{"id":1110,"date":"2017-12-27T07:00:41","date_gmt":"2017-12-27T12:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalstriked.wpengine.com\/?p=1110"},"modified":"2026-01-06T15:15:48","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T21:15:48","slug":"digital-marketing-trends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digitalstrike.com\/digital-marketing-trends\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Digital Marketing Trends to Watch for in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The digital marketing landscape is constantly changing. Here our predictions for digital marketing trends in 2026 as well as actionable insights for your digital marketing strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Voice Search Affects Keyword Targeting<\/b><\/h3>\n

What exactly do we mean by \u201cvoice search?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Every time you say \u201cHey Siri,\u201d \u201cOk Google,\u201d or<\/span> call out Alexa\u2019s name, you\u2019re searching with your voice<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Think about how you talk out loud versus how you type. You\u2019re probably going to speak in a full sentence rather than in a choppy keyword. If you\u2019re asking Alexa or Siri a question, you\u2019ll ask something like \u201cAlexa, how do I change a tire?\u201d Compare this to how you might ask that same question in a search bar. That same question might be phrased as \u201chow to change tire.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When using voice search, people are using their natural speech. <\/span>And the internet understands<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s easier, more user-friendly, and often faster.<\/b> People who don\u2019t type well don\u2019t have to struggle anymore and there\u2019s<\/span> no need to navigate through confusing site menus<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

55% of teens and 41% of adults use voice search<\/span><\/a> at least once a day. That is a <\/span>lot<\/span><\/i> of voice searching. It\u2019s only going to grow as more people get comfortable with asking a little speaker to order toilet paper or what the president is up to today. It\u2019s also going to keep growing as children who are raised around voice search grow up to buy their own voice assistants and devices.<\/span><\/p>\n

This shift could change how marketers optimize web pages. Maybe marketers target more voice-friendly keywords as well as ones that are typically typed. Take<\/span> a local SEO client<\/span><\/a> that sells sandwiches, for example. Just imagine how searches for \u201csandwich shops near me\u201d and \u201cwhere can I get lunch today?\u201d in a voice assistant will change the local SEO landscape.<\/span><\/p>\n

Actionable insights: <\/b>Digital marketing teams should keep an eye out in 2026 for search engine algorithm changes when it comes to voice search and explore targeting more conversational, voice-friendly keywords.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Augmented Reality Grows in Ecommerce<\/b><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s start at the beginning: what is augmented reality?<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you watch football on Sunday nights? That yellow line on the field that moves around with the line of scrimmage isn\u2019t real. It\u2019s augmented reality! How about another example: those Snapchat filters all that the youth are using lately? You got it\u2014also augmented reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Augmented reality is<\/span> the ability to integrate digital data into a real-time experience<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not the future anymore. It\u2019s the present thanks to some incredible advancements.<\/b><\/p>\n

According to Statista<\/span><\/a>, in \u201c2024, there were an estimated 1.03 billion mobile augmented reality (AR) users worldwide,\u201d with that number expected to reach 1.19 billion in 2028. That means that advertising spending on AR is going to increase, and brands are going to work quickly to integrate it into their marketing strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many ways to use augmented reality, but the big two are for entertainment (again, think Snapchat filters) and for practical functionality (like testing a lipstick shade with a selfie filter before buying the lipstick itself). Combining the two can make for<\/span> great brand engagement<\/span><\/a> and potential for<\/span> increased conversion rates and sales<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> especially for younger demographics like Gen Z who want hyper-personalized experiences<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Actionable insights: <\/b>For e-commerce brands, folding AR tech into marketing strategies may help boost brand awareness and conversion rates among younger demographics, like Gen Z, that want hyper-personalized experiences. Having potential customers interact with products in augmented reality makes it easier to visualize using a product, which could lead to increased purchases and engagement rates.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Marketers Fold Artificial Intelligence into Paid Search<\/b><\/h3>\n

Artificial intelligence and machine learning tech are no longer restricted to science fiction. Most digital marketers are already familiar with<\/span> generative AI tools like ChatGPT<\/span><\/a> to help with<\/span> content marketing<\/span><\/a> and<\/span> email marketing channels<\/span><\/a>. These channels are not the only place marketers and advertisers can utilize generative AI in their marketing efforts, however.<\/span> AI can also help digital marketers<\/span><\/a> stand out in their<\/span> paid search campaigns<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The use of AI agents directly within an ad platform is becoming more and more common; it\u2019s quickly establishing itself as a standard industry practice.<\/span> Take Gemini, for example<\/span><\/a>. This AI-powered tool helps advertisers within the<\/span> Google Ads platform<\/span><\/a> generate headlines, descriptions, and more for paid search campaigns.<\/span><\/p>\n

