Is SEO dead ? Here’s what’s really changing in 2025
Is SEO dead? That’s the question on everyone’s mind but the answer isn’t so simple.
We’re standing at the edge of a new era in search, where AI isn’t replacing SEO… it’s reshaping it. The old playbook of keywords and backlinks isn’t enough anymore. If you want to win online today, you need to show up everywhere your audience is looking, not just in blue links on Google, but in TikTok videos, Reddit threads, YouTube reviews, Amazon searches, and yes, even AI chatbots.
Search is no longer just a Google game. It’s a multi-platform battlefield, and the brands that adapt will own the future.
SEO isn’t dead, it’s evolving
Let’s get one thing clear right off the bat: SEO isn’t going anywhere. It’s simply undergoing a transformation, one that’s already reshaping how content gets discovered online.
Yes, AI tools are starting to play a central role in how people find answers. And yes, that changes the way we need to think about search. But that doesn’t mean search itself is disappearing. If anything, we’re heading into an era where more searches are happening. While Google still drives around 63% of all U.S web traffic and holds a commanding 90% share of the search market, the search landscape has expanded far beyond blue links.
Today, people aren’t just searching on Google. They’re turning to:
TikTok for quick how-tos and trends
“Nearly 40% of Gen Z prefer searching on TikTok or Instagram over Google for certain queries (like finding a lunch spot)”
YouTube for in-depth reviews and tutorials
Reddit for real-user insights
Amazon for product discovery
AI chatbots for fast, conversational answers
This shift means traditional SEO strategies, ones focused solely on Google rankings are no longer enough. We need to optimize for multi-platform discoverability. In other words: show up where your audience actually looks for answers.
To maximize your reach across platforms like TikTok and YouTube, you might want to explore our guide on content distribution strategies.
Why AI isn’t the end of SEO
One of the biggest misconceptions about AI tools like ChatGPT is that they’ve replaced the need for web content.
But AI needs the web to survive.
AI models rely on two main sources for the information they provide:
Training data : which largely comes from publicly available web content
Live searches : when the model doesn’t have an answer, it goes out and looks
So, if you’re thinking that content creation is becoming less relevant… it’s actually the opposite. The demand for high-quality, discoverable content is about to skyrocket.
Why? Because AI tools don’t just serve one user at a time. They can conduct hundreds or thousands of searches per day, acting on behalf of people, businesses, and systems.
“In a single year and for a mature product 21.64% growth in searches across Google is remarkable.” This trend flies in the face of fears that AI would steal traffic : “so much for the fear that AI answers in Google would reduce the number of searches… the exact opposite appears to be true.”
Imagine an AI assistant searching for product reviews, recommendations, or local services nonstop. That’s search on steroids. And if your brand is visible, trustworthy, and well-positioned online, you stand to win big.
Wondering if blogging still matters in the age of AI? Find out why does blogging help SEO.
The new rules of the game: How to win in the AI + SEO era
The future of search is shaping up to be a hybrid: a mix of traditional SEO and AI optimization. To stay competitive, businesses and creators need to think in broader terms. That means going beyond keyword rankings and backlinks.
“61% of marketers use AI to improve their SEO strategies and 62% report higher search rankings”
Here’s a 3-part strategy that’s helping brands dominate in this new era of AI-driven search:
Part 1: AI-focused research, understand how AI finds information
Let’s start with something practical.
When I asked ChatGPT, “What are the best noise-cancelling headphones for travel under $200?”, the model responded in two phases:
First, it answered from its training data : information it had been fed before
Then, when I prompted it to look up fresh info, it performed a real-time search and cited sources like YouTube videos, product reviews, Reddit threads, and curated lists
This shows two very different paths your content can take to show up in AI responses:
Training data visibility: Your content needs to be included in the sources AI models are trained on
Live search visibility: Your site needs to rank well when AI models do live web lookups
This is where AI-specific SEO tools like Profound (kind of like SEMrush for AI search) are starting to help marketers analyze what types of content AI is pulling and where.
Part 2: Digital Public Relations & Brand Recognition : Train the AI to know you
Here’s where it gets really interesting: AI models like ChatGPT aren’t trained on just anything. OpenAI, for instance, has licensing deals with major media platforms to legally use their data for training.
Some of these partners include:
The Associated Press
Financial Times
Shutterstock
Reddit
Vox Media
And more
What does that mean for you?
If your brand or content appears in those sources, it doesn’t just help your credibility with humans, it literally teaches AI to recognize you as a subject matter authority.
That’s right: you can train the AI to know your brand, simply by being featured in the right publications.
