Do We Need a New SEO Strategy in the Age of AI? Search is Changing – but Should We Change with It?

AI search (AI Overviews) is reshaping the search results landscape. More and more often, users see an AI-generated summary at the very top of the results, while traditional links are pushed below. This has a simple consequence: the user’s eye stops at the AI summary, and clicks on traditional links decline.

Pew Research data shows that users presented with an AI summary are twice as likely not to click on links. For publishers, blogs, and websites that have long relied on organic traffic, this is a warning sign. U.S. outlets like Business Insider and HuffPost have already lost much of their organic traffic and were forced to cut staff.

Google insists otherwise: according to its own data, overall click volumes have remained “relatively stable.” But “stable” doesn’t mean “the same” – some sites are gaining, while others are losing. And that’s where the real shift lies.

How AI is changing search from the inside

It’s important to understand how AI selects content. This isn’t a brand-new algorithm, but rather a layer on top of traditional search. Here’s how it works:

• Googlebot indexes content the same way it always has. If your website isn’t properly optimized, AI won’t even see it.
  
  
• The AI model then synthesizes an answer from multiple sources, giving priority to content that appears trustworthy, well-structured, and clearly attributed.
  
  
• Only a handful of sources are displayed in the AI summary – which means the competition is no longer just about “ranking first on Google,” but about having content valuable enough to make it into the AI extract.
  
  

In other words: SEO algorithms haven’t changed – but the “gate” through which your content passes has.

Our insight

SEO today feels like playing football while the goalposts keep moving. The only way forward is to stop chasing keywords for their own sake and start creating content AI wants to cite. Not just to be “number one on Google,” but to be where AI looks for answers.

But that doesn’t mean traditional SEO is obsolete. Quite the opposite – without it, you won’t even make it into the AI era. Technical SEO, keyword research, and proper content structure are the foundation AI builds on. If your site is slow or messy, AI won’t have anything to cite.

Think of traditional SEO as your entry ticket. Only with a solid base can you build the next layer – content AI will want to highlight as an answer.

Practical recommendations for businesses

What does this mean in practice? Our advice:

➤ Use structured data. Schema.org markup (FAQPage, HowTo) helps AI clearly understand the meaning of your content. For example, Q&A formats increase the chance of appearing in AI summaries.

➤ Deepen your content. Shallow lists or copy-paste won’t cut it. AI favors sources that explain why and how. When writing, go deeper than your competitors.

➤ Invest in E-E-A-T. Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. If your content isn’t backed by clear authorship, expert identity, or credible references, AI will ignore it. Media coverage, expert commentary, authoritative backlinks – these are now essential.

➤ Technical SEO is non-negotiable. Site speed, mobile optimization, HTTPS security – these remain top priorities. AI won’t “see” a slow or clunky page, even if the content is good.

➤ Be visible beyond Google. AI learns from Reddit, YouTube, and forums. If your company only lives on its website, you risk invisibility. Content diversification is today’s reputation management.

Conclusion

SEO today is no longer just “search engine optimization.” It’s reputation management in the eyes of AI. And unlike humans, AI doesn’t care about promises – it takes what it finds.

Our advice: don’t be afraid to redefine your KPIs. It’s no longer enough to count clicks. Measure deeper user engagement, time on page, and whether your content is cited in AI answers. The game has changed – and the winners will be those bold enough to play by the new rules.

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