Budget SEO For Capacity, Not Output

Introduction to the Future of SEO

Marketing leaders are still budgeting to grow clicks in 2026, despite the fact that AI Overviews have cut organic traffic in half and AI Mode has killed it almost entirely. Meanwhile, close to 60% of those who responded to a recent poll report that their stakeholders don’t understand the value of brand mentions in LLMs. The SEO budget conversation needs to shift from "Why isn’t SEO driving more clicks?" to "What capabilities do we need to build authority in new discovery channels?" In 2026, the best marketing teams will stop measuring SEO success by clicks and start treating it as a capacity and influence system.

The Problem with Traffic-Based ROI

Marketing budgets have risen modestly in the last 12 months, with digital marketing spending specifically up 7.25%. However, SEO gets less than 10% of the marketing budget, despite being one of the most efficient channels. The traditional model of measuring SEO success by traffic is no longer effective, as AI surfaces decouple visibility from clicks. Brand visibility happens upstream inside AI responses, UGC threads, and recommendation loops that don’t often show in analytics. Traffic no longer equals demand, and brand visibility happens in places that aren’t always measurable.

The New Reality of SEO Budgets

SEO budgets are not a spend-to-output trade, but rather a capacity allocation. Most SEO costs are fixed, such as salaries, tool subscriptions, and infrastructure. You pay for capacity regardless of whether your team delivers a 10% or 50% lift. The question "What ROI do we expect from this spend?" is an outdated one. Instead, you need to answer "What capabilities do we need to earn visibility?" The variable isn’t spend; it’s prioritization and execution quality. Paid media is transactional, while SEO is compounding, with optimization leading to brand visibility, user impressions, and brand influence.

Designing an SEO Budget for Influence

Your budget planning must be scenario-based, not traffic-forecasted. Because your SEO costs are mostly fixed, you can model it out by allocating resources to different areas, such as digital PR, technical SEO, content operations, and foundational research. Allocate resources by priority, not by historical traffic performance. Strategize your resources for the zero-click world ahead, with a focus on digital PR, technical SEO, audience and first-party data research, content operations, and additive content rich with information gain.

Key Areas to Focus On

1. Digital PR: Third-party signals drive 85% of brand visibility in LLMs. Digital PR and high-quality, topically related backlink investment are crucial.
2. Technical SEO + UX: Get the foundation right, as agents need to review your site and make recommendations or decisions quickly.
3. Audience + first-party data research: Users are making decisions about brands within the AI Mode outputs, so know your audience and which search surfaces they use.
4. Content operations + re-optimizations: Content recency is non-negotiable, and LLMs prefer it. Refreshing content every 90 days could be a competitive edge.
5. Additive content rich with information gain: Evergreen content is less valuable, while additive content that provides net-new takes, insights, and conversations is rewarded.
6. Engineering + design support for interactive tools: Once the validation click is earned, you must provide value that’s worth on-page engagement.
7. Video and custom graphics: Organic low-fi video content and custom graphics are earning highly visible mid-output placement in AIOs.

Conclusion

The future of SEO is about building authority in new discovery channels, not just driving clicks. By shifting your focus to capacity and influence, and allocating resources to key areas such as digital PR, technical SEO, and content operations, you can set your brand up for success in a zero-click world. Remember, your SEO dollars don’t buy results, they buy the ability to earn trust and surface in the right systems. By prioritizing the right areas and focusing on influence, you can create a successful SEO strategy that drives real results for your brand.