The internet is becoming modular. Apps are becoming platforms. Search is becoming agentic. Social is becoming more like search. Here's what every agency, freelancer, and B2B marketer needs to know about digital marketing trends in 2026 and how SEO trends for 2026 will reshape the industry.
If 2025 Changed Everything in Search, 2026 Changes Everything for You
If you thought 2025 was turbulent for digital marketing, buckle up. We're entering 2026 with seismic shifts that will separate the early movers from everyone else scrambling to catch up. We created a newsletter called Compass on LinkedIn but we thought it would make sense to share the Search & Discovery insights over here, too.
Compass Issue #005 breaks down eight critical developments reshaping how we build, distribute, and monetise digital products. From ChatGPT''s new app store to Reddit''s authenticity crisis, these aren''t distant trends - they''re immediate strategic imperatives.
ChatGPT App Store: Conversations Become Platforms
OpenAI just opened an app store for ChatGPT, allowing any approved developer to publish apps that run directly inside conversations. Major platforms like Expedia, Spotify, Zillow, and Canva have already announced integrations.
What this means: ChatGPT has evolved from a standalone chatbot to a general-purpose platform where other companies'' products can run. Users can now order groceries, turn outlines into slide decks, or search for apartments without leaving the chat interface.
The strategic implication: We''re seeing the emergence of an in-chat ecosystem designed to keep users engaged inside ChatGPT rather than sending them elsewhere. For businesses, this creates a new distribution channel but also means another platform gatekeeper between you and your customers.
Meta Drops $2B on Manus AI: The Monetisation Blueprint
Meta is acquiring Manus, a Singapore-based AI agent startup, in a roughly $2 billion deal. Manus scaled to millions of users and over $100 million in annual recurring revenue with agents that handle tasks like screening job candidates, planning trips, and analyzing stock portfolios.
Why this matters: For Zuckerberg, Manus offers a rare AI product with real, substantial revenue helping justify Meta''s massive AI infrastructure spend to increasingly cautious investors.
The bigger picture: Big tech companies are moving beyond AI features to AI products that generate real revenue. The race isn''t just about the best models anymore - it''s about monetizable AI experiences that users will actually pay for.
Reddit Marketing 2026: Spam Is Coming
Reddit is the only major social platform where time spent went up in 2025. While short-form video became an ad machine flooded with promotional content, Reddit offers something most platforms don''t: long-form discussion, visible disagreement, community self-governance, and active engagement.
What changed:
- Short-form video became saturated with promotional and influencer content
- AI blurred the line between real and fake content, eroding trust
- Fear and conspiracy content thrives in short clips with no context
- People are burning out on doom-scrolling
The threat emerging: Big brands have discovered Reddit''s power, and where brands see success, they eventually ruin it. Expect spam tactics to escalate: parasite SEO (hijacking old high-ranking posts), astroturfing (fake grassroots conversations), disguised promotion in memes, and the ''help me'' loophole (fake advice requests with planted recommendations).
Ads Are Coming to Gemini and ChatGPT in 2026
Sources confirm Google has told advertising clients it plans to bring ads to Gemini in 2026, separate from ads in AI Mode. Details on formats, pricing, and testing remain unclear, but the timeline is set.
The blueprint: Every AI conversation will eventually have a commercial layer. We''re seeing this pattern across all platforms: build engagement first, then monetize. The question isn''t if, but how fast.
Social Search Goes Mainstream
Google introduces social channels in Google Search Console, allowing users to find clicks, impressions and trending data in the GSC Insights report. TikTok started it, then Instagram, and now Google is officially recognizing social search performance.
What''s happening: This is another step where Google is integrating social into search an attempt to have search results feel more human compared to strictly AI outputs. Social search is now being taken seriously, with Instagram finally recognising its source of views.
For marketers: SEO and social teams need to start syncing strategies. We''re not ready to say go ''all in'' on social media, but it''s becoming a larger component that can''t be ignored.
Agency Survival Guide 2026
A new SparkToro report shows conditions are still tough for agencies, but there''s a clear path forward if you focus on longer-term relationships, smart AI use, and strategic execution rather than cheap tactics.
The essentials:
1. Ruthlessly niche: Define 1-2 verticals and a narrow problem. Generalists will feel the squeeze hardest as AI and big agencies eat the middle.
2. Protect margin on every deal: Minimum retainers, clear change-control, limited custom work so you can say ''no'' without flinching.
3. Make AI your silent advantage: Standardize how you use SEO software for automation and reporting, but keep your client story focused on outcomes, not tools.
4. Longer engagements favor specialists: Half of agencies report 2+ year client relationships. Build a repeatable playbook for your niche.
The bottom line: Small agencies win by being visibly ''the best at X for Y'' not by trying to look like mini-network agencies.
2026: SEO Gets Brutal. Brand Mentions & AI Citations Rule
A survey of 60+ SEOs (~70% with 10+ years'' experience) by SEOFOMO reveals the real story: SEO isn''t dying, it''s shifting toward brand, entity, and multi-channel visibility. AI search sits on top of traditional search rather than replacing it.
The reality check: 80% of the SEO agencies in the industry are trying to find 1000 new ways to sell blog content and structured data. Meanwhile, 20% are focused on improving product/service pages and building brand mentions.
What changed in 2025: Discovery moved upstream. AI summaries absorbed exploration and comparison, while traditional search became more about validation and decision-making. This pushes strategies away from ''rankings + traffic'' toward brand recognition, ai citations and trust.
The measurement reset: Traffic and rankings become secondary proxies. The focus shifts to citations in AI answers, brand search lift, assisted conversions, and narrative reporting that explains ''what shaped the decision'' rather than just ''what got the click.''
For agencies: Stop selling ''we get more traffic.'' Start selling ''we protect and grow your visibility and brand influence across search and AI surfaces.''
Birthday Wisdom from LeBron James
"Greatness is defined by how much you want to put into what you do." - LeBron James, who was (and still is!) 41 years old at the time of publishing the newsletter live.
LeBron''s approach has always been about maximum effort and continuous improvement. For your small agency or freelancer business, this means: commit fully to what you''re building, invest in your craft relentlessly, and never settle for ''good enough.''
Whether you''re perfecting a client deliverable, building your team, or developing new services the depth of your commitment directly determines the quality of your results. Greatness isn''t about talent alone; it''s about how much energy, focus, and care you''re willing to pour into your work.
What This All Means In 2026
The shift from standalone tools to interconnected ecosystems is accelerating. Every platform wants to become a super-app. Every conversation wants to become a marketplace. Every search wants to become a transaction. Digital Marketing trends move quickly, Compass is your guide.
For agencies and freelancers: The companies that thrive in 2026 will be those that understand these ecosystem plays and position themselves accordingly. This isn''t about choosing between SEO, social, or AI it''s about understanding how they''re converging into something entirely new.
The opportunity: While 80% of the industry chases yesterday''s tactics, 20% are building tomorrow''s strategies. The question is: which group are you in?
Compass navigates the shifting terrain of search, AI, and digital marketing for agencies, freelancers, and B2B marketers who need to stay ahead.
Ready to see why early movers own 2026? Subscribe to the full Compass newsletter which digs deeper into the future of SEO with each of these trends. Providing actionable insights and strategic frameworks direct to your inbox, which you can implement immediately.
Keep Climbing, Happy New Year From Hike
About the author
Bryn Foweather
Vice President Marketing
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