Firstly, is SEO dead? No – despite recurring claims to the contrary, SEO is very much alive. What’s changing is how it works. Generative AI and other new technologies are reshaping user behaviour, forcing marketers to evolve their strategies.
Ultimately, the skills and strategies needed to succeed are changing and 2026 will be the year that blends traditional SEO best practices with AI-focused optimisation.
The Evolution of SEO and AI SEO/GEO: How Generative AI is Changing Search
If there’s one constant in SEO, it’s change. Over the last two decades, search optimisation has continually transformed as technology, user behaviour, and Google’s ever-evolving algorithms have shifted.
In the early 2000s, SEO was a simpler process. Keyword stuffing, directory submissions, and chasing backlinks were core tactics in raising a website’s profile. In 2011, Google’s Panda update paved the way for a cycle of updates that aimed to reduce the visibility of sites with thin or duplicate content (such as content farms) and reward those publishing higher-quality, original content.
Google’s Penguin update in 2012 focused on penalising those that paid for low-quality links in bulk and making natural, authoritative (and much harder to get) backlinks the gold standard. RankBrain (2015) brought machine learning into ranking, and BERT (2019) made great strides in how Google understood context and search intent.
At each stage, SEOs have had to adapt – testing, refining, and continually learning. The rise of generative AI is the next logical step. Search is now about immediate, conversational answers that feel human – and users are expecting faster, more personalised answers than ever before.
Enter GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation). GEO, sometimes referred to as AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation), AIO (AI Optimisation), or even LLMO (large language model optimisation), is about making content more visible, quotable, and useful for AI-driven platforms. It’s an evolution of SEO rather than a replacement, and ensures your brand is visible wherever people search.
The Continued Relevance of SEO
With the rapid rise of AI answer engines such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, it’s easy to see why many are questioning whether traditional SEO might be surpassed. Referrals from AI-driven search continues to grow, but it’s crucial to remember that most online journeys still begin on Google.
What’s changing is user expectation. Users increasingly want quicker, more relevant, context-rich answers. With the right prompt in an AI-driven tool, a search for ‘best project management software for small team’ will instantly generate a side-by-side feature table with pricing comparisons, measured pros and cons and even select reviews from around the web, without a second click. These changes reshape how users interact with content, but not the underlying need for it.
Organic search remains at the core of conversions, authority and brand visibility. Without significant presence in Google, it’s far harder for a brand to build the trust and recognition that AI tools then amplify.
Adapting to the New Search Landscape: How to Generate Traffic in 2025
To succeed in the age of generative AI, marketers need to combine traditional, quality-focused SEO techniques with AI engine-specific strategies.
- Position yourself as a trusted source that AI models pull from – this means creating authoritative, balanced, well-cited content – on and offsite.
- Building links and citations still matters, and page 1 of Google is still largely dominated by high authority websites. However, you should focus less on single keywords or link building in isolation and more on ‘seeding’ your expertise wherever Google and LLMs look for answers – for example, third-party review websites.
- Answer clusters of questions with topic hubs that address multiple queries around a subject. Users expect FAQs, how-to guides, pros and cons, and in-depth articles. Optimise for conversational, natural language queries that reflect how users speak to AI tools
- Get technical SEO right with fast, easy-to-crawl, accessible, and mobile-friendly websites. AI systems lean on structured data to interpret and summarise content, so use schema markup to define key information, improve clarity, and boost your chances of being surfaced or cited in AI-driven results. Consider creating an LLMs.txt file (and validating it with our LLMs.txt Checker & Validator to ensure your site’s content is instantly understandable for AI models.
- Optimise beyond Google by investing in video, audio, and visuals that are harder for AI to replicate
- Showcase E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust), as our very own SEO Lead Jade Powter says:
“Who are your experts? How are they involved in your content? What awards have you gained? Be open with your customer reviews, incorporate real-world stories – give AI something that cannot be replicated elsewhere.”
- Monitor AI-driven changes, such as how tools like ChatGPT summarise or recommend your content, and adjust your content accordingly.
Optimise for the Future
So, is SEO dead? As we’ve covered above, no. Since the 2000s, when search engines began indexing the web, the evolution of SEO has closely followed technology and user behaviour. As generative AI becomes more baked into our everyday lives through software and applications, users are asking questions in different ways and expecting quicker, more intuitive, and personalised results. Businesses that understand this and can adapt will continue to drive traffic and generate leads.
The key to survival is a holistic approach:
- Maintain those SEO fundamentals
- Embrace AI-aware content practices
- Demonstrate trust, expertise, and relevance.
Want to future-proof your SEO strategy? Contact MRS Digital to find out how we can help.
