Search engine optimization looks very different than it did even a few years ago.

People are no longer discovering businesses through a list of blue links alone. They’re asking conversational questions, exploring AI-generated answers, searching with images, watching videos and moving between devices throughout the customer journey.

That evolution doesn’t mean traditional SEO is disappearing. It means businesses need to think more broadly about what it means to be discoverable.

Here are four trends that matter most.

Conversational and AI-powered search

Voice search was once the clearest sign that search behavior was becoming more conversational. Today, that shift has expanded significantly.

People are increasingly asking longer, more specific questions through AI-powered search experiences, including Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode. Instead of searching a short phrase, someone might ask a detailed question, compare several options or explore a topic through multiple follow-up searches.

For businesses, this changes the opportunity.

Content should be built around the real questions customers have—not simply around individual keywords. Clear headings, useful explanations, original expertise and well-organized pages make it easier for both people and search systems to understand what your business knows and where it can help.

Google’s guidance for AI search reinforces something important: the fundamentals of SEO still apply. There is no special shortcut for appearing in AI-powered results. Websites still need to be crawlable, technically sound and filled with helpful, reliable content.

The goal should be to create content valuable enough to become a trusted resource wherever someone searches.

Images will play a bigger role in search

Images have always contributed to SEO, but visual search is becoming much more significant.

People can now search with a camera, upload an image, use Google Lens or combine visual information with written questions. In 2026, Google even introduced dedicated Search Console reporting to help businesses understand how their websites appear in multimodal searches.

That makes images more than decoration. They’re part of how your business can be discovered.

Start with original, high-quality visuals that genuinely support the page. Use descriptive file names and relevant alternative text, and make sure Google can crawl and index important images. Images should also be properly sized and compressed so they enhance the experience without slowing the page down.

Context matters, too. An image surrounded by useful, relevant content gives search engines more information about what the visual represents and why it matters.

For businesses with visual products, locations, projects or services, that creates another path for potential customers to discover your brand.

Include videos

Video continues to play an important role in how people learn, evaluate options and interact with businesses online.

It can also create additional opportunities for discovery. Google can surface video across its main search results, video results, Google Images and Discover.

The key is to treat video as useful content rather than simply embedding it on a page.

A strong video should answer a question, demonstrate expertise or make something easier for a visitor to understand. The surrounding page should provide clear context about the video’s subject, and businesses should use descriptive titles, thumbnails and supporting content.

Technical details matter as well. Google recommends making video pages indexable and using structured data such as VideoObject to provide information including the video’s description, thumbnail, upload date and duration.

Video works best when it strengthens the overall digital experience. A useful video paired with relevant written content gives visitors (and search engines) multiple ways to understand the value of a page.

Be mobile-friendly

Being mobile-friendly is no longer an emerging SEO trend. It’s a baseline requirement for a modern website.

Google uses the mobile version of a website’s content for indexing and ranking, and recommends responsive web design as the easiest pattern to implement and maintain.

But mobile SEO goes beyond whether a page technically fits on a smaller screen.

Visitors should be able to understand your message, navigate the site and complete important actions without friction. Pages should load quickly. Buttons should be easy to use. Text should be readable. Important content shouldn’t disappear between desktop and mobile experiences.

Page experience matters here, too. Google recommends looking at the experience holistically, including Core Web Vitals, mobile usability, security and whether intrusive elements interfere with the primary content.

A responsive website is the starting point. A fast, intuitive and useful mobile experience is the goal.

Key Takeaways

The biggest change in SEO isn’t one new ranking factor. It’s the number of ways people can now discover and evaluate a business.

That means focusing less on isolated SEO tactics and more on the fundamentals: useful and original content, strong technical infrastructure, high-quality visual media, clear information and an experience designed around real people.

Search will continue to evolve. A website built on those principles is better positioned to evolve with it.

Not sure whether your website is keeping up with modern search? 97 Switch can help you evaluate your current SEO, content and digital experience and identify the opportunities that matter most.

It feels like every week there’s another AI tool promising to revolutionize marketing. Some businesses are jumping into every new platform, while others are avoiding AI altogether because they don’t know where to start. The truth is that neither approach is likely to create better marketing.

We believe that AI doesn’t replace strategy. It amplifies it.

