Update SEO valuation index 2026
Erwan Nguyen
In 2026, SEO focuses on the "user journey" rather than just keyword matching.
AI Overviews (AEO): The goal is to be the cited source that Google’s AI uses to build its answers. Structure content with concise, answer-ready summaries.
The "Human Premium" (E-E-A-T): Google rewards what AI cannot do: real-world experience. Use first-person perspectives and original data to prove "humanity."
Multimodal Discovery: Google now processes images and videos as primary data. High-quality, original visuals are essential for ranking.
Interaction to Next Paint (INP): This is the dominant technical metric. Sites must feel instant and responsive to user clicks to avoid ranking penalties.
Feature
SEO in 2024
SEO in 2026
Primary Goal
High CTR on Blue Links
Citations in AI Overviews
Content Strategy
Keyword-optimized Blogs
Multimodal (Video/Text)
E-E-A-T Focus
Authority & Backlinks
Real-World Experience
Tech Metric
Core Web Vitals
INP (Responsiveness)