Now that we’re just into December, it’s an appropriate moment to reflect on what’s been an extraordinary year in search. November itself brought some interesting developments, but more importantly, it continued to shed perspective on how dramatically the search landscape has shifted in the year so far…
Let me walk you through what happened in November and what I think it means for SEO and wider digital marketing as a whole, as we head into 2026.
The State of SEO in Late 2025
November was relatively quiet in terms of major announcements – there were no confirmed core updates, and no spam updates. But this “quiet” period gave us time to reflect on where we actually are.
Research and analysis published throughout November painted an interesting picture of SEO in late 2025:
- Traditional search remains overwhelmingly dominant despite the surge in AI search growth,
- Zero-click searches may have stabilised rather than continuing to hit those 100% we were concerned about,
- AI referral traffic has declined from its spring peaks,
- Quality signals and E-E-A-T may have become more important than ever,
- Ranking volatility without announcements has become the norm.
The story of 2025 hasn’t been the death of traditional SEO – it’s been the maturing of a more complex, multi-channel search ecosystem where quality and expertise matter more than ever.
What this means for you: As we head into 2026, the fundamentals haven’t changed. Quality content, technical excellence, genuine expertise, and good user experience remain the foundations of successful SEO. The difference is you now need to think about multiple platforms and interfaces, not just traditional search results.
Ongoing Ranking Volatility Continues
November saw several days of elevated SERP volatility according to various tracking tools, though nothing Google confirmed as an official update. This has been the pattern throughout the second half of 2025 – regular fluctuations that suggest continuous algorithm adjustments rather than discrete updates.
Some in the SEO community believe Google is now operating on a model of “rolling updates” where small changes are constantly being made rather than waiting for quarterly core updates. Whether that’s accurate or not, the result is the same: rankings are less stable than they used to be.
What ongoing volatility means for you: You now need to build your SEO strategy around “resilience” rather than rankings. You have to diversify your keyword targets, create comprehensive content on multiple topics, and don’t become overly dependent on a handful of high-traffic pages. When volatility hits, diversity helps you weather the storm.
AI Search Market Dynamics
November data continued to show the complex reality of AI search:
- ChatGPT remains the dominant AI platform with 80%+ market share,
- AI referral traffic is significantly lower than spring 2025 peaks,
- Google remains 200+ times larger than ChatGPT in search volume,
- Users are using AI search and traditional search for different purposes.
The pattern is now becoming clearer: AI search has found its place, but it’s a complementary role rather than a replacement. Users are becoming more sophisticated about when to use which tool.
What this means for you: Your AI search strategy should be proportional to actual traffic and business results. For most businesses, this means:
- 70-80% of SEO effort on traditional Google search,
- 15-20% on AI Overviews and visibility within Google’s AI features,
- 5-10% on external AI platforms like ChatGPT.
Adjust these based on your actual data, but don’t let the hype distort your resource allocation.
The Quality Raters and E-E-A-T Focus
Throughout November, more analysis of Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines reinforced how seriously Google takes E-E-A-T signals. Quality raters are explicitly instructed to evaluate:
- Whether content appears to be AI-generated without human expertise,
- The credentials and expertise of content creators,
- The experience demonstrated in the content,
- The authoritativeness of the source,
- Trustworthiness signals throughout the site.
For YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics like health, finance, legal, civic issues, these standards are even stricter.
What this means for you: If you haven’t already, prioritise demonstrating E-E-A-T:
- Add clear author credentials and bios,
- Show real expertise through detailed, specific content,
- Include citations and sources for claims,
- Display trust signals (security certificates, privacy policies, contact information),
- Update content regularly to maintain accuracy,
- Demonstrate actual experience, not just knowledge.
This isn’t about gaming the system – it’s about genuinely being a trustworthy source of information in your field.
Local Search Continues Evolving
November saw ongoing discussions about local search evolution, with AI Overviews increasingly appearing for local queries. For local businesses, the challenge is maintaining visibility when AI summaries can answer location-based questions directly.
The data suggests that having a well-optimised Google Business Profile remains crucial, but it’s no longer sufficient on its own. You need comprehensive local content, strong reviews, consistent citations, and genuine local expertise demonstrated through your website.
What local SEO means for you: If you’re a local business:
- Keep your Google Business Profile meticulously maintained,
- Create local content that goes beyond basic location pages,
- Build genuine local authority through community involvement,
- Earn reviews consistently (Google, industry-specific sites, local directories),
- Create content that demonstrates local knowledge and expertise,
- Ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is consistent everywhere.
Local SEO in 2026 will be about comprehensive local authority, not just basic optimisation.
Video Content Grows in Importance
Throughout November, more evidence emerged of video content’s growing importance in search. YouTube Shorts appearing in AI Overviews, video results in traditional search, and video-first platforms like TikTok becoming search engines in their own right all point to the same trend.