Technology has always created new opportunities. If you’re leading marketing, you’re probably asking questions like:

• Should we be using AI more?

• Are we falling behind?

• Which tools actually matter?

• How do we know what’s worth investing in?

That’s where real value is created. We’ve seen it firsthand, and we’re ready to share our insights with you.

AI Is a Tool. Strategy Creates the Outcome.

At 97 Switch, we see AI as one more tool that helps businesses work smarter.

It can accelerate research, uncover insights, streamline workflows, and improve efficiency. Those are meaningful advantages.

But AI doesn’t understand your customers. It doesn’t know your business goals, and it can’t replace the trust you’ve built with your audience or the experience your team brings to every decision.

For example, AI might recommend writing about the highest-volume keyword in your industry. But your sales team may know your ideal customers are asking completely different questions. That’s the difference between creating content for search engines and creating content that generates conversations.

The businesses seeing the strongest results aren’t relying on AI to do their marketing for them. They’re using AI to give talented people more time to focus on strategy, creativity, and solving meaningful business problems.

Why some teams get better results with less AI

The foundation of great marketing hasn’t changed.

It still requires understanding your audience, communicating with clarity, creating memorable digital experiences, and making informed decisions based on data.

Think about the last company you chose to work with. Chances are it wasn’t because they used AI. It was because their website made sense, their messaging was clear, and you trusted them.

AI might make those processes faster, but it doesn’t make them automatic.

Without a clear strategy, even the most advanced technology becomes another expense instead of a competitive advantage.

Two companies can use the exact same AI tool. One creates generic content that sounds like everyone else. The other uses AI to free up time for better customer research, stronger messaging, and more thoughtful campaigns.

Same technology, but completely different outcome.

Human Expertise Is More Valuable Than Ever

Ironically, as AI becomes more capable, human expertise becomes even more important.

AI can suggest 20 headlines.

It can’t tell you which one fits your brand.

AI can summarize customer feedback.

It can’t sit in a sales meeting and recognize the question every prospect keeps asking.

AI can draft a proposal.

It can’t build trust, and customers still choose businesses they trust.

They remember brands that communicate with authenticity.

They stay loyal to companies that consistently deliver meaningful experiences.

Those qualities can’t be generated with a prompt alone.

They come from understanding people, asking thoughtful questions, and building long-term relationships.

Technology can support those efforts, but it can’t replace them.

The Best Results Come From Combining AI With Experience

The conversation shouldn’t be about AI versus people.

It’s about combining modern technology with experienced strategy.

We like to think about AI in three buckets.

Automate

• Research

• Meeting notes

• Drafts

• Data analysis

Collaborate

• Content

• SEO

• Brainstorming

• UX recommendations

Human Led

• Strategy

• Positioning

• Brand voice

• Customer experience

• Business priorities

The businesses that thrive over the next decade won’t be the ones using the most AI.

They’ll be the ones using it with intention.

Looking Ahead

AI will continue to evolve, search will continue to change, and customer expectations will continue to rise.

Those changes aren’t something to fear. They’re opportunities for businesses that remain curious, adaptable, and grounded in strategy.

A few years from now, your marketing team probably won’t spend less time thinking. They’ll spend less time formatting spreadsheets, writing first drafts, and pulling reports. Instead, they’ll spend more time understanding customers, solving problems, and making decisions that move the business forward.

Ask yourself:

• Are we using AI to save time, or create better customer experiences?

• Which marketing decisions still require human expertise?

• If we removed AI tomorrow, would our strategy still be strong?

At 97 Switch, we’re committed to helping our partners navigate those changes with confidence by building digital strategies that are thoughtful, flexible, and designed for long-term growth. Because great marketing has never been about using the newest technology. It’s about making better decisions.

Technology simply gives us better tools to do it.

Ready to Build a Smarter Digital Strategy?

If you’re trying to figure out where AI actually fits into your marketing strategy, it helps to have an outside perspective.

We help businesses separate the trends worth paying attention to from the ones that simply create more noise.

If that sounds useful, we’d be happy to have a conversation.

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A modern website should do more than look impressive.

It should build trust, guide decision-making, support visibility in search, and generate meaningful business momentum. Yet many companies invest heavily in redesigns only to discover that, despite the polished visuals, performance barely changes.

Traffic stalls. Leads stay flat. Conversion rates remain inconsistent.

