Is SEO Dead in the age of AI? Here’s what Industry Leaders think

AI is transforming how we approach SEO and SaaS marketing, but not in the way most founders expect. It’s not about replacing your agency or team – it’s about amplifying what already works.

At SaaStorm, we use AI to accelerate workflows like keyword research, content brief creation, and competitive analysis. But strategy, creativity, and performance tracking still require deep human judgment.

Where AI shines is in scale and speed. For example, we helped Lingio 10x their MQLs through a hybrid SEO strategy: our team crafted topic clusters and content tailored to user intent, while AI supported real-time optimization and analysis. That’s the future – human-led, AI-assisted.

The biggest mistake I see SaaS companies make? Thinking AI is a shortcut. It’s not. If your fundamentals – like ICP clarity, funnel structure, or messaging – are broken, AI will just help you fail faster. Instead, use it to free up your time to focus on strategy, storytelling, and experimentation. That’s where growth happens.

SEO is very much alive for brands that offer unique products and services. AI has largely leveled the playing field, so the real differentiators today are originality (and, of course, budget).

Google is actively working to cut out the middle-man: directories, marketplaces, affiliate sites and dropshipping-style ecommerce are all feeling the impact.

As AI-driven search engines build their own indexes and Google slowly loses its monopoly, sites will begin regaining the traffic they lost over the past two years, and enjoy greater stability from multiple traffic sources, each governed by its own ranking factors.

I believe the rules remain (and will likely stay) the same: the more people talk about your brand, the more search engines and AI agents will use your site as a trusted source.

How to build your brand for SEO : Be active on popular forums and social media, build real relationships within your industry by participating in events & conferences, get links from relevant sites (forget about domain metrics), create content infused with real expertise – this will help your brand stand-out from the sea of AI-written content.

In my experience, the SEO mindset is more valuable than ever—even as search evolves beyond traditional engines into LLMs.

We can’t abandon what SEO teaches us: how people search, why they search, what they’re looking for—and then deliver content that actually meets that intent.

Over the past 15 years I’ve adapted SEO strategies through every major algorithm update and SERP change. But this time it’s different. We’re not just seeing a new ranking signal or layout tweak—we’re watching the entire search landscape being rewritten by AI.

Google is showing fewer blue links, indexing less content and answering queries without a single click thanks to AI Overviews. The result? Organic traffic is harder to earn and more competitive.

But here’s the good news: traffic hasn’t disappeared. It’s just changed. We’re entering a phase where quality trumps quantity. Chasing millions of visits is still possible—but AI has raised the bar.

We’ve all seen sites that scaled fast with thin AI generated content only to crash just as quick. Sustainable growth now demands higher standards and smarter strategy. LLMs and GenAI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are growing fast.

Some of the sites I work with are seeing referral traffic from these platforms double month over month. And that’s not a blip—it’s a sign of how search is shifting. But there’s a catch: LLMs are black boxes. We get little to no data about how users found us or what led to a conversion.

That means less data, less traffic but more informed and ready to buy visitors. These users already did their research through AI—they’re arriving with intent. As this ecosystem matures I expect to see new visibility strategies emerge inside LLMs and GenAI search.

We’ll need to figure out how to “rank” in these environments—not just by keywords but by relevance, authority and context. The tools may change. The platforms may change. But the SEO mindset—understanding people, their questions and how to earn their trust—remains our strongest asset.

In my opinion, AI won’t kill SEO – it’ll evolve it.

We’re moving into a new phase where quality, context, and trust will separate winners from the noise.

AI is already changing how people search. With AI search engines like ChatGPT and Claude, users ask full, customized questions and expect clear, conversational answers. This means ranking isn’t just about keywords anymore – it’s about solving intent. Pages that offer depth, structure, and clarity will win. Shallow content, even if produced fast, won’t cut it. (been there, done that)

On the content side, AI enables speed, but speed without originality and expertise is dangerous. Google is shifting toward information gain – rewarding unique insights, experience-backed analysis, and fresh takes. If everyone uses AI to say the same thing, no one wins. We will have search results full of repeats. The edge will go to teams that pair AI with real thought leadership, interviews, first-party and operational data, or industry analysis.

