via curated headlines, article suggestions, ads, etc. based off of unique user preferences.

2. Shifting metrics of success 
- Declining click-through rates amid the AI boom are very real, and they are forcing us to redefine what makes an article ""successful"" on search. 
- Though more traditional publishing metrics like page views still matter, publishers need to start putting a greater emphasis on other authority signals like brand mentions and citations, to properly evaluate overall industry impact. 
- E-E-A-T is a more important factor than ever, as readers need legitimate sources they can trust to combat LLM inaccuracies.

3. Emphasis on younger demographics
- Younger audiences have been pivoting away from Google in the past few years, favoring platforms like TikTok for their search needs. 
- Google has responded by shifting the look of SERPs to feature more content that can appeal to Gen Z, like Reddit posts, TikTok UGC, etc. 
- Publishers should be thinking about how to create more content that can connect with younger readers, to maximize audience engagement during this wave of industry development. 

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

1. Google Discover 
- Google Discover syncs with Google's increased emphasis on personalization, making it a positive platform for audience expansion amid AI challenges. 
- Google Discover is a great space to experiment with headlines, test out different kinds of content, and brainstorm ways to hook in new readers. 
- Google Discover remains a volatile space that should be treated as a supplemental channel vs. a core source of traffic.

2. Reddit
- Since Google and Reddit started their official partnership in 2024, Reddit posts have started to pop up in search results more frequently. 
- Reddit is an excellent place for publishers to interact with fans on a more personal level and showcase their E-E-A-T towards trending topics. 
- Publishers can expand brand loyalty by conducting AMAs, providing expert intel in relevant subreddits, and responding to fan questions in simple yet impactful ways.

3. YouTube
- Google has been featuring more video results in SERPs during timely windows, and publishers need to be in the mix.  
- Breaking news and evergreen video explainers can appeal to a wide range of scenarios and establish a valuable content library that connects with industry developments in multimodal search. 
- Publishers should utilize traditional SEO fundamentals in their YouTube strategy, emphasizing trending keywords within short-form and long-form content, to meet a wide array of audience needs. 

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

AI Overviews are unavoidable in 2026. Newsrooms have to play ball with a two-pronged approach: 1. Feed the beast with content it prefers and update articles based off of trending news, to increase odds of appearing in modules. 2. Recirculate search-friendly content beyond the first page of Google, to maintain authority and relevance. AI Overviews are also forcing us to shift how we evaluate performance in 2026, with less emphasis on clicks and more emphasis on overall brand loyalty. Supplemental channels beyond Google will be necessary to keep current readers engaged and find new audiences. To drive it home, SEO strategists must be *audience strategists* in 2026 and beyond.

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

Utility content still matters in 2026! To optimize for LLMs, publishers should zone in on audience questions and provide answers in timely windows. Though LLMs have improved substantially since their initial introduction, their accuracy rates still leave much to be desired. Publishers can deliver verified information when readers need it most. Though the SEO industry is undergoing a massive evolution, certain fundamentals remain the same. If you understand your audience and prioritize their needs, you can still succeed in this era. 

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

This year has been a period of rapid change for publishers as the search landscape continues to evolve. With the emergence of AI Overviews, the launch of AI Mode, increased volatility in Google Discover, Google news and the growing influence of large language models, traffic patterns in 2025 have looked very different than in years past.
As AI-driven search continues to expand, having a well-rounded, holistic strategy is more important than ever—one that extends beyond traditional Google Search and prioritizes overall content quality rooted in expertise, trust, and reliability. This approach will be critical for driving growth not only in Google Search, but also across AI-powered discovery experiences. To support this shift, metrics must evolve from simple reporting into strategic levers. While pageviews may still matter for some, there is a growing need to focus on metrics that reflect content quality and conversion, such as lifetime value (LTV), reader return rate (RRR), pages per visit, and similar engagement indicators.
Ultimately, the most effective SEO strategies are those informed by learning and experimentation with your own audience data. Even in the AI era, applying SEO best practices through the lens of what your audience is actively seeking will remain essential.

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

As a former Head of SEO at Ringier Axel Springer Polska and a practitioner who has been repeating for years that ""indexing is a privilege, not a right,"" I see this more clearly in 2026 than ever before.

1. Readiness for ""Agentic Commerce"" (Infrastructure over Paywalls)
The traditional sales funnel in media is dying. In 2026, the user isn't looking for ""offers""; they are tasking their AI assistant with finding reliable information.
The Action: Our premium content cannot be a ""wall"" for AI bots; instead, it must present structured offers that an agent can negotiate.
The Goal: Transitioning to a model of micro-payments and subscriptions concluded ""machine-to-machine."" If your site cannot ""negotiate"" with a shopping bot for a few cents in milliseconds, you are dropping out of the market.