Users, particularly younger demographics, increasingly prefer video content for certain types of queries, especially how-to, product reviews, and entertainment-related searches.
What this means for you: If you’re not creating video content, 2026 could (should?!) be the year you start. You don’t need expensive equipment:
- Smartphone cameras are sufficient for most business content,
- Focus on helpful, informative videos that answer common questions,
- Create short-form content (under 60 seconds) for maximum reach,
- Optimise video titles, descriptions, and transcripts for search,
- Post on multiple platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, your website).
Video isn’t replacing text content, but it’s becoming an essential complement to it.
The Increasing Complexity of SEO
November gave us time to reflect on just how complex SEO has become in 2025. You’re no longer just optimising for Google’s traditional search results. You need to think about:
- Traditional organic search results,
- AI Overviews in Google,
- Google’s AI Mode,
- Featured snippets and SERP features,
- Voice search (especially with the new S2R model),
- ChatGPT and other AI platforms,
- Video search (YouTube, TikTok),
- Social search (Instagram, TikTok),
- Local pack and map results,
- Image search.
Each of these channels has its own optimisation nuances, though many principles remain consistent across all of them.
What this means for you: You can’t be excellent at everything. Prioritise based on:
- Where your actual traffic comes from,
- Where your conversions happen,
- Where your audience actually searches,
- Your available resources,
- Your expertise and capabilities.
It’s better to be excellent at traditional SEO and good at a few other channels than mediocre across all of them.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As we finish 2025 and look towards 2026, several trends seem likely to continue or accelerate:
- More frequent algorithm updates: Google’s move towards continuous adjustments rather than quarterly updates will likely continue,
- Increased quality scrutiny: Google will become even more sophisticated at identifying low-quality, manipulative, or thin content,
- Multi-platform search: Users will continue discovering content across multiple platforms, not just Google,
- AI search maturation: AI platforms will become more sophisticated, but traditional search will remain dominant,
- E-E-A-T importance: Demonstrating genuine expertise, experience, and trustworthiness will become even more critical,
- Voice and video growth: Both will become more important, especially for certain demographics and query types.
What You Should Do Now
As we head into 2026, focus on these priorities:
Audit and improve your E-E-A-T signals:
- Add or improve author bios with credentials,
- Update old content for accuracy,
- Add citations and sources,
- Demonstrate experience, not just knowledge,
- Build trust signals throughout your site.
Prepare for ongoing volatility:
- Build diverse content across multiple topics,
- Don’t depend on a few high-traffic pages,
- Monitor trends monthly, not daily,
- Focus on sustainable quality,
- Keep detailed records of changes and their impacts.
Develop a multi-channel strategy:
- Maintain strong traditional SEO (your primary focus),
- Optimise for AI Overviews and features,
- Consider video content for your business,
- Build your presence where your audience searches,
- Don’t chase every platform, focus on what works.
Invest in content quality:
- Create comprehensive, expert-level content,
- Go deep on topics rather than creating many thin pages,
- Demonstrate unique insights and perspective,
- Update and maintain existing content,
- Remove or improve low-quality pages.
Build genuine authority:
- Invest in PR and media coverage,
- Get cited by authoritative sources,
- Build your brand, not just your website,
- Engage with your industry community,
- Focus on long-term reputation building.
Reflecting on 2025 and Planning for 2026
2025 has been a year of significant change in search, but perhaps not the revolution some predicted. AI search hasn’t killed traditional SEO. Algorithm updates haven’t made quality content obsolete. What’s happened is that the bar has been raised.
The sites and businesses that thrived in 2025 were those that focused on sustainable quality, genuine expertise, and serving their audiences well. The ones that struggled were those chasing shortcuts, creating thin content at scale, or trying to game the system.
As we head into 2026, those fundamentals won’t change. The interface might evolve – more AI, more voice, more video—but the core principle remains: create genuinely helpful content for real people, demonstrate your expertise, and build your authority.
Let’s Prepare Your Site for 2026
If you’d like to start 2026 strong with a comprehensive SEO strategy that’s built for the modern search landscape, or if you want to audit your current performance and identify opportunities for improvement, I’m here to help.
For local businesses in Farnborough, Hampshire, and the surrounding areas, I offer strategic SEO consulting that cuts through the noise and focuses on what actually drives business results.
Call me on 01252 692 765 or leave a message through my contact form. Let’s have a chat about your goals for 2026 and build a strategy that delivers real results.
Here’s to finishing 2025 strong and making 2026 even better. Cheers!
Paul Mackenzie Ross is an SEO consultant based in Farnborough, Hampshire, specialising in helping local businesses improve their online visibility and attract more customers through search engines and AI platforms.