Read time: 11 minutes
January 2026 reinforced a major direction of travel for digital marketing, as AI is becoming the interface between customers and the web.
On one side, Google is laying the foundations for agent-led shopping with new standards and in‑search experiences designed to take people from discovery to checkout with fewer steps and potentially fewer website visits.
On the other hand, OpenAI is starting to monetise intent inside ChatGPT, introducing advertising in a way that prioritises user trust and privacy, but with premium pricing and limited measurement compared with established ad platforms.
At the same time, Google has been explicit that its AI surfaces are tested, tuned, and sometimes removed based on engagement, meaning “being present in AI Overviews” may not be a stable goal for every query type.
To help you quickly grasp these pivotal changes, we’ve created a focused video walkthrough of January’s most significant developments. Watch our digital marketing update to see how these trends directly impact your business strategy.
The practical takeaway for SMEs is simple: success will increasingly depend on whether your brand and content are machine-readable, trusted, and available across multiple discovery surfaces such as Search, AI Mode, and YouTube, not just on traditional rankings.
Digital Marketing Highlights
Agentic commerce moves from concept to infrastructure as Google launches Universal Commerce Protocol
Google unveiled the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a new open standard designed to let AI agents work across the full shopping journey, including research, comparison, purchase, and post-sale support, without the need for bespoke integrations for every agent and retailer.
Alongside UCP, Google introduced two changes that directly matter to marketers:
- Business Agent: a branded AI assistant within Search that acts like a virtual sales associate, answering shopper questions in a retailer’s voice at high‑intent moments.
- Direct Offers (pilot): a new Google Ads format inside AI Mode designed to surface incentives (initially discounts, with bundles and free shipping expected) when Google’s AI detects the shopper is close to converting.
Apple chooses Google Gemini: distribution wins matter as much as model quality
Apple and Google confirmed a multiyear partnership in which Gemini models will power Apple’s AI features, including a more personalised Siri experience under Apple Intelligence.
Consumer AI is a distribution shift. When AI features are embedded at the operating‑system level, users don’t need to “choose a tool”; they simply ask. That concentrates influence on the assistants and their preferred data sources.
Google AI Mode becomes personal: Personal Intelligence connects Gmail and Photos (opt‑in)
Google rolled out Personal Intelligence as a Labs feature for eligible US subscribers (AI Pro and AI Ultra) who opt in, connecting Gmail and Google Photos to AI Mode so responses can reflect a user’s existing plans, preferences and history.
Google positions this as a convenience feature: less need to restate context, and more tailored recommendations “right from the start”.
As personal context expands, some queries may become shorter or less explicit, because the assistant can infer intent from the user’s own data.
Google research shows intent can be inferred from behaviour (on device)
Google research presented at EMNLP 2025 describes how small on‑device multimodal models can infer user intent effectively by decomposing the problem into steps (summarise interactions, generate final intent statement). This approach reduces hallucinations and can match larger systems while improving speed and privacy by keeping processing on the device.
Coursera to acquire Udemy: consolidation in learning and skills platforms
Coursera agreed to acquire Udemy in a stock-for-stock transaction, combining Coursera’s institutional partnerships and credentialled learning with Udemy’s instructor marketplace and enterprise reach. The companies expect the transaction to close in the second half of 2026.
SEO Highlights
Google AI Overviews are tested and removed based on engagement
Google’s Robby Stein explained that AI Overviews are trialled on query types and kept only when users engage; if users don’t click or interact, Google learns and stops showing the overview for similar queries.
Many organisations are trying to “optimise for AI Overviews”, but Google is saying the feature itself is conditional. For some query categories, AI Overviews may shrink; for others, they may expand. Your strategy should therefore be resilient: build assets that win visibility across classic results, video, and AI citations.
YouTube is now the core search infrastructure (and an AI citation winner)
Search Engine Land argues YouTube can no longer be treated as optional or purely “social”. It is a core discovery surface and heavily cited by AI Overviews, especially for how‑to, demos, pricing and comparison content.