2. Semantic Independence
Visibility in RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) systems no longer depends on keywords, but on information structure. AI models do not read articles linearly—they cut them into ""chunks.""
The Action: Every paragraph and content module must defend itself semantically on its own. 
The Goal: Building modular content. If a text fragment is ripped out of context and used by AI to construct an answer, it must be 100% understandable and complete. This is the end of ""fluff"" in leads.

3. Technical Foundations and Hybrid Entity Building
I have been saying this for years: to rank, you must exist (be indexed), and in the age of AI, indexing costs are astronomical. 
The Action (Technical): Optimization of rendering and structure strictly for cost efficiency. 
The Action (Editorial SEO): Technical implementation of Person or NewsMediaOrganization is not enough. This is where Editorial SEO comes in—working at the grassroots level with the newsroom. We must guide journalists by the hand to build their profiles, ensure uniqueness, and deliver ""Information Gain.""
The Goal: Creating ""Ironclad Entities” and a strong personal author brand offers a chance of survival in the results.

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

Year 2026 is not the time for new meta tags, but for the ultimate stress-test of publisher business models. The biggest change we must prepare for is a total redefinition of the user acquisition cost-to-revenue ratio.

In my assessment, News SEO in 2026 will be defined by three brutal phenomena:

1. The Death of Classic ""Editorial SEO"" and another Team Reductions
What I warned about in 2023 is becoming a reality: a model where a staff of SEO specialists manually ""pushes"" every editorial article is economically unjustified. Facing falling margins, maintaining large Editorial SEO structures is simply burning budget. The Change: News SEO is becoming a purely technical-product process. The role of the ""editorial consultant"" is disappearing. Either the newsroom has automated processes and a CMS that ""does the SEO itself"", or it loses its reason to exist.

2. Google Discover: From ""Golden Ticket"" to ""Russian Roulette""
The Challenge: Basing a media budget on Discover in 2026 is gambling. The algorithm has shifted to a ""Traffic Containment"" model—traffic is kept within the Google ecosystem. Publishers must prepare for the possibility that this tap could be turned off overnight for entire thematic categories. This forces diversification ""as of yesterday,"" because the algorithm takes no prisoners.

3. Google is a Corporation, Not a Library 
We must stop deluding ourselves that Google cares about the publishing ecosystem. The Conclusion:  The challenge for 2026 isn't ""how to recover traffic,"" but how to optimize the business assuming that traffic is gone. It is time for strategic board-level decisions: cost cutting, pivoting to paid content (paywalls), or doubling down on video and formats that AI doesn't cannibalize (yet).

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

Finding audiences beyond Google requires a mindset shift and moving from a ""broadcast"" model to a ""concierge"" model.

Here are the key pillars of this transition:

1. Vertical Video as the New Search Engine
For demographics under 35, the search bar is on TikTok or YouTube Shorts, not Google.
Strategy: It’s not about reposting TV clips. Content must be native
Search Lift: YouTube Shorts plays a dual role here—it builds viral reach but is also indexed in traditional Google Search, acting as a bridge to long-form video content.

2. Escape to ""Dark Social"": The Concierge Model
Social media has become noise, so users are retreating to closed groups. In these spaces, the ""broadcast"" model (dumping links) is treated as spam.
Solution: We must become an ""information concierge."" Instead of links, we deliver finished products: bulleted morning briefings or curated audio briefings from editors. We build intimacy and trust, not just reach.

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

In 2026, AI Overviews have effectively completed the transition of Google from a search engine to an ""Answer Engine,"" finalizing the ""Traffic Containment"" strategy. For newsrooms, the impact is binary and brutal:

1. Brand Awareness over CTR For informational queries, the click is gone. AIO is now a branding tool, not a traffic driver.
Impact: We are shifting our focus from Click-Through Rate (CTR) to ""Citation Share."" The goal is no longer just to get a visit, but to be cited as the primary ""Source of Truth"" in the AI’s answer. Being the source builds the brand trust required for a user to later search for us directly or buy a subscription.

2. The ""Data Provider"" Trap Publishers are now divided into two groups: those who feed the AI for free (hoping for scraps of visibility) and those who block it to protect premium value.
Impact: In 2026, smart newsrooms treat AIO as a ""teaser"" platform. We optimize content to answer the basic question in the snippet (to get the citation) but deliberately structure deep analysis and data behind a paywall or login, forcing the ""agent"" or user to negotiate access for the full picture.

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

The short answer is: Yes, but you must stop thinking of it as ""SEO.""

If you ignore LLMs, you are effectively invisible to the user’s personal assistant. However, the goal has changed. We are not optimizing for clicks—we are optimizing for Attribution

How to do it effectively in 2026?

