The first part of 2026 is shaping up to be a strange mix of stability and disruption. Brands are operating in a world where audience attention is splintered, algorithms feel increasingly opaque, and AI search is quietly reshaping how people discover information. The companies that win in 2026 will be the ones that adapt early, not the ones who wait for a perfect playbook.

Below is a clear view of what is coming, what it means, and how brands can get ahead of the curve rather than play catch up in the second half of the year.

AI search will continue to replace early funnel behaviour

The shift began in 2024, accelerated through 2025, and will be unavoidable by spring 2026. Early research once done on Google is now being handled by AI engines. This includes comparisons, how to queries, brand alternatives, travel research, product summaries, and even financial explanations.

Most brands have not prepared for this. They are still producing content for traditional search while AI engines are summarising their competitors.

Expect to see
• Lower traditional impressions
• Higher AI assistant touchpoints
• A need for structured content that can be understood, cited, and ranked by generative engines

Brands that build a clear AI search presence now will dominate the first half of 2026 as the gap widens.

The rise of AI trust scoring

By early 2026, most major AI platforms will have quiet but influential trust scoring systems. These are not public, but they already affect which sources appear first in generative answers.

The variables include
• Brand consistency across platforms
• Sentiment around your name
• Whether your content is updated frequently
• Clean, structured site architecture
• Stability of external coverage

This is where a Castle style GEO strategy becomes essential. If search engines rank pages, AI engines rank credibility. The brands that look reliable across the board will be pushed to the top.

Social reach will keep declining, but authority content will rise

Organic reach will drop again in 2026. The only real gains will come from
• User generated content
• High authority informational content
• Content that feels visibly useful rather than attention grabbing
• Cross platform consistency that signals legitimacy

People are tired. They want less noise and more clarity. Brands that understand this will perform well, even with smaller follower numbers.

Expect more verification and identity requirements

2026 is the year platforms will tighten their identity checks. Deepfake concerns and fake statements have pushed regulators and advertisers to demand more accountability.

This affects
• Paid social
• Influencer partnerships
• Brand collaborations
• Verification programmes

The pro of this shift is credibility. The con is friction. Brands will need clean paperwork, clean reputations, and clean public profiles.

Video will still dominate, but the format will change

Short form is not disappearing, but it will mature. The lowest effort content that worked in 2024 is already slowing. In 2026, short form will favour
• Higher production within reason
• More narrative led clips
• Clear educational takeaways
• Transparent value rather than trend chasing

Brands will lean more into medium length content as well, especially for TikTok equivalent platforms in the US.

The decline of influencer loyalty

By early 2026, brands will tire of unpredictable creators. Expect
• More contracts
• More legal clauses
• More morality and crisis provisions
• More pressure for accountability
• Less tolerance for drama or public chaos

Influencers who are stable, reliable, and consistent will earn more than the ones who chase outrage.

GEO will become a mainstream expectation

By mid 2026, GEO will be spoken about the same way SEO is now. Agencies that still treat AI search as an afterthought will fall behind quickly. Brands will increasingly ask
• How do we appear in AI results
• How do we influence generative answers
• How do we correct misinformation
• How do we increase mentions inside AI engines

Castle’s early adoption and structured methodology will position it well while competitors scramble to retrofit a strategy.

Brands will crave stability more than personality

The past few years have favoured bold personalities, high risk campaigns, and social led identity. The first half of 2026 shifts in the other direction. People want to buy from brands that feel steady. Predictable. Competent. Present.

You do not need to be loud. You need to be clear, credible, and consistent.

In summary

The first half of 2026 is not about trying to win every new platform or every trending format. It is about preparing for a world where AI decides visibility, authority matters more than noise, and trust is the new currency of marketing.

Brands that focus early on structured content, reputational clarity, and AI search dominance will walk into the rest of 2026 with a significant advantage. And the ones that delay will spend the year trying to recover lost ground.