What Does SEO Process Look Like in 2026

What Does SEO Process Look Like in 2026? (and what even is process anyway)

Delivered at Search Lancaster by Charlie Whitworth, founder of Whitworth (The Authentic SEO Company).

Process in SEO has always been subjective, and AI search has made a rigid, templated process almost a liability. This talk argues that frameworks and methodologies have replaced fixed process, because agility is now the only way to keep pace with real-time data, shifting SERP features, rotating LLM citation sources, and query fan-out patterns that evolve faster than any playbook.
Charlie walks through Whitworth's RARER methodology (Research, Adapt, Refine, Execute, Report), a framework built long before AI search that has held up precisely because it's agile:

Research has never been more interesting, moving from keyword planners and manual audits to fan-out query analysis, embeddings review, passage-level retrieval audits, and LLM visibility and citation tracking.

Adapt is the human bridge between research and execution, the intuition and experience AI can't yet replicate, and the reason templated SEO is all but over.

Refine now demands near real-time reaction as citation share moves, retrieval patterns change, and clusters morph.

Execute remains the holy grail. Without it, strategy is just documents and hyperbole. The layer has shifted from publishing pages to implementing passages built for retrieval, from optimising for rankings to citations and rankings, from volume to density of signals.

Reporting may have been handed a favour by AI search: with clicks and sessions now potentially flawed metrics, revenue finally has to be the main KPI.

A practical, opinionated look at why methodology beats rigid process, and why execution still wins.

Transcript

2. q Who Am I? Brands I've helped grow SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 Experienced SEO with 16 years of experience at 4 agencies across the north west of England. Covering e-commerce, hospitality, SaaS, fast fashion, financial services, travel and healthcare, Charlie is a proven and versatile SEO expert. Having found SEO through a love for journalism and writing, and then becoming a proficient technical SEO, Charlie bridges the gap between the two core SEO disciplines. Previously Head of SEO at Missguided, now running a consultancy in Ancoats, Manchester. His consultancy looks to provide solutions for clients in any space or sector. He also run campaigns, training days, white label for agencies and speak at BrightonSEO, Barbados SEO, Digital Bites, Missing Link, SASCon, SEODay and MancSEO. He also runs Manchester’s newest SEO conference, HIVE MCR. Areas of expertise are technical SEO, content strategy, developer liaison, forecasting, reporting on ROI from the organic channel and training & mentorship. Find out more at whitworthseo.com.
3. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026
7. What Does SEO Process Look Like in 2026? (and what even is process anyway)
8. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 “Process” is subjective There is no right or wrong, particularly when it comes to SEO This has always depended greatly on the type of campaign
9. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 Good Processes Shit Processes
10. And i’ve definitely inherited campaigns from SEOs who have no defined process or methodology at all SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026
11. But SEOs have been crafting these for years, often those agency side Because the strategy needs to be productised (and fully billable) SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026
12. And we’ve had to pivot…..a lot SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026
13. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 I started doing SEO in 2010 The world was a different place…
14. Process was fairly straightforward Keywords, links, content, basic crawlability SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026
15. Now, things are a tad different SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026
16. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 Which has made having a definitive process, almost flawed Because you can’t be agile
17. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 And with all this real time data and new surfaces, you have to be agile This affects more than just content
18. And a process often means templated, one size fits all SEO campaigns (We all secretly love Tech SEO Audit templates, but those days are gone) SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026
19. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 Defined process can keep you pigeon holed and unable to adopt the latest tactics quickly
20. Frameworks and methodologies have taken over “process”, especially since AI Because it allows you maintain an agile strategy, whatever the campaign type or KPIs SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026
21. The RARER Methodology
22. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 The RARER methodology (was around long before AI search)
23. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 But it has stood the test of time, because it’s agile
24. Keyword Universe SEO & AI Search Audit Authority Building Content Briefing Tech Implementation Crawl & Reaudit SEO Copywriting Impact Monitoring SEO Reporting Content Implementation The client friendly version Research Phase Campaign Phase Monthly & Admin SEO Roadmap & Strategy Competitor Analysis UX & CRO
25. R-esearch
26. The research phase has never been more interesting SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 Classic Research Phase Post AI Era Research Phase Keyword Planner Research Keyword Research, PAA, Fan Out Query Analysis Manual Competitor Analysis Agentic Review of Competitors Ranking Report Visibility Review Across All Surfaced, By Search Intent Content Audit Keyword Clustering PageSpeed Insights Benchmarking Embeddings Review Crawl and Tool Based Audit Passage Level Retrieval Audit Manual Tech SEO Audit Fan Out Mapping Server Log Analysis Brand Perception Review GA/GSC Review AI Prompt and Topic Tracking Review Link Profile Analysis LLM Visibility & Citations Schema/Structured Data Review Entity & Knowledge Graph Auditing
27. A-dapt
28. The A-dapt element is why templated SEO is all but over SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 It’s the bridge between R-esearch and E-xecute and requires intuition and experience. These are things we can’t (yet) teach AI and is why process in 2026 is so important Taking your data and interpreting it in order to make the best decision for the campaign and the business, leads onto…
29. R-efine
30. Search data now needs almost real time refinement SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 What do we refine? • Reprioritise clusters when citation share moves • Reshape content when retrieval patterns change • Reweight investment toward seasonal trends and what will drive revenue • Retire assumptions the data no longer supports • Long tail keyword data and assess YoY search volumes Ever changing… • SERP features and AI Overview triggers shift week to week • LLM citation sources rotate as models retrain and re-rank • Keyword clusters morph and search intent changes for key terms • Query fan out and prompt patterns evolve as user behaviour matures • Passage level retrieval changes even when the page doesn't Less volatile, but still needs tracking • LLM visibility and citation share • Entity strength and Knowledge Graph signals • Embedding position vs competitors • SERP volatility & SEO visibility • Traditional rankings (which are still essential)
31. E-xecute
32. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 And this is the key, and still the holy grail of any successful organic search campaign Without it, the strategy is just a bunch of documents and hyperbole
33. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 How has the execution layer changed? Classic SEO Era Post AI Era Publishing pages Implementing passages built for retrieval Optimise for rankings Optimise for citations and rankings Volume of content Density of signals Page by page publication Scaled content publication (even dynamic) Page level fixes Page, passage and entity level fixes Manual at every step AI assisted but human review at every stage Manual grunt work (titles, internal links etc) AI and the data layer tool automation (this is JS not AI)
34. R-eport
35. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 AI Search Could Have Done Us a Favour
36. SEARCH LANCASTER | WHAT DOES SEO PROCESS LOOK LIKE IN 2026 The last few years have meant that clicks and sessions could well be flawed metrics Revenue should always have been the main KPI, now it has to be
37. Thanks!