Mastering Search in 2026: How to Take Back (some) Control

Marketing has felt particularly challenging over the past year. Budgets are under pressure, AI is moving faster than most teams can comfortably adapt to, and search visibility can feel harder to predict than it once was. When new content takes longer to index and reporting tools tell an incomplete story, it is easy to assume something has gone wrong. The reality is more balanced than that. Search is not broken, but it is very different to how it worked even a year ago. Google is more selective, users are searching in new ways, and data is less complete than it once was.  

The positive news is that this shift does not mean losing control. There are lots of small, practical changes you can make to improve clarity, quality, and performance, and when they work together, they put you back in a much stronger position for search in 2026.

1. Google’s Core Update and the Push for Better Content

Google’s most recent core update continues a trend that has been building throughout 2025. Content quality and relevance are now being assessed far more carefully, and the impact of these updates is not always immediate. It can take weeks or even months for rankings to fully settle.

The direction is clear. Google is getting much better at separating genuinely useful, experience-led content from generic content that exists purely to fill space. This is not a ban on AI, and AI will absolutely play a bigger role in content creation as we move through 2026. However, it is a clear warning against quick-churn, low-effort content that lacks insight, originality, or purpose.

AI should be used as a tool, not a shortcut. It can help with research, structure, and efficiency, but content still needs a human layer. Real experience, clear expertise, and an understanding of your audience are what now make the difference.

2. Crawling and Indexing Feels Unpredictable for a Reason

One of the most common frustrations we see is how long it now takes for new pages to appear in search results.

Since May 2025, Google has become far more selective about what it chooses to index. Many websites are seeing pages that are crawled but not indexed, alongside noticeable delays before new content appears in results at all.

To add to the confusion, Google has confirmed that Search Console indexing and coverage reports can lag behind reality. This means it can look as though large sections of a website are not indexed, even when they may be. This has been compounded by periods of technical crawl irregularities throughout 2025.

The key shift is this: Google is no longer indexing everything by default. Each page is being judged on its own merit. If a page is thin, repetitive, or unclear in its purpose, it is far less likely to be prioritised.

This makes preparation more important than ever. Pages should be optimised before they go live, not published and left in the hope that Google will pick them up later.

3. AI Search Is Accelerating and That Creates Opportunity

AI-driven search experiences are becoming part of everyday behaviour. People are asking longer, more conversational questions and expecting clearer, more direct answers. For businesses, this can feel unsettling, but there is good news – most AI search tools still rely on familiar signals. Relevance, clarity, authority, and trust remain central to how content is discovered and surfaced.

Where brands can get ahead is by making it easier for both search engines and AI systems to understand who they are and what they offer. One emerging step is the use of an LLMs.txt file on your website. This simple file helps AI engines interpret your services, content, and structure more accurately.

The clearer your website is, the easier it is to be found, whether through traditional search or AI-driven discovery.

4. Onsite SEO and E-E-A-T Matter More Than Ever

If there is one constant as we move through 2026, it is the importance of strong onsite SEO. Google continues to place weight on experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. In a difficult economic climate, it can be tempting to publish content at speed with the help of AI, but speed without substance is increasingly holding websites back.

What is working instead is well-structured content that is genuinely helpful, supported by strong technical foundations and clear signals of credibility. This includes accurate information, real examples, clear navigation and a site that performs well for users.

5. Data Has Changed (again) and It Feels Messy

Alongside changes in search, reporting has become more challenging. Cookie consent updates, privacy regulations,and changes in how users interact with search mean that many businesses are now missing a significant portion of the data they once relied on. In many cases, this can be between 20% and 40%.

For businesses that have invested heavily in digital over the years, this can feel frustrating and even discouraging. However, there is a way forward. Server-side tracking and first-party data strategies allow businesses to regain a level of control, improve data accuracy and future-proof measurement as the landscape continues to evolve. When implemented correctly, this creates a more resilient and reliable view of performance.

Key Actions to Take Back Control

If everything feels like a lot, our recommendation is to focus on these fundamentals:

• Invest in compliance and technical foundations. Strong development, clean code, and solid infrastructure give you the best chance of visibility.

• Prioritise quality content over fast content. Fewer, better pages will outperform high volumes of low-value content.

• Prepare for AI discovery. Improve clarity and structure and consider implementing tools like LLMs.txt to support AI understanding.

• Invest in your data setup. Server-side tracking and first-party data will continue to grow in importance.

Search in 2026 is not about reacting to every update or trying to outsmart algorithms. It is about clarity, quality,and the right foundations. Need support with this? The team at Simple Media can help across strategy, technical SEO, AI readiness and data, giving you confidence in a rapidly changing search landscape. Get in touch with our team today!

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