AI-generated content for ads isn\u2019t all that\u2019s making waves in paid search, either. AI tools are also increasingly helping with campaign optimization efforts, not just campaign creation. Specifically, marketers are using AI to help organize and synthesize data in data-driven ways that can help them better segment their target audience and use verbiage to meet audiences exactly where they\u2019re at in their customer journey.<\/span><\/p>\n

Actionable insights:<\/b> Utilize AI to help scale campaigns while keeping a focus on continually improving AI agents available to marketers.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Generative Engine Optimization Becomes Increasingly Important<\/b><\/h3>\n

Content creation and optimization for both search engines and human users has always been a balancing act for digital marketers<\/span><\/a>. Add optimization for AI overviews to that juggle.<\/span><\/p>\n

AI overviews are overviews of search queries that summarize the topic, answer questions, and provide a list of resources for further information.<\/span> They now appear in roughly half of all search results in Google<\/span><\/a>, meaning they\u2019re increasingly important for companies and sites that want to maximize their reach and brand awareness.<\/span><\/p>\n

The emergence of overviews has given birth to the AI-driven cousin of SEO: generative engine optimization, or GEO. It\u2019s exactly what it sounds like: optimizing your online presence to rank well in AI overviews on search engines. While GEO is new and important for digital marketers, the truth is that GEO practices don\u2019t actually deviate from traditional SEO tactics. In other words,<\/span> high-quality content<\/span><\/a> optimized for search engines <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> the customer experience is more likely to appear in organic search engine results pages (SERPs) <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> AI overviews.<\/span><\/p>\n

[insert screenshot of DS appearing in overview for \u201ctop seo websites\u201d on desktop + screenshot of DS appearing #5 in Google organic search results for same keyword on desktop]<\/span><\/p>\n

Actionable insights: <\/b>The best generative search optimization strategy is a combination of data-driven<\/span> technical SEO tactics<\/span><\/a>, on-page optimizations, and thoughtful content strategy centered on offering a quality user experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Short-Form and Community-Driven Social Platforms Dominate<\/b><\/h3>\n

Short-form video content continues to be one of the most engaging content formats on social media platforms like Meta and Instagram Reels,<\/span> YouTube Shorts<\/span><\/a>, and<\/span> TikTok (for now, depending on the future of data privacy laws)<\/span><\/a>. The popularity of bite-sized videos is driven by their ability to quickly capture attention and offer authentic, digestible user-generated content that resonates with audiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of this desire to connect with authentic content, community-driven platforms are gaining momentum. Groups and niche platforms like Discord and Reddit along with private Facebook Groups allow users and content creators to foster deeper connections online. Marketers are tapping into these spaces to engage with loyal audiences, create exclusive content, and strengthen brand presence within smaller, more focused communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Actionable insights: <\/b>Large and small businesses alike can make use of short-form video content and community-driven content in their<\/span> social media marketing plans<\/span><\/a>. Prioritizing bite-sized content, user-generated content, and fostering an online community among potential customers and others in your industry are actionable steps for forward-thinking social media managers.<\/span><\/p>\n

A lot could happen next year and we\u2019re doing our best to expect the unexpected. Thinking about starting a digital marketing campaign for your business next year?<\/span> Contact us for a free consultation<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are some digital marketing trends that you think we\u2019ll see this year?<\/b><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The digital marketing landscape is constantly changing. Here our predictions for digital marketing trends in 2026 as well as actionable insights for your digital marketing strategy. 1. Voice Search Affects Keyword Targeting What exactly do we mean by \u201cvoice search?\u201d Every time you say \u201cHey Siri,\u201d \u201cOk Google,\u201d or call out Alexa\u2019s name, you\u2019re searching […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":1170,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[26,167],"class_list":["post-1110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-content-marketing","tag-digital-marketing-trends","tag-marketing"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalstrike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalstrike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalstrike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalstrike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalstrike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1110"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalstrike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1110\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalstrike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalstrike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalstrike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalstrike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}