SEO 2026 – stop writing for Google and start showing up everywhere that matters
SEO isn’t dead – it’s just more complicated, more human and, frankly, more interesting than ever. Since our last deep dive in June 2025, much has changed, but one thing has become crystal clear: the world of search has exploded beyond Google, and if your content isn’t built to travel across platforms, you’re missing the party entirely.
Your audience isn’t just typing queries anymore. They’re scrolling TikTok, pinning ideas on Pinterest, asking ChatGPT, tuning into podcasts and binging YouTube tutorials. They’re discovering, questioning, bookmarking and sharing in ways that no traditional SEO strategy could have predicted. Google is still huge – but it’s only one slice (still the largest at 63.41%, according to data provider Datos) of a messy, multi-layered, multi-platform SEO search pie.
That’s why search EVERYWHERE optimisation matters now more than ever. Think of it as SEO evolved: a way to make your brand visible wherever people are looking, learning and connecting.
In this article, we’ll unpack what we’ve learned about search everywhere optimisation (SSO, XEO, GEO and AIO, show why social media search is the new frontier for Gen Z (the first digitally native demographic’s spending is projected to grow to $12.6 trillion globally by 2030, making them a critical audience for marketers) and give actionable ways to make your content strategy wellness brands, lifestyle brand content strategy and discoverable content travel brands unmissable across the digital landscape.
The fractured search landscape
It’s very easy to get SEO and SSO confused – and as you know, we can’t stand jargon of any kind, whether it’s meaningless marketing bollocks or internet-based acronyms. First, let’s clarify what traditional SEO and new age SEO mean.
What is search “engine” optimisation?
Search engine optimisation = rank higher on Google, Bing, Yahoo!, maybe even DuckDuckGo (and if you’re feeling super-retro, AOL).
What is search “everywhere” optimisation?
Search everywhere optimisation means showing up across all the platforms your audience uses to search for and discover content – not just Google. Modern search is fractured, multi-platform, and personal. Audiences are:
Watching tutorials on YouTube
Asking questions in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity (the list goes on …)
Searching reviews on Amazon and other shopping sites
Finding inspo on Pinterest
Getting the lowdown on Reddit
Browsing Instagram and TikTok as search engines
Listening to podcasts
Your brand needs to show up in these spaces to make the most of discovery opportunities. This is where XEO, GEO, AIO and SSO come into play:
What is XEO (experience optimisation)?
Ensure every piece of content reflects human experience, expertise, and authenticity.
What is GEO (global/local optimisation)?
Adapt messaging and storytelling to audience geographies, languages, and cultural context.
What is AIO (AI optimisation)?
Structure content so LLMs and AI summaries can surface your authority without losing the human touch.
What is SSO (social search optimisation)?
Treat social platforms as search engines, optimising your content for discovery on TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube Pinterest and beyond.
Salt & Sage are the dream lifestyle SEO copywriter team who know how to make your brand unmissable across Google, social media, AI tools and niche platforms. From TikTok scrolls to ChatGPT queries, YouTube tutorials to Pinterest inspiration, we craft content that meets audiences wherever they discover, connect, and engage – boosting visibility, trust and growth.
Do I still need to do old SEO?
First, breathe. If you’ve been doing old-school SEO, chances are you’re already dabbling in everywhere optimisation. You’ve probably fielded questions from your boss, client or team about YouTube rankings, Pinterest visibility or showing up in ChatGPT or AI summaries. And EEAT for blogs (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness) continues to be the benchmark for credibility and visibility.
That doesn’t mean you throw old-school SEO out the window. You still need it. In fact, everything we covered in our last blog – how to fix your blog to boost SEO, AEO and GEO, build trust and spark conversations that actually matter – gives you the solid foundation you need to create content that actually works online. And here’s the beauty of it: the acronym still works. Same letters, new meaning.
Where should I focus my new SEO efforts?
Not all platforms are equal. You don’t have to be everywhere at once – just everywhere that matters to your people. Start by mapping your audience to platforms:
Professionals? LinkedIn, YouTube, Google
Creatives? Instagram, Pinterest, Substack
Gen Z? TikTok, Reddit, Discord (this is a group chat for all those folk who don’t know or haven’t birthed any teens)
Health, lifestyle and wellness people? Podcasts, YouTube, Substack, ChatGPT
How to start optimising everywhere
In the old days (ie until very recently), all you had to do was write a blog, plug in some keywords, add meta descriptions and wait for Google to do its thing. Now, not only do you have to do all that, but you also need to write content that really speaks to people, not just algorithms, and works across search engines, social platforms, AI tools and niche ecosystems. Phew!
But do not fear – if you’re an already overwhelmed health and lifestyle brand, we’re going to make this easy for you. Here’s what matters most (and how your content can stand out) in this new landscape:
1. Start with your blog
Yes, we’re biased. But your blog is still your home base. Make sure it’s well written (don’t half-arse it, commit to the process) and jammed with EEAT (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness). That means back it up with reputable sources and inject it with storytelling, your brand personality and human experience.
