January is, for many of us, a month of recent concepts and resolutions. However for Google and the broader world of search, 2026 shouldn’t be a lot about beginning recent, however doubling down on advancing AI, to the purpose the place it appears ‘normal follow’ now. The experimentation, testing, and integration of AI continues with every passing day, and because of this, rankings are nonetheless fluctuating.
One factor stays clear, nevertheless, from our insights: content material freshness continues to play a pivotal position in boosting natural search efficiency and enhancing visibility in AI search outcomes. At Artemis Advertising, we now have already built-in these shifts into our day by day methods, making certain our shoppers are completely positioned to thrive throughout each natural search and AI platforms.
Agentic Commerce
January 2026 introduced main information to the eCommerce world with two groundbreaking bulletins: 1) Google’s Common Commerce Protocol (UCP) and a pair of) Shopify’s ‘Agentic Storefronts’.
To place this in plain English: we’re shifting from “search” to “brokers.”
Previously, a buyer would seek for a product and click on a hyperlink to your web site. In 2026, clients are more and more utilizing AI “brokers” (like Gemini or ChatGPT) as, successfully, a digital private procuring assistant.
As a substitute of shopping an inventory of hyperlinks, a consumer may say to an AI agent: “Discover me a water-resistant mountain climbing boot underneath £120 that’s in inventory in a measurement 10 and may be delivered by Friday.”
The “agent” does the legwork, evaluating merchandise throughout the net and presenting the most suitable choice to the consumer.
These new updates from Google and Shopify are designed to verify your product knowledge is as “readable” as doable by these AI brokers.
Put it this fashion: in case your retailer doesn’t communicate the identical language because the AI, you received’t even be within the operating to look in some of these listings.
What are the implications for search engine marketing?
For our eCommerce shoppers, this implies search engine marketing is not nearly key phrases; it’s about “knowledge readiness.”
Whereas web sites are nonetheless important (that’s not altering), the introduction of agentic commerce by means of platforms like Google AI Mode and Shopify’s Agentic Storefronts opens up new alternatives for discovery and buy.
The fact is that the core search engine marketing ideas we now have at all times carried out stay basically the identical. Correct product knowledge, high-quality content material, and robust model authority are nonetheless essential for visibility in AI.
Very similar to in natural search and Google Service provider Middle procuring, these qualities will assist retailers stand out and appeal to the best clients, making certain a strong basis for achievement in eCommerce.
What we’re doing about it
At Artemis Advertising, we’re proactively making ready our eCommerce shoppers to make sure their platforms are able to “speak” to those new AI brokers. This features a deep dive into Google Service provider Middle setups to make sure they’re optimised for max efficiency and that each product element is completely structured for AI discovery.
We’re additionally doubling down on conventional search engine marketing fundamentals:
- Specializing in high-quality content material
- Strengthening model authority
- Enhancing the belief alerts that AI fashions search for when making suggestions.
As we mix these ideas with new AI developments and agentic commerce, we’re ensuring our shoppers are prepared for additional modifications, however extra importantly, in a primary place to be frequently really helpful to discerning customers.
Rating Volatility
Google rolled out its remaining core replace of the 12 months, of which there have been a number of, which wrapped up within the closing days of December. This one is especially being felt, with many within the search group noticing volatility in Google rankings all all through January, which may be pointed again to the December core replace.
Though Google has but to verify whether or not one other replace is in progress, there’s important hypothesis inside the search group that this specific one might be a ‘spam’ replace. Solely time will inform if this idea proves to be correct.
To present additional context, some UK search sensors have proven clear indicators of this volatility, highlighting the fluctuating rankings all through the month, which you’ll see under:
(Information from Semrush)
(Information from AccuRanker)
What this implies and what we’re doing about it
At Artemis, we’re sustaining an knowledgeable stance, fairly than a reactionary one. Whereas we now have but to see important impacts of this core replace for our shoppers (to this point), we’re monitoring efficiency carefully and are ready to reply ought to any rating modifications happen.
We stay centered on the long-term technique, figuring out that consistency, high quality, and ongoing optimisation are the important thing drivers of success, particularly throughout broad algorithm updates. A lot of our shoppers know that we don’t prioritise short-term fixes, and as a substitute, stay dedicated to regular, sustainable enhancements that guarantee our shoppers are well-positioned to keep up robust rankings within the face of such fluctuations.
Content material Freshness
One key pattern we proceed to look at and advocate for is the robust correlation between content material freshness and search engine efficiency.
Consider an internet site like a high-street store window; if the show by no means modifications, each clients and search engine “bots” finally cease trying. Prospects aren’t going to pay any extra consideration to a store window that retains the identical objects and indicators in place month after month. Failing to replace web site pages frequently sends the identical form of message to on-line searchers and crawlers.
Repeatedly updating pages enhances consumer expertise by offering present, related, and up-to-date content material and data. It additionally encourages search engine crawlers to go to these pages extra steadily, and the elevated crawling usually ends in extra steady and even improved search rankings over time.
In 2026, this “freshness” has grow to be much more essential as a result of it now extends to AI Overviews and Giant Language Fashions (LLMs) like ChatGPT. These AI instruments prioritise the latest, up-to-date data to make sure their solutions are correct.
What this implies and what we’re doing about it
By prioritising content material freshness, we guarantee our shoppers’ pages stay aggressive and aligned with the most recent search engine behaviours. We’re always monitoring how crawlers work together with our consumer web sites, figuring out areas the place content material updates are essential. Whereas key pages on the web site take precedence, we take a holistic strategy by trying throughout your complete web site to make sure that all content material (reminiscent of blogs, evergreen content material, articles, FAQs, and extra) is saved as present as doable.
This technique helps assure that each search engine and LLM crawlers proceed to go to the web site frequently, protecting it recent within the eyes of each customers and algorithms. Finally, this ongoing dedication to content material freshness helps sustained visibility and efficiency in search outcomes.
The pattern of AI instruments and brokers valuing each content material freshness and product knowledge high quality seems to be set to proceed. We already know that AI instruments are getting used extra steadily, so to face a greater probability of your model showing in them, it’s prudent to concentrate on making certain content material and data is as correct, related and readable as doable for each people and bots. We are going to proceed, as a part of our ongoing methods, to maintain web site content material recent, up-to-date, partaking and related, whereas exploring alternatives for brand new content material areas.