SEO Past, Present, & Future 

It’s 2026 and SEO is not what it used to be. The entire SEO landscape is evolving day-by-day. Artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of how people find information, how Google surfaces answers, and how brands compete for visibility online.

The brands winning in search are the ones who understand which trends actually matter, and why they matter. For businesses practicing SEO in Vermont and beyond, the question is no longer whether to adapt to emerging trends, but which trends should be top-priority.

A quick Google search for “2026 SEO trends” will result in an overwhelming amount of various tips, tricks, and best-practices (quite possibly a headache too). Fortunately for you, we’ve already done the research. Here are three key SEO trends to pay attention to in 2026.

1. The Rise Of AEO, GEO, and AIO – Rethink SEO, Don’t Abandon It!

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization)… so many new abbreviations. Though this might be a bit tough to digest at first, it is now central to how search and visibility on the search engine results page (SERP) works.

Consider this shift: Google’s AI Overview is now answering questions directly at the top of the SERP, without sending users directly to your website. As of 2026, Google’s AI Overview is reaching more than 2 billion users each month, most frequently for informational queries, with trigger rates up to 80% – 88%, depending on the industry. Contrastly, commercial queries account for an 8.69% trigger rate, transactional queries account for 1.76%, and navigational queries for 1.43%.

What this means is that AI Overviews are more likely to surface when users ask detailed, specific, or niche questions (Ex. “when is it time for my medium size farming business to hire a marketing agency?”). Here’s what businesses need to remember: AI is Artificial Intelligence. Human intelligence is real intelligence. Being cited inside an AI Overview still requires traditional SEO practices, but with an emphasis on different strategies. Focus on writing content that directly answers high-intent questions and structure pages with clean hierarchy (H1–H3), bullet points, and definitions.

2. Authenticity Remains Top of Mind

Authenticity is more relevant than ever. In a world where AI can generate a 1,000-word blog post in seconds, authentic, human-centric content is one of, if not the most, powerful differentiators a brand can have.

Over 80% of users are at least somewhat skeptical of AI Overviews. Only a small fraction (~9%) of users “always” trust the AI answers they see. Most people remain cautious, reflecting ongoing doubts in society about how accurate AI-produced results are.

People are smart. They’re searching with intent and don’t always want to hear content spit out by a machine. Humans want to hear from other humans… they want to be able to trust the information they’re being given.

We recommend you create content focusing on a people-first approach, rather than a search engine-first approach.

Google Search Central defines people-first content as “content that’s created primarily for people, and not to manipulate search engine rankings.” Ask yourself, “Will someone reading my content leave feeling like they’ve had a satisfying experience?” If yes, you’re on the right track. If you’re simply summarizing what others have to say (or have already said) on your webpage then you’re missing out on the opportunity to add value to the user’s journey and on increased brand visibility for your business.

3. E-E-A-T and Brand Authority

Google’s E-E-A-T framework, Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, has been a ranking consideration for years. It is a framework that Google’s automated systems use to assess the relevance and quality of content. E-E-A-T is now more necessary than ever, as Google tries to filter out low-quality, AI-generated noise.

After identifying relevant content, Google’s systems aim to prioritize those that seem most reliable, trustworthy, and helpful by identifying a mix of factors. E-E-A-T framework assists the algorithm to determine what content best aligns with the aspects of experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

To stay competitive in 2026, businesses must consider evaluating their content in terms of “Who, How, and Why.”

• To address the “who,” Google strongly encourages adding accurate authorship information such as bylines to content where readers might expect it.
• To address the “how,” they say you should assume that users will think “How was this created?” Product reviews on a website can build trust with readers when they understand specifics like the number of products tested, what the test results were, and how the tests were conducted.
• Of the three, the “why” factor is most important. Addressing the “why” includes creating content primarily to help people, and content that is useful to visitors if they come to your site directly.

At Hagan, we’ve been closely tracking these shifts and adapting our approach accordingly. We focus on authentic, human-centric storytelling. We assist clients in optimizing brand authority, paying close attention to Google’s E-E-A-T framework. We help clients measure what matters most, considering current-day SEO trends.

The Pace Of Change In Search & SEO Is Only Accelerating

Businesses that are able to monitor and adapt to these trends will be the ones that maintain visibility, stay competitive, and demonstrate real growth.

If you’re ready to take a fresh look at your SEO strategy, we’d love to help. Reach out to the Hagan Marketing team to talk through where you are, where you want to be, and how to get there.

If you’re interested in learning more about current and emerging SEO trends, we’d love to help. Just reach out to the Hagan team and we can chat about where your business is, where you want to be, and the right strategies to get you there.