The following document reflects opinions, predictions, and subjective interpretations of market trends. All statements should be treated as viewpoints rather than verified facts. They do not constitute legal, financial, or strategic advice.
For many years, search – encompassing both paid and organic – has been a reliable, scalable, and resilient driver of growth in digital marketing. It withstood the rise of social media, flourished on mobile devices and apps, and quietly supported many significant e-commerce and branding efforts. However, we believe 2026 may mark a true turning point, with search undergoing a fundamental transformation as we ride the wave of AI.
The metrics we use to measure our success are changing, and the uncomfortable truth is that many organisations may be optimising for a version of search that no longer exists.
Do we need keywords? Do we need websites? Is everyone just searching on TikTok now?
At dentsu, we’re seeing this shift sooner than many. With more than 370 search experts in our UK division, working globally and integrated across commerce, media, data and technology, we’re observing search fragmenting, converging and reconfiguring in real time.
Below, we outline our search predictions for 2026. They’re written by our collection of industry leaders - grounded in billions of searches, millions of campaigns, and daily platform updates that influence consumer behaviour even before they make headlines.
Barry Loughran, Managing Director - Search
1. Search without websites may become a reality in 2026
With the advent of agentic technologies such as ChatGPT’s MCP and Google’s recently launched Universal Commerce Protocol, customers can now complete transactions directly within search and chat interfaces. This doesn’t diminish the importance of websites; instead, their role is likely to shift from guiding the entire customer journey to serving as the authoritative source for your brand information, product feeds, and creative assets.
“Google is launching seamless checkout with Google Pay, which is similar to ChatGPT's Instant Checkout feature. This change is set to make the shopping experience even smoother, reducing the number of clicks needed and presenting new attribution challenges that will be interesting to navigate.”
Malcolm Figures, Group Partner – Paid Search
“My thoughts are that by the end of 2026, 10% of search results may be entirely AI-generated, drawing from anonymous training data instead of cited webpages. This could mark the beginning of a new era where machine-synthesised answers replace human-curated links.”
Jon Hogg, Partner – SEO
“I predict that the average ecommerce website conversion rate may climb by more than 10% in 2026. Streamlined search journeys and AI-driven product surfacing may reduce friction and push more users to complete purchases.”
Alex Wright, Managing Partner – SEO
Clicks and impressions might matter less than ever. With AI-generated answers and integrated checkout options reducing the need for traditional site visits, success could hinge on measuring revenue and conversion efficiency rather than traffic. Brands can adapt by prioritising structured data, product visibility on AI-driven surfaces, and rethinking attribution models as research is conducted without clicks.
2. Google’s match type overhaul is coming – it might take your control with it
Google’s match type overhaul may signal the end of an era of strict advertising control, driven by a fundamental shift in how search intent is understood. As queries become more conversational and multimodal, AI increasingly interprets meaning, context, and user behaviour beyond the keywords themselves. So how do match types evolve?
We predict that Google may push advertisers toward intent-driven formats like AI Max and Performance Max. In this environment, keywords would function less as hard constraints and more as directional signals. We’re seeing that traditional match types are fading across placements, with exact match no longer blocking broad or AI-led targeting, and phrase match losing its distinct role.
Kenneth Yau, Managing Partner – Paid Search
"We may be witnessing the death of the match type. I predict that Google will deprecate phrase match and dilute the effectiveness of exact match to encourage advertisers to adopt more automated formats. This could be the final step toward keyword-less search."
Lauren Rogers, Managing Partner – Paid Search
"Google may begin the process of sunsetting match types across the board."
Stuart Patrick, Manager – Paid Search
"Dynamic Search Ads may be deprecated in favour of AI Max and Performance Max."
James Olver, Director – Paid Search
Advertisers can shift from narrow, keyword-driven tactics to innovative, automation-focused strategies that leverage broad intent signals, AI Max/Performance Max, and strict negative keyword management, as traditional match types look likely to become less effective.
3. Search without search – personalisation and creator-led search results may become standard
Search is evolving from a simple search engine box to an immersive, conversational, and visually rich experience. By 2026, the lines between search, social media, and commerce might blur as AI-powered assistants and platforms shift from static queries to dynamic dialogues tailored to users' specific context and intent.
Melanie Meikle, Group Partner – Paid Search
“By 2026, users may be able to further create or refine personal search profiles within SERPs, setting preferences for brands, sustainability, or price sensitivity. These profiles may influence the ranking and display results. SEOs must optimise for both visibility and personalised relevance, considering audience segmentation in Google’s SERP. Today’s passive personalisation may become user-controlled, transforming targeting and success measurement.”