If your customers need education before purchase (services, technical products, considered buys), a structured YouTube approach, titles that match intent, clear chapters, and accurate transcripts can strengthen both YouTube discovery and AI citation potential.
Google advises against “bite-sized chunking” purely for LLMs
Google’s Danny Sullivan said not to restructure content into bite‑sized chunks purely because you believe LLMs prefer it. He suggested that even if it appears to work in the short term, systems will evolve to reward content written for humans.
Five SEO factors for AI Mode: the quality bar looks familiar
Robby Stein outlined five factors that still matter for AI Mode visibility:
- Direct answer
- High quality
- Fast load
- Originality
- Citations/sources.
Despite the interface change, the fundamentals remain consistent. The brands that do well will typically be the ones that already invest in quality content, technical performance, and credibility signals.
AI crawler access diverges: training bots decline while search bots expand
SEO Pulse reported that training crawlers like GPTBot are being blocked more frequently, while search/retrieval bots expand in coverage. Review server logs and your robots rules. Many organisations will want to separate “training” from “retrieval” decisions to balance content protection with discoverability in AI search experiences.
Domain choice still matters: free subdomain hosting can make SEO harder
Google’s John Mueller warned that free subdomain hosting can create SEO challenges because these environments often attract spam, making it harder for search engines to evaluate individual sites fairly. If you are testing an idea, use a proper domain as early as possible. It’s not just branding; it can influence your ability to earn visibility.
Trust and accuracy: AI Overviews face scrutiny in health (YMYL) queries
The Guardian investigation claimed some AI Overview responses for medical queries contained inaccurate or misleading advice; Google disputed the reporting and said examples were incomplete. In any sector involving high stakes or regulated claims (finance, legal, medical, safety), the “trust layer” will keep strengthening.
Google tests a blue “Send” button that replaces AI Mode in the search box
Google tested a UI change where typing replaces the AI Mode button with a blue “Send” button, potentially reducing the number of users who explicitly choose AI Mode from the search box.
Small interface decisions can shift adoption. Marketers should avoid over-committing to a single surface and focus on strategies that perform across classic Search, AI Overviews, video, and other discovery points.
Personal context: from preview to live
Earlier coverage cited Google SVP Nick Fox describing AI Mode personal context features as “still to come” without a public timeline. Later in the month, Google rolled out Personal Intelligence (opt‑in) for eligible subscribers, illustrating how quickly capabilities can move from “preview” to “live”.
Microsoft’s AEO & GEO guidance: from discovery to influence
Microsoft published a practical guide defining AEO/GEO as the layer that helps AI systems interpret, trust and recommend products, not just find them. It emphasises three pillars: technical foundations (feeds/structured data), content clarity, and trust signals.
Paid Media Highlights
OpenAI begins testing ads in ChatGPT (US)
OpenAI will begin testing ads in ChatGPT for logged‑in adult users on the free tier and users on ChatGPT Go, with ads shown at the bottom of responses when relevant. Ads are labelled, dismissible, and OpenAI states ads won’t influence answers or involve selling conversation data.
This is a new environment where the user is often in “decision mode” rather than casual browsing. However, early placement and measurement are still emerging, so initial tests are best framed as learning and category presence rather than strict CPA efficiency.
ChatGPT ad economics: premium CPMs and limited reporting
Reports suggest OpenAI is pitching early ChatGPT ads at premium CPMs (around $60 per 1,000 impressions) with relatively limited advertiser reporting compared with platforms such as Meta. Early “premium price with limited data” often signals that the platform is prioritising user experience and trust while it works out measurement standards. For advertisers, that means careful pilot design and clear success criteria.
Google Search ad clicks hit a five‑year high as Q4 spend rises 13%
Tinuiti’s benchmark report showed Google search ad clicks reached their strongest growth since early 2021, while CPCs declined slightly for a second consecutive quarter. The report also highlighted shifts across Shopping auctions and the growing role of video formats.