And most importantly: trust and authority are on the rise. As AI floods the web with content, Google will double down on entity-based SEO – rewarding brands, authors, and domains with clear reputations and consistent digital signals. This includes brand mentions, proper link building and link velocity, digital PR structured profiles (like LinkedIn, Crunchbase), and schema that defines who you are and what you know.

SEO isn’t dead, but it has changed. The days of chasing rankings through keyword stuffing and backlink hacks are long gone. SEO today is about matching your content to the way people actually search. That means understanding search intent, structuring your content clearly, and optimizing for both humans and algorithms.

Your ideal customer is out there, right now, typing a question into Google, talking to a voice assistant, or asking ChatGPT for advice. And if your content doesn’t show up at that moment, someone else’s will without any doubt.

Modern SEO means building content that’s genuinely helpful, well-organized, and easy to parse, both for search engines and LLMs. Focus on schema markup, clear heading hierarchies, mobile-first UX, and aligning your messaging with user intent across every stage of the funnel.

If you’re still only thinking in terms of SERPs and keyword density, you’re missing where the real game is being played

AI won’t kill SEO—it will reshape it.

The rise of AI is disrupting traditional search behaviors, but that doesn’t mean SEO is dead. What we’re seeing is a shift from keyword-stuffing and ranking games to a more nuanced, intent-driven approach. AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are influencing how users consume content—often before they even land on a search engine results page.

From our research with SearchAttention, which uses a heatmap to visualize how an AI reads your content, we were able to deduce that AI-friendly content requires less fluff, shorter texts, and a solid structure. In the end, this benefits the user by making the most relevant information easier to access. SEO isn’t dead — but gone are the days of 3000-word texts and keyword stuffing. And honestly, that’s something to be celebrated.

At TEAM LEWIS, we see this as an opportunity. SEO isn’t just about Google anymore. SEO is now Search Everywhere Optimization, which means optimizing your brand for visibility across AI-driven platforms, voice search, and even short-form video platforms like TikTok. We’re focusing on creating authoritative, brand-driven content that resonates both with humans and machines. That means doubling down on E-E-A-T, using first-party data insights, and building content ecosystems that are resilient to algorithm shifts.

What’s more, we’re noticing that brand visibility is taking center stage in how AI decides which “top 10 brands” to surface. So moving forward, combining SEO with strategic PR is no longer optional—it’s vital for your company’s strategy. If you want to stay relevant in AI Search, you need to think beyond search engines and start thinking like a brand publisher.
SEO as well as PR are evolving—and those who embrace AI as a partner, not a threat, will thrive.

The role of business hasn’t changed—we solve problems. But how people find solutions is evolving fast.

We’re entering a new era: an AI-driven journey with fewer human touchpoints. Soon, AI agents will handle research, comparison, and purchases—reducing human influence and company control. Also for B2B.

Search engines once ruled the full-funnel user journey. Now, LLMs are quickly eating into to the top of the funnel.

SEO isn’t dead, but if it stays stuck on rankings, it will die. Reframed as a strategy for total visibility (and conversions!), it has potential.

Content: Still the Greatest Tool in the Toolbox

But creating content has to change.

If you’re still making generic “what is” articles, step away from your computer—AI’s can generate that s*** in seconds. What works is original thinking, real insights, and true perspective.

AI agents will scan, compare, and decide faster than any human. And across more channels. They won’t just browse—they’ll pick and then serve the options for the user to decide in the very last step.

Brands that want to stay relevant need content that’s structured, original, and trusted—content AI can find, trust, and act on. Otherwise, you won’t even make it to the conversation.

AI isn’t just changing the customer journey. It’s reshaping how we do SEO and marketing as well—faster research, sharper insights, and eventually, full marketing ops built around AI.

In short: the user journey is going fully AI-driven with fewer human touchpoints. To stay visible, SEO can’t just chase rankings. It needs to own visibility, trust, and influence, or it won’t matter.