Svetlana Benzari, Manager – SEO
"Trust signals may become a top-ranking factor in Google Search by the end of 2026. As AI-generated content floods the web and misinformation spreads, I predict that Google will double down on trust-based signals to preserve search integrity. Verified authorship, transparent sourcing, and user-generated credibility, such as reviews, will be increasingly prioritised. In this world, content with clear provenance and reputational authority will consistently win."
Saffron Richards, Manager – SEO
If these changes are implemented in 2026, SEO teams may benefit from preparing for two significant transformations: increased user-controlled personalisation and the importance of trust as a core ranking factor. This involves creating content tailored to various preference groups, such as price sensitivity, and emphasising credibility signals like verified authorship, transparent sourcing, and genuine reviews. Success may depend on building trust and relevance within specific user segments, rather than merely achieving broad visibility.
“Search is evolving into a more conversational and personalised experience. Instead of typing rigid queries, users may interact with search engines as if they were assistants, expecting tailored answers that reflect their preferences, context, and intent. This shift might make search feel less like a transaction and more like an ongoing dialogue.”
Amy Williams, Senior Executive – Content Research
"By the end of 2026, short-form videos may appear in up to 5x more Google SERPs year-over-year, driven by algorithmic changes favouring TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts. I predict that Google will prioritise short video formats that combine high engagement, demonstrable authenticity, and strong user preference, especially for product searches, tutorials, and lifestyle content.”
Tenny Jesse, Manager – SEO
"Content from real people – creators, influencers, and subject matter experts – might become central to authenticity. This content could increasingly feature in SERPs and AI Overviews in visual formats like images, videos, and social media embeds."
Maddie Crossling, Manager – Digital PR
Based on our predictions, search is set to continue as a multimodal experience. In today’s search landscape - authenticity reigns - with real people and visual formats, images, videos, and social embeds taking centre stage in SERPs and AI Overviews. With imagery and creative becoming such a focal point of user journeys, advertisers should understand the power of compelling creative, and brands should rethink visibility across every touchpoint. We believe the future of search is not just about finding, it’s about experiencing.
4. Automation is coming – workflows are being rewritten in 2026
Google’s match type overhaul may signal a broader shift to AI-driven automation across the search and agency ecosystem, affecting bidding, as well as commentary, reporting, and analysis. As AI reduces executional friction, clients will expect faster delivery and more strategic thinking.
Kenneth Yau, Managing Partner – Paid Search
“Digital PR may surpass traditional SEO as AI automates hyper-local content, pushing brands to focus on uniqueness to stand out. To differentiate, brands should look to produce unique data, exclusive interviews, and case studies - emphasising the importance of Digital PR.”
Sarah Kelly, Partner – International
“I predict that automation will extend deeper into agency‑side tasks such as commentary and reporting. As these functions become streamlined by AI, clients may raise their expectations – demanding bigger strategic thinking while simultaneously applying greater pressure on costs and fees. Agencies may need to prove value not through execution, but through insight and vision.”
Lauren Rogers, Managing Partner – Paid Search
"Clients may start to expect editorial projects that used to take a week to be completed in a day because they know AI can draft fast. This creates a tension between quality and speed that editorial teams must constantly navigate and explain. The job becomes as much about managing client expectations as creating great copy."
Emily Davies, Director – Editorial
LLM-driven search experiences may shift paid media toward CPM and CPA models, as platforms continue to keep users within closed environments for discovery, decision-making, and purchasing. Meanwhile, traditional SEO may face challenges from AI-generated mass content, encouraging brands to stand out through Digital PR, exclusive data, original research, and stories that AI can't replicate.
Search teams must prioritise strategic insight, data-driven decisions, and editorial quality over speed, adapt to pricing models that reflect closed-loop AI behaviour, and elevate digital PR and unique content production to break through AI-generated noise.
5. AI regulation and transparency requirements start to reshape search in 2026
If regulations on AI content become more stringent, search could become more transparent and compliance focused. We might expect to see mandatory ‘AI-generated’ labels on content, stricter quality standards, particularly in regulated industries, and a slower introduction of advanced AI features, especially in the EU.
"I predict that LLM growth could stagnate. Lengthy legal disputes and monetisation hurdles may slow down the rollout."
Malcolm Figures, Group Partner – Paid Search
"There may be more regulation around AI. Results may be required to carry labels and provide greater transparency to users. Platform policies could start to specifically address low-quality and fake results generated by AI."
Rachael Murdoch, Managing Partner – SEO
Brands and agencies should ensure their content is accurate, properly attributed, clearly sourced, and aligned with emerging compliance frameworks such as special content tagging for search engines. Additionally, SEO strategies may need to address trust, transparency, and regulatory signals to improve search rankings.
