Search traffic didn't disappear in 2026 — it changed shape. AI Overviews, zero-click results, and chat-based search assistants now answer a growing share of queries before anyone reaches a website, which means the old playbook of ranking for a keyword and collecting clicks no longer works on its own. This category covers what's replacing it: topical authority, Generative Engine Optimization, and the specific tactics for getting cited inside AI-generated answers instead of losing traffic to them.







