Reviewed by the SEOPointz team · Last reviewed June 2026. The do’s and don’ts below reflect Google’s 2026 core updates and how AI Overviews now shape what actually earns clicks. SEOPointz may earn a commission from some links; it never changes what we recommend.
Almost every SEO checklist tells you the same handful of rules — write good content, build links, fix your tags. The trouble is that the rules quietly changed. After Google’s March 2026 core update reshuffled rankings for roughly 80% of the sites sitting in the top three positions, and with AI Overviews now sitting above the organic results on a huge share of queries, some of yesterday’s “best practices” are actively working against you. This guide separates the habits that still earn rankings from the ones that now cost you them — with the reasoning behind each, not just a verdict.
Do: write for the person, not the algorithm
The single most common mistake in 2026 is still writing for keywords instead of people. Google’s systems now match intent — the “why” behind a search — far more aggressively than raw keyword placement. If someone searches “best running shoes for flat feet” and your page is a generic shoe roundup, it doesn’t matter how many times the phrase appears; you haven’t answered the actual question. Before you write, decide what a reader needs to walk away knowing or able to do, then build the page around that outcome. Keyword research tells you the language people use; it doesn’t tell you what to say.
Don’t: stuff keywords or pad for word count
Keyword stuffing — cramming a target phrase in as many times as possible — is now a liability rather than a neutral habit. Both Google’s ranking systems and the language models behind AI Overviews are good at spotting text written for machines, and unnatural phrasing reads as a red flag for low quality. The same logic applies to padding: writing 1,500 forgettable words to “hit a length” produces thin content dressed up as depth. There’s a real floor here — a page with only a sentence or two gives Google almost nothing to judge relevance against — but the answer is substance, not filler. Say what needs saying and stop.
Do: show first-hand experience and original value
Google’s quality framework, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), has tightened. In 2026 it isn’t enough to demonstrate that you know a topic; you’re expected to show lived experience and an original contribution. The 2026 core updates have visibly rewarded original research, proprietary data, first-hand testing, and case studies built from real outcomes — content that requires access or expertise the reader doesn’t already have. Add what only you can: a screenshot from your own test, a number from your own data, a mistake you made and fixed. Rehashing what five other pages already say gives a reader no reason to choose yours.
Don’t: publish raw AI output
AI is a legitimate drafting tool, and using it isn’t penalised on its own. Publishing unedited AI output is the problem. The content that holds up under 2026’s standards is AI-assisted but then put through substantive expert editing — an original perspective added, claims checked, and verifiable authorship attached. Treat a model’s draft the way you’d treat a fast but green junior writer’s: a useful starting point that still needs a human who actually knows the subject to fact-check it, sharpen it, and stand behind it.
Do: earn the right to be cited in AI Overviews
AI Overviews have changed the maths of clicks. When an overview appears, the top organic result’s click-through rate has been measured falling from roughly 28.5% to 11.2%, and across tens of thousands of queries researchers found clicks dropping by nearly half versus the same searches without an overview. The bright spot: the overwhelming majority of overview citations — over 90% in one large study — come from pages already ranking in the organic top 10. In other words, classic SEO still earns the citation. Make your page easy to quote: answer the core question clearly near the top, use descriptive headings, and structure facts so a model can lift a clean, attributable line.
Don’t: chase tricks or neglect the technical basics
Outdated manipulation — link schemes, doorway pages, duplicate content spun across URLs — carries downside and almost no upside now. At the same time, don’t over-correct into ignoring fundamentals. Duplicate content still confuses crawlers (find it with a crawler like Screaming Frog or a suite like Semrush before it spreads), slow or unstable pages still cost you, and a site that’s hard to crawl can’t rank no matter how good the writing is. The boring technical hygiene is what lets your good content compete.
| Habit | Do this | Not this |
|---|---|---|
| Keywords | Match search intent, use natural language | Stuff the exact phrase repeatedly |
| Length | As long as the answer needs | Padding to hit a word count |
| AI | Draft, then expert-edit and fact-check | Publish raw model output |
| Authority | First-hand experience, original data | Rehashing other pages |
| Links | Earn relevant, editorial links | Buy links or join schemes |
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum word count for SEO in 2026?
No fixed minimum, but very short pages give Google little to assess — a couple of hundred words is roughly the point below which a page struggles to signal what it’s about. Aim for whatever fully answers the query rather than a target number; depth beats length.
Will using AI to write content get my site penalised?
Not by itself. Google judges quality and helpfulness, not the tool. The risk is publishing unedited, generic AI text with no original input — that reads as thin, low-value content, which is what gets devalued.
If AI Overviews steal clicks, is SEO still worth it?
Yes. Overviews reduce clicks on some queries, but their citations come almost entirely from pages already ranking in the organic top 10. Strong SEO is now how you get cited and how you capture the clicks that remain.
For a broader foundation on how these pieces fit together, start with our beginner’s guide to search engine optimization, then put the do’s into practice with our playbook on maximizing organic traffic with effective SEO strategies.
