Is SEO (Again) Dead? Generative AI and the Future of SEO

In the rapidly evolving digital world, where technological developments follow each other at a fast pace, major myths often emerge. One of these myths relates to the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Each time a revolutionary change occurs in the online marketing landscape, this myth resurfaces: "SEO is dead," this time due to the advent of Generative AI. This always surprises me, as an SEO specialist. Of course, I'm deeper into the matter than the average website owner, but it's disheartening to see many people take such reports at face value.

Such reporting, along with other famous SEO myths like "SEO is only a long-term investment," or "SEO rules change every year, so I won't start," results in a huge misconception about this online marketing channel.

"SEO is a hefty investment with only long-term results."

Wrong! I see SEO (technical SEO, specifically) as something every website owner must have in order (largely) before launching a website. And no, I don't mean just publishing a WordPress website without considering, for example, crawl management.

Anyway, perhaps I'm already going off-topic. The point is that SEO is constantly declared dead (this time by the advent of Generative AI). I personally find this unjustified.

In this article, I will first explain what Generative AI is and will investigate the well-known myth, highlight the facts, and convince you why SEO is not dead (and never will die*). Plus, why as a website owner today, you really need to have your website technically in order, because boy-o-boy, it has more impact than you think...

The Evolution of Google: From the Past to Now

To understand the impact of Generative AI on SEO, we need to go back in time and look at the evolution of the world's largest search engine: Google. Let's take a journey through the different phases of Google, from the early years to the current state of affairs.

In the period from about 1998 to 2014, Google's goal was clear: to send users from the search engine to the open web environment as quickly as possible. Google wanted to generate clicks, not only to help users but also to increase their own revenues via advertisements. This era was characterized by an emphasis on encouraging organic clicks to websites outside Google's own platform.

Fast forward to the past few years (2014-2022), and we saw a change in the layout of search results. Paid results began to prominently appear at the top, while search results pages often also contained direct answers (featured snippets). These direct answers were pulled from various sources on the web, and Google noticed that users loved them. These changes reflected a growing emphasis on user-friendly results, which would facilitate the rise of Generative AI.

What is Generative AI?

Generative AI is a technological breakthrough that offers the ability to generate human-like content. It goes beyond simple automation, as it enables AI systems to create entirely new and creative pieces of text, images, and more. This happens by training the AI on massive datasets, allowing it to learn the patterns and structures of human creations.

The potential of Generative AI in the digital world is enormous. It can be used for content creation, translations, music composition, and even medical research. But what does this mean for SEO?

Will Generative AI Replace SEO?

Let's tackle the core of the myth: the alleged death of SEO due to the advent of Generative AI. Is this really the end of SEO? The answer is a resounding no. And here's why.

Generative AI may well be a powerful tool for content generation, but it will not completely replace SEO. However, it will change SEO, and website owners and marketers must adapt to these changes to remain relevant in search results. Instead of competing with automatically generated content, we need to understand how to collaborate with Generative AI to achieve the best results.

How Does Generative AI Influence SEO Strategies?

Now that we've established that Generative AI will not replace SEO, we must understand how it influences strategies. SEO professionals need to be aware of the rise of this technology and how they can adjust their approach to reap its benefits.

The shift in focus is one of the main aspects. Where we previously aimed primarily for high search rankings, it's now more about brand mentions. Generative AI will provide more personalized and user-friendly answers, and our role as SEO specialists becomes ensuring that our brand is prominently mentioned in these results. It's about visibility and relevance in the context of the new search environment.

This also means that specific prompts become essential. If a prompt is too generic, the same text can be generated by different parties, leading to uniform and less distinctive content. It's crucial to formulate prompts that yield unique, relevant results. This prevents the AI from producing the same content for different brands and websites.

Is Content Creation Still Essential for SEO?

One of the pillars of SEO has always been: valuable content. This remains unchanged, even in the era of Generative AI. In fact, the importance of qualitative, relevant, and engaging content becomes even greater.

