SEO in 2026: AI Search, Google Updates & What matters next | January 2026 SEO Update

What actually matters for SEO in 2026? Carolyn Shelby and Alex Moss break down the latest SEO news and AI search updates, including Google algorithm changes, generative AI, agentic commerce, and AEO - plus a 2026 SEO year-in-review to help you plan for what’s next. Topics: 00:00 - Introduction 02:32 - SEO in 2026: Key predictions from Yoast experts 15:45 - Google AI Mode update: Gemini 3 flash 16:48 - Google says what to tell clients who want SEO for AI 20:49 - From discovery to influence: a guide to AEO and GEO 23:22 - Some news publishers saw big declines with the Google core update 26:54 - Google launches Universal Commerce Protocol(UCP) for agentic commerce 29:20 - Anthropic launches Claude Cowork, a new autonomous AI workspace 32:29 - Google launches personal intelligence for Gemini 36:55 - Google trends explore with AI 37:57 - OpenAI’s approach to advertising and expanding access to ChatGPT 38:59 - Also in the news… 43:42 - Yoast collaborates with Microsoft to help AI understand Open Web 46:39 - Gemini and Perplexity added to ​Yoast AI Brand Insights 48:41 - Poll results 51:09 - Q&A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Topics & Sources 🤓 → http://yoa.st/update-january-2026 Sign up for the January 2026 SEO update! 😎 → https://yoa.st/557 Sign up for the SEO webinar newsletter 🤩 → https://yoast.com/yoast-seo-webinar-newsletter-signup/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 🚀 Stay Connected: 👉🏼 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoast/ 👉🏼 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoastseo 👉🏼 Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/yoastseo 👉🏼 Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yoast 👉🏼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/1414157 📝 Visit our website and blog for in-depth SEO articles, tutorials, and tips: https://yoast.com #YoastSEO #DigitalMarketing #SEO2026