Search Engine Optimization, once defined by keywords, backlinks and page rankings, is undergoing a significant transformation due to advancements in artificial intelligence.
AI-driven technologies are reshaping how information is discovered and interpreted, moving the focus beyond traditional rankings to new models of retrieval and contextual relevance within search results.
This shift presents opportunities and challenges for content creators and businesses looking to maintain or grow online visibility.
On this SEOTalk Spaces Ep. 118, we spoke about what impacts the new world of SEO and which older tactics are still relevant. Catch the recap now.
Losing SEO To AI?
Parth emphasized, “The fundamentals of SEO remain, but with AI systems like ChatGPT and Gemini, visibility is about how machines understand our content.” Rather than merely optimizing for crawlers, experts are now focusing on:
QA formats that enable concise, trustable answers.
Structuring content for snippets across multiple prompts.
As Sugandhan explained, “It’s not about ranking pages anymore—one page can have snippets for multiple AI prompts. Visibility comes from being understood and cited by AI.”
The big question still – Have We Lost SEO To AI?
Does Ranking Still Matter In an AI-Driven World?
Despite the transformation, ranking as a metric persists. Suganthan highlighted, “As long as Google’s ten blue links exist, rankings will still matter.”
However, visibility in LLMs now combines traditional rankings with AI citations and mentions. For commercial intent, user-generated content like Reddit often overtakes brand sites, shaping buying journeys.
Visibility in LLMs is more holistic—visibility plus rankings.
The Role and Future of Keywords
With vector searches and embeddings, the meaning behind keywords outweighs mere frequency.
SEO Sage stated, “Keywording is as important as ever before, especially for LLMs. I’m writing with more keywords, ensuring foundational SEO is strong.”
Sugandhan added, “Optimizing for entity-based keywords might be the future. Prompt tracking is unreliable, but contextual optimization for main terms boosts LLM visibility.”
Human Element: Why SEO Isn’t Dead
Bob, a panel participant, reinforced, “Technical SEO, user experience, and performance optimization are still critical.”
The consensus is clear – AI augments SEO, but human expertise in structuring, context, and strategy remains essential.
SEO Sage concluded, “There’s a human ability to judge and refine content that AI agents can’t replace. This is the edge SEOs will always have.”
Should Brands Block LLMs Crawling Content?
Most experts agree it’s unwise unless required for legal reasons.
Blocking AI bots may reduce informational visibility without impacting purchases, as noted by SEO Sage: “Unless legally necessary, letting LLMs crawl your content aids discovery and citations for informational queries.”
Final Thoughts
No, SEO is not lost to AI, but it is indeed evolving.
Adapting strategies for retrieval and contextual relevance allows brands to thrive, leveraging both traditional SEO and AI-driven visibility.
Your thoughts?