Gartner Predicts 25% Dip in Search Volumes by 2026

 Virtual agents and AI chatbots will be eating into search engine volumes over the next two years, causing them to decline by 25%, according to a report released Monday by technology research and advisory firm Gartner.

It predicted that pressure from competing technologies will create a new emphasis by search engines on quality and authenticity. Search engine algorithms will need to value the quality of content to offset the sheer amount of AI-generated material, Gartner explained, as content utility and quality will still reign supreme for success in organic search results.

Content creators will have to place greater emphasis on watermarking and other methods used to authenticate high-value content, a trend being driven by government regulators around the world, it continued, which will influence how search engines display such content.

“Companies will need to focus on producing unique content that is useful to customers and prospective customers,” Gartner Vice President Analyst Alan Antin said in a statement.

“Content should continue to demonstrate search quality-rater elements such as expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness,” he added.