This creates a feedback loop:
You’re mentioned in trusted sources
AI models “learn” your brand
Your authority increases in future AI-driven search results
That visibility drives more recognition and more mentions
This is the modern version of link-building and brand-building combined. It’s like SEO and PR got married and had a super-powered child.
Boost your site’s reputation by learning how to increase domain authority.
Part 3: Don’t abandon traditional SEO : It’s still a core pillar
Let’s go back to the noise-cancelling headphones example.
When ChatGPT didn’t have an answer from its training data, it searched the web. That’s your cue: classic SEO is still alive and well.
Here’s what still matters :
Ranking on Google and Bing for targeted keywords
Building backlinks from authoritative sources
Writing content that provides real value to your niche
Structuring your site for crawlability and speed
Why? Because AI models use search engines to fill their knowledge gaps. That means SEO continues to influence AI-generated answers especially when it comes to real-time, up-to-date queries.
So even as the future shifts toward AI, you still need:
Keyword strategy
On-page optimization
Quality content
Site health and speed
Link-building
The goal is to create content that satisfies both humans and machines.
Managing technical SEO can be complex, but tools like Inblog take care of all the heavy lifting automatically, from generating sitemaps and SEO-friendly URLs to compressing images and setting canonical tags.
This way, you can focus on creating great content without worrying about the technical side !
What this means for your business in 2025
Let’s zoom out for a second.
In this new hybrid world of AI + SEO, businesses need to adopt a more holistic approach to digital marketing.
It’s no longer about just ranking first on Google.
It’s about becoming the definitive authority in your field, everywhere online.
Here’s what winning brands are doing right now:
Creating deep, high-quality content on their own websites
Getting featured in publications that AI tools are trained on
Engaging on platforms like Reddit, YouTube, and Quora, all sources AI models crawl
Maintaining rock-solid SEO fundamentals (technical SEO, backlinks, E-E-A-T)
AI is going to be doing the searching. Your job is to be the answer it finds over and over again.
So... what should you do now?
It’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed. Change brings uncertainty. And right now, AI feels like it’s reshaping everything we thought we knew about content and search.
But here’s the truth: The core principles haven’t changed.
Whether it’s Google or ChatGPT, the mission is the same, connecting people with the best information available.
And that means:
Be helpful
Be credible
Be visible
The businesses that will struggle in this new era are the ones that relied on shortcuts, keyword stuffing, spammy links, low-value content.
The brands that will thrive? Those that invested in real expertise, authentic authority and long-term trust.
Real-world success stories: SEO + AI in action
To inspire you, here are two concrete examples of brands that thrived by embracing this new SEO + AI approach:
Little Moons : From TikTok trend to 2000% sales growth
Little Moons is a small mochi ice cream brand that became famous by showing up where their audience searches on TikTok.
One young employee started posting fun TikTok videos featuring their bite-sized ice cream. In just a few months, over 15,000 TikTok videos were made about Little Moons, getting more than 500 million views.
This viral visibility across platforms led to a huge jump in sales, a 2,000% increase and the brand sold out in supermarkets.
Little Moons proves how powerful it is to be found beyond Google. By reaching Gen Z where they search (TikTok and social media), the brand got massive attention and turned it into real business success.
Xponent21 : Taking the lead in AI search with early content
Digital agency Xponent21 shows how preparing for AI-driven search early can bring huge results.
In mid-2024, they guessed the questions people would ask about “AI SEO” and published detailed content before the demand really grew.
By acting fast, Xponent21 became a trusted source that AI chatbots and search engines like to cite.
One year later, their effort paid off big: they saw an 80× increase in search impressions and an 18× jump in organic traffic by mid-2025.
Their early, high-quality content made them the top-cited source in AI search results for their field.
This first-mover strategy, creating trusted content early, helped Xponent21 get even more clicks, mentions, and backlinks, strengthening their position.
It’s a great example of how being proactive with AI-focused SEO can boost your visibility on both traditional and AI search platforms.
Final thought: The demand for information is about to skyrocket
Let’s end on an optimistic note. AI isn’t making content less important, it’s making it more essential than ever.
Instead of individuals Googling a few times a day, AI assistants will perform thousands of micro-searches on our behalf, covering everything from product reviews and local services to how-tos and business comparisons.
If your brand is positioned to show up in these AI-driven searches, if the AI recognizes you, you stand to capture a massive share of this growing attention.
SEO isn’t dead. It’s just grown up.
So the real question isn’t: Is SEO still relevant?
The real question is: Can you afford to ignore how AI is transforming search?
Embrace this evolution. Adapt your strategy. Build your brand for a future where visibility, authority, and adaptability will be more valuable than ever before.
To make the most of the growing demand for information, it’s important to share your content where your audience is. Learn how with our guide on content distribution strategies !