I think SEO will never die, it will have new names only. We are already seeing names like GEO (generative engine optimization) and LLM optimization. Only the most dedicated and experienced people will prosper.

But that is a good thing because many inexperienced people will stop working in this industry.

This growing gap means clients can now better tell who knows their craft. Currently, I am searching for a new job, and employers are asking for advanced tests and proof of skills with multiple interviews, so this for me is a clear sign for the future in SEO.

I don’t have the secret to rank #1 consistently on ChatGPT and AI search (nobody does)…but here’s what’s working for B2B/SaaS clients right now:

-> Brand mentions on relevant external sites (seems to be one of the biggest LLM ranking factors). For B2B/SaaS think about getting mentioned on ‘Best X Software’ listicles on external relevant site articles etc.

-> niche relevant backlinks win (rather than pure volume of links)

-> Clearly structured pages. Descriptive H1 and headings to break up text. We’re using “Quick Summary” on articles to give a snapshot right away on focus topics

-> Engaging content that leverages media e.g. YouTube video embeds

-> Fresh, recent and relevant content. Think EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) for each page you craft

-> Deep and well researched, quality content for your niche and ideal clients

-> Writing to be in a conversational format

-> Going after crisp and specific long-tail keywords (commercial focus with top funnel mix for balance and gaining authority on topics)

-> Address common questions and objections on pages (digging into sales and customer calls FTW here)

-> Basic technical SEO (solid page speed/correct use of heading tags/meta data & URL to include focus keyword/break up content nicely/relevant internal links)

No doubt, SEO is changing big time right now. Everyone’s trying to figure out how to fit into the AI world and experimenting with different ways to make it work.
A lot of folks in the industry are showing how they’re using AI to make their work easier, like:

I’ve been doing this myself, and it’s honestly one of the easiest ways to get started. I’ve also noticed that more and more people are redirecting or even deleting pages that have only been pulling them down. We’re not talking about a small dip in traffic, but pages that are almost completely flatlined.

Looking at how AI’s working right now, like what Rand Fishkin suggests, it’s all about “Leverage other people’s publications, especially those that are well-known and get a lot of traffic. If a third-party talks positively about you, you’ll get a nice boost in LLM discoverability.”

Meaning, the more of a digital footprint you have, the better LLMs can gather info about your product.

Marketers really need to stop thinking of SEO as just a standalone channel (though, yes, technically it is), and instead, focus on working closely with other teams and channels to stay ahead.

And seriously, it’s time we all start diving into prompt engineering. We should start learning all about optimizing prompts for specific models, whether you’re working with Gemini in Vertex AI, GPT, Claude, or other open-source models. That way, we can tinker with LLM configurations, learn what’s working, and adapt our business strategies based on that data.

My advice? Read, test, experiment, and repeat.

Start with Google’s latest guide on prompt engineering

AI has started to support SEO and will continue to do so, especially in the area of content. I’m not just referring to articles, where it can already create a perfect structure and high-quality content, but also to pattern-based areas of websites such as e-commerce category descriptions or dynamic meta descriptions.

Unfortunately for those hoping AI will solve all their problems, and fortunately for those working in the technical field, AI still cannot provide recommendations that cover most of the issues a website may have from a technical SEO perspective. And it is unlikely that it will be able to do so anytime soon because every website is unique and has its own infrastructure, where general rules simply do not apply. There are too many unknowns, and at this point only a human can make the logical connections and identify technical issues, especially the cause and effect relationships.

If we think about the idea that SEO is “dead” and that other search experiences like AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, and so on are taking its place, people are missing one basic point: All of these AIs still need something solid to pull from in order to give you those answers / details, and that something is good content and a well-optimized and technically solid website.

At its core, SEO can’t really die, because the foundation, optimizing your site, is still essential. These AIs need fresh content from somewhere, and that source has to be optimized and well-structured for the AI to even be able to give it value.

And if we take it even further and imagine that the traditional search model, like Google’s results-based listings, will completely disappear, I’d just say this: can you really change the search habits of billions of people in just a few years? I don’t think so.

Every few years, someone declares SEO “dead”.