Demand Gen adds new features: Shoppable CTV, attributed branded searches and travel feeds
Google introduced three Demand Gen updates:
- Shoppable CTV on YouTube connected TV, enabling browsing and purchasing during ad viewing.
- Attributed Branded Searches to quantify upper-funnel influence.
- Travel Feeds via Hotel Centre to create dynamic video ads featuring pricing/ratings/availability.
Google Ads launches the “Ads Decoded” podcast to explain platform mechanics
Google launched Ads Decoded, hosted by Ginny Marvin, aimed at giving advertisers deeper explanations of updates and how they work. For time‑stretched teams, an official “how it works” context can help reduce guesswork and shorten testing cycles.
Why Gemini has no ads (yet): trust in assistants remains unresolved
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis stated Google has no current plans to introduce advertising into Gemini, highlighting that assistants require a different trust relationship than classic Search.
We may see ads expand first in environments where intent is Search rather than personal assistants, though OpenAI’s experiment will be an important signal for where the market goes next.
Social Media Highlights
TikTok US deal finalised: less disruption risk (for now)
A US joint venture structure for TikTok was established, bringing years of regulatory uncertainty closer to resolution and reducing the risk of sudden platform disruption for brands reliant on TikTok advertising and creator partnerships.
Users seek alternatives: early signs of attention fragmentation
Social Media Today reported a spike in downloads and sign-ups for alternatives following ownership and stability concerns, signalling potential short-term volatility in user behaviour (even if it later normalises).
Web Design & Development Highlights
SSL/TLS certificate lifespans shorten dramatically: prepare for 200 days in 2026
Sectigo highlighted that the maximum SSL/TLS certificate lifespan drops to 200 days from 15 March 2026, then 100 days in 2027, with a 47 – day target in 2029. The clear message is that manual certificate management will not scale, and automation becomes essential. Audit certificate inventory, identify renewal owners, and implement automated lifecycle management to avoid outages and customer-facing trust warnings.
WooCommerce Store API vulnerability patched (guest order details exposure)
WooCommerce disclosed and patched a Store API vulnerability that could have allowed logged‑in customers to access order details belonging to guest customers in affected versions (8.1 to 10.4.2). Patched versions were released across multiple branches, and updates were rolled out.
WordPress vulnerability: Redirection for Contact Form 7
Search Engine Journal reported a vulnerability affecting up to 300,000 sites using the Redirection for Contact Form 7 add‑on, enabling unauthenticated attackers to upload/copy files under certain conditions, with an update recommended to version 3.2.8 or newer.
Membership Plugin – Restrict Content (Stripe client_secret exposure)
A critical vulnerability was discovered in the ‘Membership Plugin – Restrict Content’ extension. The vulnerability allowed unauthenticated users to get Stripe’s client_secret value. Client_secret is “used on the client to set up secure access to the given customer”.
Stay Ahead of Digital Marketing’s AI Shift
January’s developments show AI moving from “answers” into actions: recommending products, validating choices, and increasingly facilitating purchase journeys. With that shift, the competitive advantage for SMEs becomes the ability to present information that AI systems can trust and reuse, across feeds, websites, video and emerging conversational ad surfaces.
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Get Expert Support from Loop Digital
If you are unsure how these changes will affect enquiries, leads and revenue, we can help. The organisations that perform best in 2026 will be those that combine strong fundamentals (SEO, tracking, technical health) with readiness for AI discovery and emerging ad placements.
Book your FREE 30‑minute consultation with Loop Digital, and we will help you:
- Strengthen SEO and content that is suitable for AI citations and recommendations
- Build a practical YouTube visibility plan for “how‑to” and consideration journeys
- Improve campaign measurement for Demand Gen and upper‑funnel investment
- Reduce operational risk across your website stack (certificates, WooCommerce and WordPress vulnerabilities).
