Stand out and survive by focussing on user intent – with Melissa Popp
06/03/2026 | 15 mins.
Melissa Popp highlights that it’s easy to take the easy route when it comes to creating content in 2026, but this isn’t the way you stand out. Melissa says: “With AI rewriting the rules of search, content that zeroes in on real user intent is the only content that will stand out and survive.” How do you establish the user intent to begin with? “You have to look at the problem you're trying to solve. Every piece of content you create should start from that place. If you can't answer that question, you should not be writing that piece of content – whether the keywords tell you to or not.”
Slow down and keep your eyes on the end user – with Vince Nero
05/03/2026 | 14 mins.
Vince Nero believes that it’s all too easy to forget about the end user in the age of AI. Vince says: “Things are changing so rapidly with AI, you should be leaning on what works for people and not the algorithms.” Will doing what works for people naturally mean that you will be successful in catering towards the newer algorithms? “That's the big question. In theory, Google’s algorithms and the tools that they have built want to provide answers for users. There are some tin-foil-hat theories that they are optimizing for ad dollars and publishers – and to an extent, they do want to keep people on the platform because it’s where they get paid. However, at the end of the day, that type of mindset is going to be very limiting, and you end up forgetting about your customers.
Make sure you aren't losing customers unnecessarily - Alun Lucas
04/03/2026 | 15 mins.
Alun Lucas shares that there's no point perfecting your SEO if people get to your site and there is a horrible form that causes them to abandon - use form analytics to improve the UX of your form and make sure you aren't losing customers unnecessarily. Talking points include: What are the typical differences between a well converting form and a poorly converting form? What fields are necessary? What are form analytics? How do you improve the UX of your form? Is is sometimes a good idea not to have a form? What customer data can you acquire on your website without requiring a form? What is good form design? What software do you use to design forms? Does having good forms help with SEO? How can you measure this?
Prioritise the person beyond the screen – with Ebere Cecilia Jonathan
03/03/2026 | 17 mins.
Ebere Cecilia Jonathan explains why she believes that user experience is much more than just the way you deliver your content on your website. Ebere says: “Focus on the user experience. This has always been my advice, but with the change in user search behaviour and the introduction of AI, it is even more important now.” Why is user experience even more important in the age of AI? “Before now, we looked at what keyword had the highest volume, because that showed what users were searching for. Then, we tried to write content for that keyword and track our ranking for that keyword. This is how SEO operated in the past, and that made sense. With AI, however, it's possible for you to rank for that keyword without getting any conversions. You're ranking on the first page, but you might not even be getting any impressions. We have AI overviews, we have ‘from sources across the web’, and every day there's a new product coming from Google.
Integrate with UX to create content for real people – with Sanja Markovic
02/03/2026 | 14 mins.
According to Sanja Markovic, user experience is now an essential part of modern SEO. Sanja says: “Integrate SEO and UX to build content strategies for real people.” Is it not necessary to think about algorithms or bots crawling your site? “Technical SEO is, of course, an essential aspect. However, especially nowadays, with all this noise about AI, we're forgetting that content is still king, and we still need to create content for real people and not search engines. Creating content for real people is the baseline for building your authority on the internet. If you create content that is only focussed on search engines, who is going to read it? Who is going to share it? You need to focus on understanding what users need in order to create content for real people that people will actually read, like, engage with, and share. That is the basics for building authority nowadays.”
SEO is continuing to change at an alarming pace. And yet, in some sense, the principles of good SEO remain the same.
Hello, and welcome to SEO in 2026 – a significant repository of current thinking from many of the world’s leading SEOs.
We're pleased to be able to welcome you to the fifth book and fifth series in this podcast, now well and truly an annual tradition, brought to you by Majestic.
“How people search has seen a bigger shift in the last 12 months than the last 12 years, and this makes SEOin2026 a must-read for anyone working in the industry. Majestic has brought together 117 of the SEO industry's brightest minds to share their insights into what matters, and what doesn't, to continue to drive growth with organic search during a period of massive uncertainty, and the book should be seen as a valuable reference point to keep your strategy on the right track.”
JAMES BROCKBANK
Managing Director and Founder, Digitaloft
“I highly recommend that every SEO professional set aside a couple of days for SEOin2026. You'll thank me for helping you plan your year effectively. I'm extremely grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside some of the world's leading SEO champions.”
NITIN MANCHANDA
Founder & Chief SEO Consultant, Botpresso
“This collection of wisdom from many of the best minds in SEO today is a great line in the sand of where we as an industry are, what problems we face, and how we tackle them. Anyone in SEO or marketing should be dipping into this on a regular basis.”
SIMON COX
Technical SEO Consultant, Cox and Co. Creative
“This series continues to be the industry’s leading source of the most timely advice a marketer could ever want. The most forward-thinking SEO experts in the world come together once a year to create this invaluable collection of new knowledge that should never be passed up on!”
PAM AUNGST CRONIN
President and Founder, Pam Ann Marketing and Stealth Search and Analytics
“2025 has been a sprint for the SEO industry, with AI reshaping how we understand visibility, relevance, and authority. SEOin2026 is not just another trends book; it’s a roadmap for what’s actually coming. I loved being part of it and seeing how experts around the world approach the same challenges from different angles.”
RAMONA JOITA
SEO Consultant and Founder
“David is good at drawing out the substance of a conversation. He will explore the topic and challenge assumptions, steer the conversation into an unexpected direction, and build on your ideas – making you think a bit deeper and sharper. Our recent conversation flew by as always, and as always – I’ve come out energised about the topic with more to think about.”
SUKHJINDER SINGH
Freelance SEO Consultant
Ireland