Today, with AI transforming how content is created and how people search and consume information, the question sounds louder than ever: Is SEO still relevant, or has AI already rendered it obsolete?

The reality? SEO is not dead. It is evolving.

Generic, low-value content is being pushed aside by AI. If you are a website owner or content writer, before publishing, ask yourself: “Does this piece actually help someone, or is it just another recycled article adding nothing new?”

AI is not the end of SEO, but it marks the end of SEO as we knew it. Brands that want to stay visible must rethink their strategies. They need to build brand trust instead of chasing keywords, and they must establish a presence across multiple platforms, not just traditional search engines.

Companies that understand this shift are already pulling ahead. Today, AI does not just find content. It filters, ranks, and recommends it.

AI-proof SEO is no longer about gaming algorithms. It is about proving to both real people and AI systems that your content provides the best, most relevant answers.

If you’re still asking whether SEO is dead, you’re asking the wrong question. The real question is: are you doing SEO well enough to matter in the age of AI?

AI isn’t replacing SEO. It has merely exposed the limitations of traditional search and outdated SEO strategies.

Search engines, in whatever form they continue to take, will need a way to distinguish quality answers from fluff. That’s where SEO will always play a key role, just in a more refined, strategic form.

As someone who’s spent years building long-term SEO strategies in various industries, I’ve seen this shift coming. Real SEO – the kind that aligns with search intent, solves problems, and moves the needle – was never about gaming an algorithm. It’s about understanding how people search and making sure they land on something that actually helps.

With AI, users expect more. They don’t want to skim ten pages to piece together half an answer. They want clarity, accuracy, and immediacy.

However, that doesn’t mean that traditional search is being destroyed – it’s being redefined. And that’s long overdue. Google has served poor results for a long time now, and it’s a good thing its monopoly is being challenged.

This shift isn’t a threat for those who treat SEO as a long-term strategy rather than a shortcut. Those who are serious about SEO and care about building trust, authority, and real value won’t fear this evolution. They’ll lead it.

We’re entering a new era where SEO must be strategy-led, not template-led. The future belongs to those who can connect search intent to business value and actually build content that deserves to rank.

“Is SEO dead?” is the wrong question.

SEO is just a label. You could call it SEO, LLMO, GEO, whatever acronym fits the moment. The behavior underneath it hasn’t changed: people have questions, and they seek answers.

What matters is how we meet that intent, regardless of platform. That might be search engines, AI chat, marketplaces, or even internal product search. The platform shifts, but the user need remains.

In B2B SaaS, this kind of intent-driven thinking is more relevant than ever. SEO data, e.g. Search Console, SERPs, competitor signals, internal data, performance data, helps uncover what your market is asking and how your product fits into the conversation. And workflows built around that data help SaaS teams prioritize better: from messaging and content to product education and positioning.

There might be less traffic in the traditional sense, but if you’re still providing the best answer in the right place, that’s a win.

Traffic might be more fragmented in 2025, but the need for clear, useful answers isn’t going anywhere. SEO isn’t dead. It’s just not the little nerd in the corner anymore. It’s moving into the room, sitting at the center of marketing conversations, and helping teams connect dots across brand, product, and revenue.

From my perspective, AI hasn’t killed SEO. The reality is that AI has reshaped it. SEO has never been about gaming the system — it’s about understanding how people search, what they need, and how to deliver content that meets those needs better than anyone else. AI has simply raised the bar.

The tactics have changed — voice search, AI snippets, multimodal results, and conversational search are on the rise — but the core principles of SEO remain: visibility, value, and trust.

So no, SEO isn’t dead. It’s just grown up. And those of us who’ve evolved with it are seeing better results than ever.

SEO isn’t dead and won’t be as long as search engines exist! Just the way we play changes based on targeted user experience and where they get answers from (traditional search engines or LLMs).

Strong foundations + adaptability are the key with AI! Fundamentals remain the same! What AI and agentic workflows give you is the SPEED with analysis and execution, but you have to define the workflow firsthand and then try to replicate it with tech. For agentic workflows, watch out for n8n.io and AirOps, powerful tools!

