AI is ignoring your marketing? Then this is your last warning signal!
2026 will decide who stays visible - and who disappears. Social SEO is no longer a "nice to have" topic due to the new indexing of Instagram posts, but a survival factor. WhatsApp ads will become the new performance lever and AI SEO will radically change search results and content.
This newsletter shows you how you can not only keep up, but dominate in 2026.
Online Marketing Aktuell 12/25
- Our focus topics
If you don't optimise, you lose! Instagram becomes Google-visible.
Since 10 July 2025, public posts from business and creator accounts on Instagram have also been indexed by search engines such as Google Search. This makes Instagram not just a social media platform, but a real search and discovery engine - with over 2 billion monthly users.
Instagram SEO makes you visible in 2026 wherever your target group is searching for brands, products or inspiration - not only within the app, but also via Google.
Why this is important for you:
Your profile becomes a "mini website": With optimised keywords, image descriptions (alt text) and hashtags, you can reach relevant users in a targeted manner.
The competition never sleeps: If you focus on this development early on, you will establish yourself sustainably - and benefit from organic reach instead of paid advertising.
The new performance booster for your marketing mix.
Meta introduces adverts directly in WhatsApp for the first time in 2025. Adverts will appear in the "Updates" tab (Status & Channels) and therefore outside of private chats - these will remain ad-free. For companies, WhatsApp will thus be transformed from a pure service channel into an additional, high-reach advertising space with over 1.5 billion daily users in the Updates section.
Why this is important for you:
WhatsApp will become a fully-fledged performance and branding channel in 2026: Campaigns can be planned via the Meta Ads Manager, played out as status ads and converted directly into dialogues with interested parties via click-to-WhatsApp.
How AI Overviews are redefining searcher behaviour.
Google has rolled out its "AI Mode" and AI-based overviews in search in 2025. Users are shown a summarised AI answer directly for many search queries, including sources of information.
Why this is important for you:
Depending on the website's business model, SEO strategies need to focus more on quality content that is suitable as a source for AI Overviews.
SEA campaigns (Google Ads) need customised ad formats & bidding strategies to remain visible in the new layout.
Google Ads for informational keywords are gaining in importance to compensate for the loss of traffic due to GAIO.
P.S.: Short, crisp, important!
You also don't want to miss these online marketing updates. You also don't want to miss these online marketing updates.
In addition to the aforementioned topics, we've picked up some fresh online marketing news that's too exciting to keep to ourselves. Here are the highlights:
AI:
Black Forest Labs: Investors such as Nvidia are apparently valuing the Freiburg-based image AI start-up Black Forest Labs at around 3.25 billion US dollars - making it the most valuable AI start-up in Germany. ' Read more
Nano Banana Pro: Image generation with Nano Banana Pro is already the talk of the town and is being touted as a major game changer in the world of AI. ' Read more
SEA:
Google Shopping brand profile: In the Google Merchant Centre, retailers can now secure a free, enhanced display of their brands directly in Google Search. ' Read more
Ads in AI Mode: Google is preparing the broad roll-out of AI Mode Ads - the new text-based ads are to be integrated directly into AI search results and some have already been spotted. ' Read more
SEO:
ChatGPT's "Entity Update": the "Entity Update" makes answers "tidier" but more selective - fewer brand mentions, tougher competition for the few places. AI SEO therefore becomes even more valuable. ' Read more
Social media:
Meta Andromeda: Meta turns the ad dial: With "Andromeda", AI replaces manual targeting on Facebook & Instagram - and promises up to 8% better ad performance. ' Read more
Links in reels: First users report that clickable link stickers can be inserted directly into reels - official release for all is still pending. Currently, the function is said to be limited to Meta Verified ' Read more
Would you like to take your marketing to a new level? Then contact us!
We look forward to getting to know you in a personal initial meeting and to working with you to concretise the potential and measures for your brand.