2. Repurpose across formats
Let’s redefine what a blog post is. It’s no longer just a blog post – it’s a “story loom” or framework: your one piece of brilliant long-form content upon which you can hang many narrative touchpoints (or threads) that can be spun out across your entire content tapestry. A blog can be…
Snipped into punchy LinkedIn posts
Quoted on a podcast or live event
Reworked into a newsletter intro or section
Turned into a carousel, reel, or TikTok explainer
Referenced in a YouTube description or Pinterest search
Shared in a Reddit thread or Twitter/X reply
Summarised by ChatGPT or featured in an AI overview
Linked to as a source of trust and authority.
Structure your writing so that insights can be lifted easily, without losing meaning. A blog post, an Instagram caption and a YouTube video might all share the same message, but they need to look, sound and behave differently depending on the platform.
3. Write with human experience in mind
Here’s the update for 2026: the AI bubble will pop. Everyone expected LLMs to replace storytellers overnight, but the reality is different. One of the biggest myths about AI is that it replaces expertise. Yes, it will keep evolving – but that doesn’t make human expertise redundant. It’s more like an iPhone update: sleeker, faster but not necessarily smarter. Do you really need the iPhone 16 when your 11 still gets the job done? Nope.
The truth is, AI amplifies human expertise. AI can mimic tone and churn out articles, but what it can’t do well is tell a personal story with real texture, offer lived experience or expert commentary, or have taste, style, humour or intuition. These things matter more now than ever. Make sure every blog or post has a point of view and a human fingerprint.
Don’t just write what people are searching for – write what makes them stop scrolling and say: “Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that.” That’s what gets remembered, bookmarked, shared and fed back into search.
Open-source LLMs aren’t replacing creativity, they’re reflecting it. So feed them better inputs. Feed it your expertise, tone and relevance. That’s how we can make AI work for us – show up everywhere that matters.
The more AI can do, the more your eye for what matters becomes the differentiator. Your brand’s discernment, voice and idiosyncrasies – those are the ingredients that shape standout content. But if you haven’t collected or curated what moves you – the quotes, insights, notes and references – then what are you giving AI to work with?
A curated personal knowledge base isn’t just helpful. It’s essential. Not just to remember what inspires you — but to train AI to see through your lens. Here’s the kicker: for now, AI is still open. It’s still learning. It’s still shaped by the data we give it. That means we – creatives, marketers, humans – can influence what it becomes.
As Berlin-based artist Holly Herndon says: “AI is collective intelligence.” It might be absorbing humanity, but we get to choose what humanity looks like in the feed. Sari Azout, founder of Sublime, a knowledge tool designed for creative thinking, talks about this brilliantly in this Substack piece. Creativity has power. So does rebellion. Let’s teach the machines something worth remembering.
4. Up your EEAT everywhere
That’s: experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. Whether it’s YouTube or Google, trust signals matter and build credibility with both humans and search engines. Use:
Named authors with bios and credentials
Expert quotes or real-life case studies
Clear, sourced claims or data
A tone of voice that aligns with your brand and audience
Real stories, not just generic advice
5. Prioritise intent over algorithm
Intent matters more than keywords. But what does this mean in practice, we hear you cry.
It means you’re no longer just writing for search terms – you’re writing for real people with specific needs. Optimising for social media as search ensures your brand is present where discovery is happening in real-time.
Search is personal now
Platforms (Google, TikTok, ChatGPT, YouTube, etc.) tailor results based on user behaviour, location and habits — not just what they type.
Moments spark discovery
People don’t always go looking with a search bar. They discover content while scrolling, listening, watching or chatting. Content has to be ready to meet them there.
Brand recognition is key
If people already know your brand, you’re more likely to show up in their results. Familiarity builds trust – and visibility.
What you can do right now
Don’t stress. We’re not about to quadruple your workload.
Write modularly. Use subheads, bullets and soundbites that can travel across platforms.
Collaborate with experts. Your best content comes from friction and fusion with people who know things.
Curate your inputs. Build a swipe file or knowledge base of what moves you—so AI (or you!) can remix it with intention.
Use your voice. Generic won’t cut it anymore. Strong perspective wins.
Track your narrative tapestry (what we call your content ecosystem – if you’re asking “how do I write content that connects”, here’s how we do it). Know where your content ends up, how it spreads and what triggers discovery.
Treat your words as a living asset. Update them, reuse them and optimise them for emerging platforms.
Invest in strategy, not just production. Make sure someone is thinking about how content will be found and why it matters. Prioritise your messaging foundations.
Let humans lead. Even if AI helps with drafts or research, the heart of your content should be written by humans: felt, thoughtful, imperfectly brilliant.
Prioritise discoverability at the start, not the end. Don’t just publish – seed your content across the right platforms, audiences and specific situations in which a product or service could potentially be used.
Ready to make your content unmissable?
The best content doesn’t just rank on Google – it gets quoted in newsletters, pulled into AI summaries, shared in group chats and surfaced in search results before someone even searches. SEO 2.0 is about showing up with relevance, reach and resonance – everywhere your audience already hangs out.
Salt & Sage Storytelling is the dream lifestyle copywriter team who turn thoughtful content into discoverable, durable storytelling that establishes you as a thought leader in health, wellness and lifestyle. From sustainable beauty to coastal design to luxury travel, we ensure every word lands with intent.
We’re your antidote to bland, AI-generated noise: together, we’ll write stories that supercharge your SEO, SSO, XEO, GEO and AIO. It’s time to own your content.
>> Our S&S Storyteller Bundle is your all-in-one solution for consistent, high-quality content creation in the health and lifestyle niche.