The problem usually isn’t design alone. It’s the lack of strategic alignment behind the experience.

At 97 Switch, we’ve seen firsthand that the highest-performing websites aren’t simply the most visually appealing. They’re the most intentional. Every page, message, interaction, and technical decision works together to support business goals and customer behavior.

Here are some of the most common reasons business websites underperform (even when they look great.)

1. Clear Messaging Gets Replaced by Cleverness

One of the biggest issues we see is messaging that prioritizes creativity over clarity.

A homepage may look modern and polished, but if visitors can’t quickly understand:

• what your business does

• who you serve

• why you’re different

• what action to take next

they’re unlikely to stay engaged.

Today’s users make decisions quickly. Confusing headlines, vague positioning, or overly abstract copy create friction immediately.

Strong websites communicate value clearly before they try to impress creatively.

That doesn’t mean brand personality disappears. It means messaging becomes intentional, grounded, and aligned with user needs.

The best-performing websites create clarity first, then build emotional connection from there.

2. Design Without Trust Signals Creates Friction

Good design can attract attention.

Trust is what creates action.

Many websites invest heavily in aesthetics while overlooking the elements that actually help users feel confident moving forward.

Trust-building components often include:

• case studies

• testimonials

• client logos

• measurable outcomes

• certifications or awards

• transparent team information

• clear contact pathways

• strategic calls-to-action

Without these signals, even visually impressive websites can feel incomplete or difficult to evaluate.

Modern customer acquisition depends heavily on credibility. People want reassurance that your business is experienced, reliable, and aligned with their goals before they take the next step.

A website should reduce uncertainty rather than create more of it.

3. SEO Is Treated Like an Afterthought

Search visibility doesn’t happen by accident.

Too often, businesses approach SEO after a website is already designed and developed. At that point, critical strategic opportunities may already be missed.

High-performing websites are structured around:

• search intent

• content hierarchy

• technical performance

• metadata

• internal linking

• mobile usability

• page speed

SEO should help shape the architecture of the website from the beginning, not simply be layered on afterward.

When strategy, content, and technical execution are aligned early, websites are better positioned to attract qualified traffic and sustain long-term visibility.

That’s especially important as search continues evolving through AI-generated results and increasingly competitive digital experiences.

4. User Experience Matters More Than Visual Effects

Sophisticated animations and trendy layouts may look impressive in presentations, but they don’t automatically improve performance.

In many cases, they can actually increase friction.

Users care far more about whether a website feels intuitive:

• Can they find information quickly?

• Does navigation make sense?

• Is the mobile experience seamless?

• Are calls-to-action clear?

• Does the site load efficiently?

• Is the experience accessible?

The strongest digital experiences feel effortless.

A website should guide users naturally through decision-making without overwhelming them with unnecessary complexity.

Good user experience isn’t flashy. It’s thoughtful.

5. Websites Are Launched, But Rarely Improved

One of the biggest misconceptions in digital marketing is that a website launch marks the finish line.

In reality, strong websites evolve continuously.

Customer behavior changes. Search trends shift. Business priorities expand. What worked a year ago may not support growth today.

That’s why ongoing optimization matters.

High-performing businesses regularly evaluate:

• user behavior

• traffic quality

• conversion pathways

• heatmap insights

• landing page performance

• keyword visibility

• engagement metrics

Data helps identify friction points and opportunities that may otherwise go unnoticed.

The most effective websites are living business tools designed to improve over time.

Great Websites Don’t Just Look Modern, They Create Momentum

Visual design absolutely matters. First impressions influence credibility, trust, and perception.

But aesthetics alone rarely drive meaningful business growth.

The websites that consistently perform well are strategically connected across:

• messaging

• user experience

• SEO

• trust-building

• data

• conversion strategy

Every component works together to support a larger business objective.

At 97 Switch, we believe thoughtful digital experiences should do more than look polished. They should generate clarity, trust, and long-term momentum for your business.

When strategy and execution are fully synced, websites stop functioning like digital brochures and start becoming growth engines.

Is Your Website Actually Supporting Growth?

If your website looks strong visually but isn’t generating the results you expected, it may be time for a deeper strategic evaluation.

Connect with 97 Switch for a website strategy session to uncover opportunities to improve performance, reduce friction, and create a more effective digital experience.