1. LLMs hate noise. They struggle with complex DOM structures, pop-ups, and heavy JavaScript.
Don't force the AI to scrape your visual website. Provide a ""Data-First"" architecture. Your most valuable content must be easily accessible.

2. Optimize for ""Zero-Shot"" Attribution LLMs are prone to hallucination when data is vague. To be cited, you must be definitive.
Saturate your content with unique entities (names, dates, proprietary data) and connect them logically. Avoid ambiguous language.

Do not optimize for LLMs to get free traffic—that ship has sailed. Optimize for LLMs to ensure your brand remains part of the global knowledge base.

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

In 2026, News SEOs will continue to face a more fragmented ecosystem. Readers will be building habits with their specific engine of choice. As a result of a more diversified search landscape, audience intent may become more opaque, especially for publishers lacking advanced tracking tools. This is why building community with readers is critical to understanding the topics that truly resonate. To succeed in this environment, SEOs can:

Focus on technical SEO excellence: The basics of technical SEO will continue to be the prerequisite for visibility. AI engines may have different algorithms, but they rely on the same structural foundations. Without schema, fast page performance, and a clear hierarchical structure, your content will not be visible to the crawlers that could rank or cite it.

Be the trusted source: There is a lot of AI-generated noise on the internet, but there are readers who crave human interaction. Whether through text, audio, or video, highlighting authorship on-site and off-site builds loyal readership and the trust required to be cited by engines.

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

The biggest shift will be Google and other platforms' evolution into real-time, multimodal engines. We will see a world where search platforms provide information instantly by processing live streams, video, and audio as they happen. AI models are increasingly capable of handling real time news, so speed is of the highest importance as we prepare for that shift. Ensuring articles and videos are published in real time can better position sites for top stories and breaking news.

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

Instagram recently updated its UI to move “Reels” between the Feed and Direct Messages. This signals to me that Meta is positioning itself against TikTok, creating a domino effect where short-form, vertical video becomes the means to get audiences hooked. Publishers can capitalize on this shift by meeting readers with trusted, expert vertical video on Google Search and Discover, as well as social platforms where habits are forming, like YouTube, X, Instagram, and TikTok. 

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

AI Overviews will answer basic news questions directly on the SERP, which could lead to fewer clicks for publishers for standard news queries. Because the "who, what, and when" will be satisfied instantly by the engine, the bar to earn a click is much higher.
 

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

Yes, news organizations likely already are, because both LLMs and traditional search engines prioritize technical excellence and helpful content. Even though AI models use different algorithms, they rely on the same structural foundations as traditional search. Beyond a strong technical SEO foundation, I don’t believe that structuring content specifically for LLMs is a sustainable strategy. Instead, just like Google's advice for core updates, I believe SEOs should prioritize “delivering content that's helpful, reliable, and people first.

1–3 critical priorities for 2026:

The impact of Creator/UGC strategy for citations in agentic results.

AEO forums have plenty of examples of chat citations and links leading to UGC entities sourced from a diverse array of social content. There are links to transcripts of long-form video explainers from professional channels. And there are links to niche facebook groups or subreddits with anonymous commenting. Reddit threads, Quora chats and just about every entity of social conversation they can index and query.

In less than a calendar year, this feature came from basically nowhere to become one of the most dominant search ranking surfaces across engines.

It feels a little bit like when Google started incorporating social signals in universal search back in 2009-2011. They would surface highly engaged tweets with 100+ interactions alongside news stories that (sometimes) led to clumsy results. The feature was discontinued but came back in 2015 with emphasis on tweets from more curated sources.

Agentic search pointing to UGC will certainly be more complex. But product managers at technology companies and users will come to the same conclusion, one way or the other -- quality content is quality content. And, in the aggregate, quality information comes from institutions and credible independent voices.

In 2026, News SEOs should be making sure they are seeding their content on their own branded channels, with intention. And partnering/collabing with the right independent news creators to amplify reach. 

The biggest Changes in Google to Prepare for:

The continued march of Gemini across all search surfaces -- except maybe Discover?
 

alternative platforms or strategies to explore:

The horizontal funnels of creators.

The platforms are all in a bit of a moment of stasis. And you can only push so much through your brand channels as the algorithms spend so much time fighting the rise of slop. Combining positive brand signals through collaborative posting and editing is a key way to break through .. especially if you can mix legacy and emerging brands to show trust signals from different corners of an algorithm and user/base. 

Impact of AI Overviews on News and Newsrooms:

More 'chunkable' content to try to get citations in those overviews. 
 

Should News Organization Optimize for LLMs?

Yes. By creating more content in chunkable forms.