Will AI Replace SEO as We Know It?

As an SEO professional, I’ve encountered the sensational headline “Is SEO dead?” countless times throughout my career. Each time I see this headline, it invariably brings to mind Betteridge’s law, which states that any headline posed as a question can be answered with a simple “no.”

There you have it. No, AI will not replace SEO.

Rather than make SEO obsolete, AI will make SEO even more valuable.

You may be thinking, “You are SEO.com, you have to say this.”

Well, let’s review some hard facts about AI and SEO that make me optimistic enough to think AI isn’t replacing SEO anytime soon.

Will ChatGPT Replace Google?

No. While certain types of searches that take place online fit better in a question and answer format, the bulk of searching continues in a keyword based format. Here are three reasons why:

1. Google Still Dominates Search

If you’re worried about Google being replaced by ChatGPT, you may be comforted to know that Google is still way ahead of the game. Reports from Datos show that ChatGPT has a long way to go.

There is even reason to believe that Google and ChatGPT do not necessarily compete with each other at all.

Recent findings from Semrush indicate that 70% of ChatGPT searches are unique to ChatGPT – meaning these are prompt-based requests and not the standard queries used on Google.

Another analysis from Rand Fishkin indicates that ChatGPT only owns about 4.33% of the market share in traditional searches. And that is if you assume every use of ChatGPT is considered a query similar to Google searches, not intensive prompts.

AI has a lot of work to catch up before it completely replaces Google and traditional search.

2. AI adoption is lower among Millennials than Gen Z

More decision makers will continue using traditional search tools like Google and Bing rather than change their ways.

You see this trend in other places like Facebook where 81.4% of users are over the age of 24. Contrast that with TikTok’s age demographics, where 70% of their users are under the age of 35.

While we know these things are true, it doesn’t mean your target audience aligns perfectly with these numbers right now. If you’re targeting younger generations, this skews in all kinds of ways.

Our own research indicates that Gens Z and Alpha prefer social media platforms more than their older counterparts.

According to WebFX, the leading AI marketing agency,  Gen Z is also the most likely to search in an AI friendly format.

If your buyers are from younger generations, you may consider utilizing AI SEO services as an approach to your marketing strategy.

For the rest of the age demographics, Google and Bing remain.

3. Google’s existence relies on organic results

If organic search disappears, so do the advertisers.

In Q4 2024, Google generated $96.47 billion in total revenue. Of that, $54 billion was directly from Google search.

Google’s Search advertising makes up 56% of its total revenue.

You can’t expect Google not to fight to keep its cash cow from disappearing.

In fact, they aren’t.

AI Overviews, which live inside Google Search, generate approximately the same advertising revenue as their non-AI counterparts. Despite the added competition from ChatGPT, Google Search ad revenue increased 10% year over year in Q4 2024.

Yes, Google will change how search results are generated to adapt to AI’s capabilities. Google search will continue to provide results (whether it’s 10 blue links or not) that encourage advertisers to bid on keywords.

The money speaks for itself.

Will AI replace SEO jobs?

No, SEO jobs will not be replaced by AI as long as the work they do grows with the capabilities AI allows.

“AI won’t replace humans, but humans with AI will replace humans without AI.” – HBR

AI will intensify SEO competition

There are so many ways to do SEO that all can be influenced by AI.

Several parts of the SEO process can be automated with AI. This means:

• Better research on keywords and topics to write about can be performed faster
• On-page SEO is easier as titles, meta descriptions, and headings are automated
• Technical SEO at least on the surface level will be simpler
• Off-page SEO will be saturated as backlinks to content previously undiscovered will be linked from AI-informed content.

In the end, this results in more high-quality content being regularly produced.

In February 2024, Statista reported that 42% of marketing leaders utilized AI tools in their content creation process. Check out our guide on how to use AI in digital marketing.

Google’s algorithm for ranking content will adapt to those who exploit loopholes in the algorithm, as it always has. Yet, it will have more content rank, making traditional search more competitive than ever.

SEO agencies and consultants will be required to do more heavy lifting as business owners and understaffed marketing directors will struggle to achieve results.

Searching is a pillar of our buying economy

Supply and demand – it’s a tale as old as time!

Google, ChatGPT, Claude, etc are suppliers of answers.
User searches for products and services are the demand.

There will always be a need for some type of search as long as the following is true:

1. Potential buyers are seeking products and services. 
2. Competitive options are offering those products and services

Even if you look way into the future where AI agents can instantly answer any question you may have, there will always be demand for answers. You, as a business, will want to be that AI agent’s recommendation, right?

There will be ways to optimize AI for that exact process as long as competition exists.

The users will search, and you will optimize for that.

SEO may mean something different in the future, but optimizing for it still remains. Whether it’s search engine optimization, generative engine optimization, or my favorite, search everywhere optimization, you want to rank higher.

No, AI won’t replace SEO.