SEO isn’t dying—it’s evolving. And no, LLMs like ChatGPT aren’t here to replace search engines. What they’re really doing is shifting the way we interact with information.

Most usage right now isn’t about finding answers the way people use Google. It’s task-based. Think of planning a trip, summarizing an email thread, or brainstorming product names.

They learn which brands and topics consistently appear together, and only surface names when they fit that pattern. To earn visibility, remember: the fundamentals still apply. Brands need to align with real user needs through pain-point-driven content, scenario-based storytelling, and persona-specific messaging.

It’s all about correlation, and it’s not something you can game. It’s not about tricking the system anymore; it’s about being genuinely relevant.

That’s why the basics still matter more than ever. If you want to show up at all, you need to be crystal clear about what problem you solve, for whom, and why you’re worth remembering. Strong brand positioning, real customer insight, and consistent visibility across channels are still the key ingredients to success.

Shortcuts are becoming a thing of the past. The brands that will thrive in the future are those that put in the work to build true relevance today.

And let’s not forget that LLM-driven discovery is still tiny compared to traditional search. Sure, it’s growing fast, but most people are still turning to Google when they want answers.

Trends come and go, but the real attention and revenue are still where the highest search is.

SEO is evolving fast with the rise of AI. What once focused on keywords and backlinks is now about understanding user intent and creating valuable, relevant content.

AI helps marketers spot trends, analyze behavior, and optimize content more efficiently.

Instead of spending time on repetitive tasks, you can now focus on strategy and creativity.

AI isn’t here to replace marketers; it’s here to support them in working smarter and delivering better results in a constantly changing digital world.

Is SEO Dead? Or Is It Evolving With AI?

It’s the question every marketer seems to ask, but the real answer lies not in whether people search, but how they search.

Google’s algorithms have long shifted from simple keyword matching to understanding intent. Today, businesses win not by stuffing keywords into content, but by tapping into the why behind every search. AI tools can help uncover that intent, but it still takes human insight to shape the right message.

And this is where AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization) steps into the conversation. AI-generated content speeds up the process, but it lacks two critical things: authenticity and your brand’s voice. AI tools are great assistants, but they are not strategists. Humans still guide relevance, tone, emotional connection and the storytelling that makes your business memorable.

Even more, Google continues to reward content based on E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. And that’s something AI can’t automate, it comes from real people, real experiences, and real perspectives.

SEO has also evolved into a full-funnel strategy. It’s no longer just about driving traffic to your website, it’s about moving the right people from curiosity to conversion. The secret? Blending valuable content with clear calls-to-action and user experience that turns clicks into business.

When you pair SEO with the right AI tools, you unlock a superpower. AI helps with market research, competitor analysis, content outlines, and even draft creation. But without human editing and expertise, AI content sounds like… well, everyone else.

If you want better SEO results, here are my go-to principles:

Focus on backlinks – authority still matters.

Know your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) – even fewer views from the right audience will drive more impact than generic traffic.

Go beyond ICP: build a brand through your content, so people don’t just visit your page – they become curious to learn more from you.

And finally, remember this: The marketers who blend AI’s speed with human strategy will own the future of search.

SEO isn’t dead. It’s evolving. Are you evolving with it?

AI hasn’t killed SEO—it’s reshaped it. While Google still accounts for over 60% of U.S. web traffic, traditional SEO tactics have fundamentally shifted due to changes in how people find information.

We’re moving from classic “Search Engine Optimization” toward what industry experts now call “Search Everywhere Optimization.” This acknowledges that users are discovering content across multiple platforms: traditional search engines, AI-driven chatbots, voice assistants, and specialized vertical search tools.

Successful B2B SaaS companies today are thriving by adapting their strategies in several key ways:

We’re also seeing a fascinating paradox in digital search: AI-generated answers have led to more daily searches but fewer click-throughs per query. Imagine hosting a crowded event where most visitors peek inside but don’t stay long enough to engage deeply.

To navigate this, smart businesses target more actionable, mid- and bottom-funnel queries (product comparisons, pricing) that continue to deliver clicks and conversions.

