2026 B2B Marketing Predictions: What B2B Businesses Need to Prepare For

As we approach 2026, the pace of change across search, paid media, and social continues to accelerate. The introduction of AI-driven search behaviours, the evolution of customer journeys, and the growing importance of trust-based content are reshaping how B2B brands attract, convert, and retain customers.

Here are our top predictions for the year ahead – and what they mean for your B2B marketing strategy.

A Major Google Algorithm Update Will Hit Early 2026 – With E-E-A-T at the Centre

Across the SEO community, we’ve seen significant and sustained ranking volatility throughout late 2025. This level of turbulence is a classic signal that Google is preparing a major Core Algorithm Update – and all signs point to early 2026.

We anticipate the update will double down on E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. That’s because Google is under increased pressure to maintain search quality in an age where AI-generated content is flooding the internet. Brands that demonstrate true, verifiable expertise – with first-hand insights, original research, author credentials and transparent sourcing – will continue to be rewarded.

Google Will Finally Release AI Reporting in Search Console

It’s been one of the most requested features since AI Overviews launched – and in 2026, we predict that Google will finally introduce AI reporting within Search Console. This will be a game-changer. 

For the first time, marketers will be able to see:

• Which queries trigger AI-generated answers
• How often their site is cited within AI responses
• Traffic gained (or lost) due to AI summaries
• Opportunities to optimise content for AI surfaces

Until now, businesses have been flying relatively blind. With real data available, we’ll be able to adapt strategies with far more precision.

Expect this release to reshape SEO roadmaps overnight putting a focus on brand visibility. 

Paid Ads Will Launch Across AI Search – Creating a New Lead Gen Channel

2026 will be the year AI search becomes monetised. We’ll see the rollout of paid placements within:

• ChatGPT search experiences
• Google AI Overviews
• Gemini
• AI mode

This will mark the birth of an entirely new advertising channel: AI Search Ads. We should think of it as paid search 2.0 – where ads appear not as blue links, but as part of a dynamic, conversational output tailored to the user’s intent. Early adopters will benefit from lower CPCs and less competition, with lead quality expected to be high with intent-rich queries. 

Paid Media Will Shift From ‘Lead Gen’ to Full-Funnel Customer Journey Influence

Traditionally, B2B PPC has been judged almost exclusively on lead generation. In 2026, that mindset will finally shift.

With better attribution, AI-driven audience modelling, and AI search ad formats, paid media will mature into a holistic customer journey channel, influencing:

• Early-stage awareness
• Mid-funnel research and consideration
• Retargeting and conversion
• Customer retention and upsell

Rather than asking “How many leads did PPC generate?”, businesses will start asking about visibility. Expect budgets to be redistributed across the funnel – not just bottom-of-funnel capture campaigns.

B2B Social Will Be Transformed by Micro-Influencers

In consumer marketing, micro-influencers have been powerful for years. In 2026, B2B social strategies finally catches up. These influencers, with a few thousand to around 50,000 followers, will have highly engaged niche audiences, deep trust and credibility and authentic, experience-driven content.

This is especially relevant in B2B, where relevance matters more than volume. For B2B businesses, micro-influencers present a high-impact, cost-effective opportunity.

Instead of paying premium rates for broad exposure, you can partner with people who already influence the exact audience you want to reach.

Defining B2B Marketing Strategy in 2026

Search will evolve, paid media will expand and social influence will diversify. Brands will win when they carry momentum.

If you want help preparing your strategy for these shifts, our team at Extramile Digital is here to guide you through the next era of digital marketing.