Related Posts
Podcasts
You’ve probably thought it. Maybe even said it out loud.
“What’s the point of SEO if AI just gives users the answer directly?”
With tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews reshaping how people interact with search engines, it’s fair to ask whether climbing the Google ranks is still worth the effort. You might be thinking that the old rules no longer apply, that search visibility has become a gamble in a game you didn’t sign up for.
But here’s the truth: SEO is evolving, not dying.
New research based on over 25,000 real-world searches reveals that the top results in Google still heavily influence the answers AI systems deliver. In other words, if your content ranks well, it’s still shaping what users see, even if they’re not clicking through like they used to.
In this article, you’ll learn why SEO still matters, how AI is reshaping the rules of the game, and what you can do to stay relevant, visible, and valuable in this new landscape.
The Current State of SEO
If you’ve been paying attention to SEO news lately, you’ve likely seen headlines declaring the death of organic search as we know it. AI chatbots give instant answers. Google’s AI Overviews pull snippets from across the web. And fewer users are clicking through to websites.
So, it’s no wonder many marketers are wondering: is traditional SEO still worth it?
According to a study, if your website ranks #1 in Google’s traditional results (blue links), you have a 25% chance of being used as a source in AI Overviews.
In many cases, these Overviews linked directly to high-ranking pages, driving visibility and potential traffic to those sites.
The higher the website is in the top 10, the higher chances of inclusion in AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity.
It’s clear that if you rank top 1, statistically speaking, you will be included as a source in 25% of cases in AI Overviews. You will likely appear in Perplexity and ChatGPT as well.
In other words, Google’s AI still leans heavily on the traditional ranking algorithm to decide what information users see.
What does that mean for you? It means that getting your page into the top 10 organic search results isn’t just good for clicks, it’s now a way to influence what AI shows in its answers.
SEO hasn’t disappeared; it’s just playing a new role in a more complex search landscape.
What’s changing is not whether SEO matters, but how it matters.
Understanding AI’s Role in Search
To understand how SEO fits into today’s search environment, you need to understand how AI systems actually work within search engines.
AI Overviews, like the ones Google now shows at the top of many results pages, aren’t generating original thoughts. They’re pulling information from existing, high-authority content, usually content that already ranks well in organic search.
These AI summaries are trained to prioritise trustworthy, relevant sources. And where do they find those? Often, in the same top 10 links SEO professionals have been targeting for years.
This isn’t just happening on Google either. Platforms like Bing and tools like ChatGPT (especially when web-connected) also lean on well-optimised, high-quality content to shape their answers. So even if a user doesn’t click, your content still has the power to influence what they see and believe.
Think of it like this: AI might be the new interface, but your content is still the engine.
If your site doesn’t appear in the places AI looks for answers—top-ranking results, authoritative domains, clearly structured content—you’re not just losing clicks. You’re losing relevance.
So no, AI isn’t replacing SEO. It’s raising the stakes.
Adapting SEO Strategies for AI
Let’s get one thing clear: you don’t need to throw your entire SEO playbook out the window. But you do need to evolve how you use it.
AI systems are designed to surface the most relevant, concise, and trustworthy information.
That means SEO in the AI era is less about gaming algorithms and more about aligning with what real users—and AI—deem valuable.
Here’s how to do that:
1. Prioritise Quality Over Quantity
AI tools pull from the best, not the most. Instead of flooding your site with keyword-stuffed content, focus on producing fewer, more authoritative pieces. Answer real questions clearly and thoroughly, and do it consistently (three articles per week is the sweet spot).
2. Structure Your Content for Clarity
Use headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs. AI needs clean structure to understand and summarise your content accurately. Think: can this page be easily parsed and quoted?
3. Target Long-Tail, Specific Queries
General search terms are more likely to trigger AI Overviews. But niche, intent-driven queries? They’re still wide open. Use tools like SEMrush’s Magic Keyword Tool or Answer the Public to find exactly what your audience is asking.
Here is how you can go about keyword research in SEMrush.
Navigate to the Magic Keyword Tool to search for phrases your audience is looking for and add your seed keyword in, making sure to select the country your business operates in.
Then, click on the ‘Questions’ tab. This will change all the keyword searches and filter them by the questions that users are asking related to this keyword.
This gives you a grasp of what questions your buyers have. Use the volume column and KD% column to determine which are worth answering first. Generally, you’ll aim for topics that have a higher volume and a lower KD% (which indicates a lower difficulty for ranking).
The Ultimate Guide to SEO (Step by Step Guide)
SEO Isn’t Dead… It’s Evolved
If you’ve been holding your breath wondering whether SEO still matters in the age of AI, you can exhale. The short answer is yes, it absolutely does. But the way you approach it needs to shift.
AI hasn’t replaced search. It’s reframed it. And in that new frame, SEO still plays a central role. Top-ranking content is what powers AI-generated answers. Authority, clarity, and relevance are what get you featured, not just on Google’s results pages, but inside the AI Overviews themselves.
So instead of abandoning SEO, the move now is to evolve with it:
- Focus on creating content that is truly helpful.
- Optimise for user intent, not just keywords.
- Structure your content in ways that AI can easily understand and trust.
The marketers and businesses who adapt to this new reality will not only stay relevant, they’ll lead. Because while AI may change the interface, your content still drives the conversation.
The 15 Step AI Framework to Grow Your Blog