6. AI content starts flooding the web – but chaos is our edge
As AI-generated content becomes more prevalent online, we’re seeing a shift in how people find information. Search is no longer just about asking questions; it's becoming a more dynamic process in which AI assistants guide us in making decisions. In this new landscape, the brands that shine are not simply the ones producing the most content, but those that truly capture attention, stay visible on new platforms, and give AI agents good reasons to recommend them.
Emily Davies, Director – Editorial
“I predict that by 2026, 30% of search queries will have agentic intent - as AI assistants, LLMs, and search engines merge. Users may delegate tasks to agents, changing 'search' from a query-driven activity to an agent-driven process.”
Karen Clough, Senior Manager – Content Strategy
"With AI reshaping discovery, brand discoverability across all channels could become more important than ever. It's not just about how your products are surfaced – it's about how your brand is surfaced."
James Smith, Partner – Technical SEO & Development
“As SEOs, we may need to become experts in IndexNow, ChatGPT product feeds, and any API or technology that shapes how brands are represented across platforms. The traditional website may matter less – control could shift to the feeds and integrations that determine visibility in agentic environments.”
Mario La Malfa, Partner – Technical SEO
The shift to agentic search really changes how we see success in SEO. While classic optimisation methods will still be valuable, they'll now be enhanced by new skills like managing product feeds for AI shopping, optimising for LLM results, and familiarising ourselves with the APIs that determine how brands are displayed when AI agents recommend products.
Websites are one of many ways people find brands, and how easily they’re discovered depends on how well brands prepare for representation across platforms they may not directly control. The most successful will be those who quickly learn about and shape these new systems to their advantage.
7. Platform wars are heating up – could Google’s dominance start to wane?
By 2026, competition in the search platform space may intensify. ChatGPT plans to launch a Q1 ad product targeting commercial intent and paid search, with a focus on transactional queries over discovery.
Kenneth Yau, Managing Partner – Paid Search
“In Q1 2026, a ChatGPT ads product could give advertisers access to commercial‑intent topic volume. If this prediction comes true, it may open up a new paid search frontier, but one limited to transactional queries rather than broad discovery.”
“Despite the rise of AI search, I predict that Bing could deliver more referral traffic to websites than ChatGPT by the end of 2026. The adoption of AI‑driven search as a traffic source may be slower than some expect.”
Jon Hogg, Partner – SEO
“My prediction is that ChatGPT may not offer a Google Search Console equivalent. The lack of transparent performance data may limit the platform’s adoption for SEO.”
Nicholas Samuel, Partner – Technical SEO
Search might become even more fragmented, meaning marketers must diversify; they should explore beyond Google, experiment with AI-native advertising, and adapt to opaque, less transparent performance metrics. It could become about balancing traditional SEO with exciting new AI-driven search visibility strategies to stay ahead.
8. Measurement is broken – new metrics could replace the old
Paid search has relied on metrics like impression share, CTR, and quality score to gauge success, but as automation, match types, and AI evolve, these metrics may become less relevant. They no longer reflect the complexity of modern campaigns or their true value to businesses.
Auction-based metrics could replace outdated indicators for transparent insights into impressions and missed opportunities. Reporting expands beyond isolated views to include the overall search impact across paid and organic channels. Platform updates may merge Google Ads and Search Console into a single ecosystem.
Anna Heckingbottom, Partner – Paid Search
“With AI expanding across search, the lines between SEO and SEM may blur further. Practitioners could need multifaceted roles that combine organic optimisation with paid strategy, as platforms increasingly merge the two into unified, AI‑driven ecosystems.”
Raissa Charles, Director – Paid Search
“Impressions, clicks and keywords will matter less. The industry is likely to become measurement obsessed as we race to prove the value of the work we deliver. I predict that SEO will move multi-platform, and success will be defined by deeper business metrics such as revenue and sales, supported by attribution to other metrics such as direct traffic, brand search, and visibility (AI or Google rankings).”
Barry Loughran, Managing Director – Search
“By 2026, we could see the introduction of auction‑based visibility metrics that better quantify share of eligible impressions and highlight opportunity loss.”
Anna Heckingbottom, Partner – Paid Search
This consolidation could blur boundaries between channels and disciplines, forcing marketers to rethink measurement from the ground up. The era of fragmented KPIs is ending; the future belongs to holistic, AI-driven metrics that reflect performance in a unified search environment.
Final thoughts
There we have it: changes to where we search, how we search here, and ultimately, the ways we must evolve as search practitioners to succeed in the new year. Our channel is no longer what it used to be. As we look ahead, we anticipate even more control being handed over, more interactive ways for customers to discover your brand, and technology advancing faster than ever.
The views, forecasts, and interpretations presented in this document are provided for informational purposes only and reflect the opinions of the authors at the time of writing. They should not be interpreted as statements of fact, guarantees of future performance, or assurances of specific outcomes.