Companies embracing these adaptive strategies have seen impressive outcomes. Some report up to 65% growth in account engagement, despite overall fluctuations in direct search traffic.

Clearly, SEO is very much alive—but the discipline now demands deeper insights into both human psychology and machine intelligence. SEO in 2025 isn’t dead; it’s evolved. The real winners are those who evolve alongside it.

Is SEO dead in the age of AI?

Not at all, but it’s evolving fast.

SEO has been declared dead many times before. Each major shift in Google’s algorithms has triggered a wave of panic and funeral speeches. Today, with the rise of AI and features like the Search Generative Experience (SGE), we’re witnessing another “SEO is dead” moment, but I see it very differently.

Let’s look at the facts.

Yes, SGE handles simple informational intents well. If someone wants to know the history of a place or get a quick travel tip, the AI-generated summary works fine, and yes, websites will likely lose traffic for those kinds of queries. But that’s not new. Google has been pulling traffic away from sites for years with featured snippets, knowledge panels, and other SERP features.

What SGE still can’t do is answer complex queries – where deeper insight, critical thinking, or user-specific judgment is needed. For these queries, users still click through to real websites or follow sources cited in the AI response. That’s where SEO content – well-structured, in-depth, and truly valuable – continues to matter.

Then, there are commercial and product-focused queries. AI can’t replace a tool like Sitechecker or fulfil an intent where a user wants to try a product, run a report, or access a service. In SaaS and other high-intent verticals, search traffic will remain critical.

In fact, AI opens up new SEO channels. We’re already getting traffic and revenue from ChatGPT, and to show up there, SEO is still your best bet. ChatGPT pulls from Bing (which still runs on classic ranking signals), as well as curated lists, trusted directories, and reputable reviews. If your SEO strategy includes off-page work like link building and presence on credible platforms, you’ll show up in AI results too.

There’s more. AI is revolutionising how we create content. Google no longer insists content must be written by a human, just that it must be helpful. That’s a major shift. With the right workflows, AI can help experts produce higher-quality content faster and at scale. Combine AI tools with human expertise, and the result is often far better than what traditional copywriters can deliver alone.

Finally, AI empowers us to automate and accelerate technical SEO tasks, data collection, and analysis. It reduces the need for deep dev knowledge or manual work, making SEO operations leaner and more efficient.

Yes, some traffic will be lost. But we’re gaining new sources, speeding up our processes, and unlocking new ways to provide value. In the age of AI, SEO is not dying – it’s being reborn.

I’ve become excited about SEO again. I come from a technical SEO background and focusing on embeddings, entity SEO and creating automations feels like technical SEO to me.

If you enjoy challenges and figuring things out then AEO is exciting. It’s important to embrace AI within our workflows, but it is equally important to do so responsibly and to think critically where you choose to automate.

At the moment I am seeing a lot of automations for content, but often without considerations for cannibalization or demand.

When you use AI, you have to think about how it fits into the greater marketing ecosystem you have, how much intervention will be required, is there any business risk should the output be incorrect, etc.

I don’t think enough people have taken the time to fully understand how LLMs work, specifically co-occurance and RAG.

SEO is not dead, and I doubt it ever will be. Yes, the game has changed – LLMs & AI overviews have brought in a lot of changes.

The last year has been pretty rough with so many updates and AI overviews changing the user behavior – websites don’t get as many clicks as they used to. We’re also feeling this.

But the good news is that the organic search traffic is differentiating, as we’re seeing more traffic from LLMs and Bing. SEO is not dead as people still need to find information, and webmasters’ main task is to make sure the website is getting mentioned by LLMs.

The traffic from AI chatbots is increasing every month. If we talk about LLM optimisation it’s still a black box, but in my experience, success lies in being featured on several sites and leveraging brand recognition on the web.

For example, Ajelix is mentioned in several articles as one of the best AI Excel tools. LLMs connect that information and showcase Ajelix as the top selection. LLMs are searching for validation, so your task is to make sure your brand is mentioned in several important places.