SEO Is Not Dead: It’s Just Changed

With the growth of Artificial Intelligence and Generative Engine Optimisation, marketers and brands are in a panic about the future of SEO. But the reality on the ground is very different.

As a digital marketing agency that utilises both GEO, SEO, and AI in our clients’ branding and marketing efforts, we can confidently say that SEO is still one of the best ways to be seen by your audience.

So let’s look into this

Since AI Overviews have been introduced (those summaries you see at the top of Google searches), user click-through rates have declined. AI Overviews have grown by 116% since March 2025, and it’s only going to continue.

But why does this matter? AI Overviews slash website clicks by 34.5%. In fact, the average website traffic from search dropped 21% over the past year.

Additionally, younger people prefer to search on social media (TikTok for Gen Z). Even Reddit searches have grown, as consumers look for real people to tell them what to buy, as well as gravitate towards bite-sized information over long walls of text.

Considering these facts, it’s easy to assume that SEO is a losing game. But the evidence points otherwise.

• Google still controls almost 90% of all searches Ironically, people are Googling “is seo dead” more than ever

• The visitors you get on your website now (although fewer) are more engaged and more likely to purchase than ever.
• AI still uses Google to search the web. This means that ranking high in Google, Bing, or Brave search directly increases your chances of being featured in AI results.
• SEO is a long-term effort, and content that you’ve published years ago can still be used today to pull in visitors.

Creating content should never be for the sake of it. These days, consumers are smarter and busier than ever, and with so much readily available content on the internet, how does your content stand out?

By following these steps.

Mindset change

Less traffic to your site isn’t necessarily bad. Even if you’re getting fewer visitors, the ones you get are genuine and more invested in your brand. This means that your SEO strategies are still working, and you shouldn’t abandon them altogether.

Find your unique brand

Your brand image has become more important than ever, so ask yourself: Are you a trusted and recognised entity among your users? Just like the best SEO practices, AI Assistants prefer referencing well-known sources. This means you should strive to establish your brand authority online and have AI reference you as frequently as possible.

Find your niche

When every brand sounds the same in your industry, now is a perfect opportunity to stand out. Consider developing content that showcases your deep expertise in a particular niche. This will give you more visibility in AI overviews.

Create valuable content

If customers can find the answer in AI, they won’t come to your website. Create tools, eBooks, reports, or templates that can’t be found on AI. This encourages readers to visit your site for more guidance.

Consider other platforms

It’s never been a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket (i.e. SEO). Your potential customers are probably also searching for information on other platforms such as Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, and ChatGPT. To keep up, consider adopting a new approach instead: Search Everywhere Optimisation.

SEO and its best practices are still very useful for producing results in digital marketing and for businesses. However, it needs to be supplemented with the right branding approach, original thought, excellent content, and presence where your audience is.

If you need help creating content and utilising SEO effectively, our team at Net Branding can assist you. We’re not here to make empty promises and jump on the AI bandwagon for the sake of it. We create digital marketing strategies with a very clear, action-oriented plan.

For more information, contact our team today.