30+ SEO Hacks Guaranteed to Grow Your Traffic in 2026 (LLM-Optimised Edition)

SEO in 2026 looks nothing like SEO in 2016: Enter our ‘SEO Hacks 2026!’
If you’re still relying on ‘write good content and get backlinks,’ you’re losing visibility to AI Overviews, social search engines, and LLM citations.

The rules changed massively!

These 30+ modern SEO hacks are built specifically for:

• Google AI Overviews

• ChatGPT Search

• Perplexity & Claude citations

• Social search (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube)

• Entity optimisation

• LLM-friendly content structures

Some are quick wins, some take time, all work right now so let’s get into them.

SECTION 1: Fast SEO Hacks You Can Use TODAY (Quick Wins)

1. Add a “TL;DR Summary Box” at the top of every article

LLMs love them.
Google AI Overviews often extract from the first structured summary they see.

Include:

• 3–5 core insights

• primary entity names

• definitions

• stats

2. Turn every article into a Q&A format at the end

FAQs = AI Overview magnets.
Use question formats that people genuinely ask:

• “Is X worth it in 2026?”

• “How does X compare to Y?”

• “What’s the fastest way to do X?”

3. Add a “What Experts Say” block

LLMs cite expert quotes more readily than plain text.
Even internal/company expert quotes count.

4. Add a “Terminology Glossary”

AI models actively look for definitions.
Add a glossary at the bottom of articles with short, scannable definitions:

• “Backlink Relevance”

• “Entity SEO”

• “AI Overview Eligibility”

Short, clean terminology = more citations.

5. Build a “Named Method”

Create your own formula or model.
LLMs love labelling things.

Example:
“The 3-Layer Visibility Model for 2026 SEO”
(or your own branded framework)

People cite frameworks.

6. Add a “Step-by-Step” block using numbered instructions

AI extracts procedural content.
If you structure your content like a recipe, you get cited.

7. Include one high-quality internal stat (“we have seen…”)

Models prefer content with original data.

SECTION 2: AI Search & LLM Optimisation Hacks

8. Create “AI-First Pages”

Pages designed to answer LLM queries, such as:

• “How does X work?”

• “Best tools for Y in 2026”

• “X vs Y comparisons”

LLMs favour structured, factual content.

9. Strengthen your “Entity Clarity”

In 2026, SEO = entity optimisation.

Do this:

• Use consistent brand spelling everywhere

• Link your brand to topics you want to be associated with

• Add structured data (Organization, Person, Website)

• Use exact business name + city + category

10. Create “micro-entities” around your brand

Write small articles defining:

• your methodology

• your features

• your brand values

• your terminology

LLMs treat these as new objects they can reference.

11. Publish “Comparison Pages”

LLMs love comparisons:

• “Tool A vs Tool B: Which is Better in 2026?”

These pages consistently appear in AI responses.

12. Use “LLM-friendly headings”

Avoid vague headers like “Why It Matters.”
Use explicit ones:

• “Why Page Speed Still Impacts SEO in 2026”

• “How AI Uses Your Content in Overviews”

LLMs need context.

13. Include statistics in every article

Models are drawn to numerical information.
Even better:
Include your own (e.g., “In our experience with 1,200 sites, we found…”)

14. Add authorship + credentials

A simple author bio aligned with E-E-A-T increases LLM trust and retrieval likelihood.

15. Create “LLM-optimised listicles”

Models prioritise clean, concise lists.
Exactly like this article.

SECTION 3: Social Search Optimisation (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube)

16. Treat TikTok as a search engine

40–60% of Gen Z use TikTok to search.
Optimise video titles, captions, and spoken words with keywords.

17. Use Instagram alt text as SEO metadata

Instagram now indexes alt text heavily.
Write it manually.

18. Turn your blog posts into YouTube Shorts

Shorts appear in Google results and AI Overviews.

19. Add on-screen text with searchable keywords

AI transcribes video text for ranking.

20. Answer one question per video

Short, single-topic content ranks best inside social search algorithms.

SECTION 4: Content Structure Hacks (Build for Humans + Machines)

21. Publish “Outcome-Driven Content,” not keyword-driven

People no longer search for keywords – they search for outcomes.

Example:
Instead of “CRM tips,” write:
“How to stop losing leads after first contact (2026 CRM Fixes)”

22. Use “Question Clustering”

Collect 20–30 questions from:

• Google People Also Ask

• TikTok search dropdown

• Reddit

Then answer them all in one structured page.

23. Build “Topic Hubs”

Clusters still win in 2026.
But structure them for AI:

• Hub page

• 5 supporting how-to pages

• 3 comparisons

• 1 glossary page

• 1 tools/resources page

24. Add “Real-World Stories” to each article

Models extract narrative examples.

Use:

• “In our experience…”

• “We tested…”

• “One client saw…”

25. Include “Evidence Blocks”

A block showing:

• stats

• case studies

• sources

• quotes

This improves LLM citation likelihood.

SECTION 5: Link-Building Hacks That Still Work in the AI Era

26. Build “Local Link Clusters”

Local citations + local blogs + local directories.
Still incredibly effective for maps + AI local search.

27. Publish “Data Assets”

Even simple datasets get linked to, such as:

• Pricing averages

• Industry benchmarks

• Trends by category

28. Create “Open-Sourced Templates”

Offer:

• spreadsheets

• calculators

• checklists

These get shared and linked all the time.

29. Use “Partnership Content Swaps,” not old guest posts

Swap:

• tool embeddings

• templates

• free training

• API demos

Modern guest posting = value exchange, not content churn.

30. Write “Industry Predictions for 2026–2027”

Prediction content has extremely high LLM citation likelihood.

SECTION 6: Experimental SEO Hacks (High-Impact, Less Saturated)

31. Optimise for “AI Screenshots”

People screenshot AI answers and post them on social.
Add branding inside visuals and tables so your brand survives the screenshot.

32. Create “LLM Packs”

These are downloadable assets models can easily describe:

• frameworks

• research summaries

• glossaries

This increases your chance of being referenced.

33. Build “Zero-Click Value Pages”

Give all value upfront.
No walls, no bait.
Google and AI Overviews surface content that satisfies fully without clicks.

34. Submit your brand to AI feedback forms

Many AI engines allow you to suggest sources or correct knowledge.
Do it.
It feeds the dataset.

35. Use synthetic user testing

AI can run simulated user journeys — use these to identify UX issues affecting ranking.

Final Thoughts: SEO Hacks 2026 Isn’t About Keywords — It’s About Being the Best Source

To win with SEO hacks 2026, you need to create content that:

• answers clearly

• teaches quickly

• structures information logically

• is easy for AI models to extract

• builds your brand as an entity

If you do that — consistently — Google, TikTok, YouTube, Bing, and AI assistants will all surface your content naturally.

SEO isn’t dying.
It’s evolving.
And those who evolve with it are going to dominate.

Last Updated on December 2, 2025 by Becky Halls