One huge topic of discussion at brightonSEO was “Is SEO dead”? With the rise of AI and how Google are presenting information in their search engine results page (SERPs), it’s no wonder why people are asking the question.
If you’ve not got time to read the full article, our Digital Marketing Manager, Reece, will tell you this: no, SEO most certainly isn’t dead, but it is evolving.
Let us explain what that means.
The Days of Blue Link Walls Have Gone
This might seem obvious to some, as things like Featured Snippets, maps and other rich search results aren’t anything new. But there are still people out there who only optimise their website’s content to appear in the more traditional listings.
The zero-click phenomenon is growing, according to data obtained by SparkToro suggests that over 58% of searches end without a click. With search now a blend of information, context and immediate answers, not just clicks.
This zero-click search behaviour can be partly attributed to the emergence of AI Overviews (AIO). With information being displayed in new ways, it’s important to know how to get your content to appear in all of the most prime locations.
Take a look at our tips to appear in Google’s AI Overviews.
A visual representation of what a “Blue Link Wall” looks like.
Strategies Need Tweaking, but Fundamentals Remain the Same
Updating your strategy to evolve alongside the changing way results are displayed can be a daunting prospect, but thankfully, the fundamentals learnt from many years of SEO-ing fundamentally remain the same.
Quality content wins over anything else, so E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) is the benchmark as this will always remain critical. Your audience’s intent is everything, it’s gone beyond keywords alone, it’s about solving their problems.
Core web vitals, page experience and mobile usability are still major ranking factors, so too is site speed and crawl ability; these are more important than ever.
If it didn’t previously, your strategy needs to focus on ongoing content refreshment and optimisation.
Conclusion
People who have been working in SEO for years will tell you the phrase “SEO is dead” is nothing new, however the rapid growth in AI will have the biggest change in the way people search since Google was invented, so it’s no surprise that people are concerned.
If there are three things to take away, make them these:
- Think about your audience’s intention, you need to be solving their problems.
- Tweak your strategy to adapt to the changes in search, refresh and optimise your content.
- Remain true to E-E-A-T principles, quality content trumps all.
