TL;DR: 2026 Digital Marketing Predictions
- CTR is falling as AI and search change, focus on conversions over clicks.
- Quality, relevance, and EEAT will determine which content rises in search.
- Digital PR strategy is key to ensure your brand is cited accurately by AI and humans.
- Paid social trends show creative variation is essential to avoid ad fatigue.
- Transactional content and commercial AI searches will challenge traditional rankings.
- Focus on outcomes, trust, and value rather than chasing traffic alone.
The way people search, read, and buy online is shifting fast. By 2026, AI and search will influence almost every touchpoint, from search results to content discovery to transactions. It is easy to feel a little overwhelmed. If you have noticed clicks dropping or campaigns slowing down, you are not alone. But there is a real opportunity here. Brands that focus on delivering value, building trust, and turning attention into meaningful results will come out ahead.
In short, traffic numbers alone do not tell the full story. Success comes from clarity, conversions, and engagement that actually matters.
This article outlines our 2026 digital marketing predictions, providing marketers with practical tips to adapt to changes in AI, CTR reduction, paid social trends, digital PR strategies, and transactional content.
CTR and Reduction in Clicks
Clicks have fallen this year. People do not search the same way anymore, and Google often gives answers directly, pushing organic results further down.
It can be tempting to panic, but you do not need to chase every lost click. High traffic alone does not mean much if it does not lead anywhere. What counts is the quality of the visitors and the actions they take once they land on your site.
Tip
- Focus on pages and campaigns that lead to real outcomes
- Make interactions straightforward and easy for visitors
- Optimise for leads, sign-ups, or purchases rather than just clicks
Quality and Relevance Will Matter
AI allows content to be published quickly, so search engines need a way to sort the genuinely useful pages from the rest. Updates in 2026 will continue to emphasise EEAT, Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, and topical relevance.
David Wilson, Head of PR & Content, Koozai, says:
“That quality and relevance will become even more important when it comes to SEO, website content, and PR/links/off page factors… especially in light of AI, we’re seeing more and more people able to more quickly post higher volumes of content, Google and other AI/traditional search engines will need a way to differentiate and prioritise the best results and so will keep releasing updates with higher and higher standards on content, especially related to EEAT and topical relevance.”
Tip
- Produce content that answers real questions
- Focus on clarity, experience, and usefulness
- Avoid creating content purely for volume
Brand Reputation and Digital PR Will Be Key
AI now summarises brands for users before they even visit a website. This means your reputation online can influence what people see and what AI tools display.
Sophie Robert, Managing Director, Koozai, says:
“Brand reputation and digital PR will become more important. As (LLMs) increasingly power search and content discovery, brand visibility won’t just depend on rankings, it’ll hinge on being accurately cited across trusted sources. If AI tools are summarising your brand for users, you need to ensure what they’re pulling is correct, current and compelling. That’s where digital PR steps in, not just to secure coverage, but to shape the narrative and seed authoritative, high-quality mentions that AI models will recognise and reproduce.”
Tip
- Maintain a consistent, trustworthy brand presence across respected sources
- Ensure accurate, high-quality mentions for both people and AI systems
- Treat your digital PR strategy as a tool to stay visible in AI-driven search
AI Driven Conversions and Paid Media
AI-assisted purchases are on the rise. Tools like Google AI Mode and ChatGPT with payment features mean more conversions happen directly through AI experiences.
Joaquin Lopez, Paid Media Manager, Koozai, says:
“AI Mode on Google will become more prevalent, leading to more conversions being made via ads on AI Mode or through AI conversations. With PayPal becoming a feature on ChatGPT, it wouldn’t be surprising if 10% of total ecommerce purchases are made via AI by the end of 2026 across multiple AI platforms.”
Tip
- Adapt campaigns for both classic and AI-driven buying journeys
- Optimise for actions and outcomes, not just clicks
- Combine AI insights with human guidance to support conversions
Creativity and Variation Will Matter on Paid Social
Paid social feeds are crowded. AI can churn out assets quickly, but ads lose their impact fast, so variety is essential.
Steve Harris, Head of Paid Media, Koozai, says:
“Creativity and variation will be key on paid social channels. With AI playing an important part in creating assets, brands will have to stand out and keep up by constantly refreshing their assets. Ads are fatiguing quicker and quicker, so it’s vital that brands have a steady stream of assets to promote rather than leaving ads to be live for weeks or months on end. We have already been testing this with multiple variations of ads yielding higher CTRs.”
Tip
- Refresh creative regularly
- Test multiple variations of ads
- Rotate formats to keep campaigns engaging
- Keep an eye on paid social trends to stay ahead
Transactional and Commercial Search Will Change
AI is no longer just impacting informational searches. Transactional and commercial intent is rising as AI tools start comparing prices, features, and value for users.
Liam Fernie, Strategic SEO Specialist, Koozai, says:
“The current view on AI from an organic level is that it is primarily impacting informational based searches however I believe we’ll see a strong shift to transactional and commercial intent potentially taking the lead over informational dominated queries. We’re seeing this already with the focus on LLMs increasing their commercial usage by offering the handling of transactions, but I believe AI’s will become (or at least challenge) the new price/value comparison sites. A recent study already shows that P1 will no longer be the golden child anymore, as LLMs and AI overviews often show multiple results that users then click on, effectively creating a shortlist of results for them.”
Tip
- Make value clear and easy to compare
- Be transparent, honest, and trustworthy
- Optimise content for both human and AI consumption
- Ensure your transactional content answers user needs quickly
Preparing for 2026
Change can feel unsettling, but it also brings opportunity. Strong results will come from:
- Clear, accurate, useful content shaped by real experience
- A consistent, trustworthy brand story across platforms
- Paid campaigns that support both classic and AI-driven conversions
- Creative assets that stay fresh and varied
- Focusing on conversions and measurable outcomes rather than traffic alone
- Clear transactional content that helps users compare and choose confidently
- Thoughtful digital PR strategy to remain visible in AI summaries
By putting clarity, trust, and meaningful action at the centre of your strategy, your brand can step into 2026 with confidence and deliver results, even as AI changes search, content, and buying behaviour.
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