still prioritizing traditional ranking strategies?

Linkzo · Mar 18, 2026

Hi,

Over last 6 month, I’ve been noticing that even when pages rank well, a good portion of clicks are being taken by AI summaries and zero-click results. Because of that, we’ve started shifting more toward brand building and authority signals instead of focusing only on rankings.

For those actively working on SEO right now, are you making a similar shift, or still prioritizing traditional ranking strategies?

Curious to hear what’s working for you in 2026.

laliana · Mar 18, 2026

I’m seeing the same trend. Rankings still matter, but brand signals and authority seem to protect traffic better. A balanced approach feels more reliable than pure keyword chasing now.

praetserge · Mar 18, 2026

I've started to shift towards branding some time ago... and now, my goal is to rank my social media accounts.
You're doing everything I'm doing... build the brand.
After so long, yes, I rank number 1 but now, my goal is to move my social media accounts next to me.

Akinyande ayo · Mar 18, 2026

Same here, I rank my core pages, and social media accounts now.

Jow Black · Mar 18, 2026

Yes, I also started shifting my focus a bit. Rankings are still important, but now I give more importance to brand building, authority, and trust signals. With AI summaries taking clicks, building a strong brand helps users search directly and trust the site more.

SEO JOKER · Mar 18, 2026

Many SEOs are now focusing more on building a strong brand and authority, since AI summaries and zero-click results are taking away a share of organic clicks. Rankings still play a role, but they aren’t enough by themselves anymore. In 2026, the smarter approach is to balance traditional SEO with brand strength, topical authority, and trust signals to maintain consistent traffic.

tiiberius · Mar 18, 2026

What you just described has been more and more necessary since AI came into picture.

I would say now it's mandatory.

still prioritizing traditional ranking strategies?

Linkzo

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