December 2025: planning 2026 marketing across search, AI and social
Covers December 2025. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.
Quick answer: By December 2025 search looked very different: ChatGPT search, social search and Google’s own AI Overviews and AI Mode were all competing for people’s attention. Planning for 2026 meant setting targets for appearing in AI answers, not only for rankings, and bringing SEO, paid ads and social together around the questions customers actually ask.
This timeline entry, written in November 2026, looks at December 2025. For many trades businesses the quieter weeks around Christmas are when next year’s marketing gets planned, so it is a good point to step back and see how the landscape had changed.
Where things stood in December 2025
During 2025, AI search went from something people experimented with to an everyday habit for UK searchers. Social platforms grew further as places people search, and advertising platforms relied more heavily on automation.
Why joined-up planning mattered
UK businesses that still planned each channel on its own risked wasting time and money. One shared plan, based on customer questions, accurate business information and results you can measure, gave each channel a clearer role.
Building your plan
- Write a list of the questions customers ask you, such as “how much does a rewire cost?”, and use it to plan content for search, AI and social.
- Set targets that cover AI visibility, searches for your business name and leads, not only clicks.
- Before January, make sure your consent banner and conversion tracking are working properly.
Frequently asked questions
What belongs in a 2026 marketing plan?
Search, AI visibility, paid ads, social, content and measurement, all tied to the same journey a customer takes from first question to booking.
Should local businesses still invest in SEO in 2026?
Yes. Good SEO is what gets you seen on Google, and AI tools tend to draw their answers from well-optimised pages too.
Sources and further reading
Want help with this? We build joined-up local marketing plans that start with your customers’ questions. See our local SEO service, or Get in touch.
More articles
April 2026: a spring tune-up for your local search presence
By April 2026 Maps, AI Overviews and ChatGPT all recommended local firms. A spring checklist for your Google Business Profile, reviews and details.
June 2025: Google’s June core update and the AI search question
Google launched its June 2025 core update on 30 June. How local businesses can tell ranking losses from AI-driven click changes, and what to improve.
August 2026: getting Q4 plans ready across search, AI and social
August is when to plan your busy season. How UK local businesses got Q4 2026 ready across Google, AI search, paid social and email before November.