Generative AI may be able to generate content, but it lacks human creativity, insight, and emotional context. It can provide factual information, but it lacks the unique voice of a brand, the deep knowledge of an author, and the capacity to truly resonate with the audience. Therefore, content creation remains of great importance to make real connections with the audience.

Moreover, search engines have always valued useful content for users. High-quality content will still be considered valuable in the Generative AI world. It fosters engagement, attracts organic traffic, and plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall user experience.

The Future of SEO in a Generative AI World

What does the future hold for SEO in a world where Generative AI is increasingly present? It's clear that our approach must evolve to remain effective in the new search environment.

We must continue to invest in technical SEO aspects. While Generative AI may change how content is generated, it won't replace the technical optimizations that are essential for search engines to find, index, and value our content. The structure of the website, loading speed, mobile responsiveness, and other technical elements remain of crucial importance.

Debunking the Myth: Is SEO Dead?

Now let's closely examine the myth of the 'death of SEO,' which re-emerges with every major development in the digital landscape. As previously mentioned, a similar claim occurred with the rise of social media. It was predicted that SEO would become redundant, but the reality showed a very different story.

In 2013, The Guardian published an article suggesting that SEO would lose its relevance due to the rise of social media. This is a perfect example of how such predictions do not always become reality. SEO has not only continued to exist but has also adapted to changing conditions and technological advancements. It remains a powerful marketing channel that far exceeds social media when it comes to generating targeted organic traffic.

Moreover, the SEO community was recently shaken up by the introduction of ChatGPT, a powerful generative AI model (read blog: Google Bard AI chatbot: the answer to OpenAI's ChatGPT). Many feared that this would mean the end of manually written content and, thereby, traditional SEO. But let's look at the facts. Graphs show that since its introduction, the number of users of ChatGPT is not increasing as quickly as in the beginning and even shows a slight decline.

Additionally, it's important to note that Google itself also embraces Generative AI. But here lies an interesting aspect: if you generate content with AI and place it on your website without modifications, there will be no direct indication that this text was written by a computer. However, this does not mean that we can sit back and simply produce generic content.

It's essential to write a specific prompt so that the generated text is unique and not easily replicated by others. Additionally, we must consider the end user. The human eye can identify nuances and context that an AI might miss. Checking the generated content and aligning it with the specific needs of your audience remains of great importance.

Why SEO Remains Crucial

Now that we've debunked the myth, we need to understand why SEO remains of essential importance. Good SEO is not only about improving search rankings but also about optimizing the overall quality of your website.

SEO encompasses technical aspects such as loading speed, mobile responsiveness, and structured data. These technical optimizations ensure that search engines can easily index your website and present it to users. This directly affects the user experience and can help to increase your engagement rate and keep visitors on your website longer.

The Advantages of Strong SEO in a Generative AI World After understanding the ongoing relevance of SEO, we must also realize that strong SEO strategies still offer huge benefits, even in a world where Generative AI plays a larger role. Here are some key advantages of having a solid SEO approach:

1. Brand Visibility: Strong SEO ensures that your brand is prominently present in search results, whether generated by human content creation or by AI. Higher visibility leads to increased brand awareness and can lead to a higher number of conversions.
2. User Experience: Good SEO goes hand in hand with an excellent user experience. Technical optimizations ensure that your website loads quickly, is responsive on various devices, and is easy to navigate. All of this contributes to satisfied users, which in turn sends positive signals to search engines.
3. Quality Content: While AI is capable of generating factual information, it is not yet able to provide the depth, emotional connection, and human creativity that high-quality handwritten content can offer. Therefore, content creation remains a valuable tool for engaging your target audience and showcasing your expertise.
4. Competitive Advantage: Not all websites will fully understand the value of SEO or implement it adequately. By focusing on strong SEO, you can gain a competitive edge, even in a world where Generative AI is present. The difference lies in the details, and you can master those details*.
5. Adaptation and Innovation: SEO professionals are accustomed to adapting to changes in the digital landscape. Embracing Generative AI as a complement to your strategy and making smart use of the generated content is a sign of adaptation and innovation. This allows you to stay ahead in the world of online marketing.