The advances of AI in search engines has completely transformed the landscape for digital marketing over the last year, with SEOs, marketers and strategists having to adapt to a very different set of rules.
In this guide we'll take you through what's changed, how its impacted search, and the steps you can take to adjust to the new digital landscape. We'll talk about:
- How has AI Changed SEO?
- The Impact of AI on SEO: Performance Metrics
- Is AI Killing SEO?
- Is Google Eating Itself?
- Content Marketing, SEO and AI
- Using AI for SEO Content Marketing
- Changes in PPC Since the Launch of AIOs
- How to Optimise for AI Search
- 5 Steps to Improve your SEO Strategies for AI in Search
Ready? Let's get going!
How has AI Changed SEO?
AI has been a factor in SEO for some time, mostly in the form of marketers using generative AI to help with content creation, research and outreach.
But all this changed in 2024, with the introduction of AI overviews within the SERPs.
Suddenly, searches that had brought up webpages as the top results, were now getting an AI-generated answer to their query.
With an answer provided right on the results page, many users no longer need to click onto a webpage to get what they need.
This has caused huge volatility in clicks, click-through rates and user numbers, with research from SEO experts Ahrefs suggesting that click-through rates for searches that resulted in an AI overview fell by 34.5% for the number 1 organic result.
And Search Engine Journal's research puts the drop-off rate at almost two thirds when an AIO appears.
AI in search is about to take another big leap forward as Google rolls out AI Mode, which will be an option within Google Search to use an AI-powered search.
Using Gemini, AI search can even answer follow-up questions and queries, so it's not just clear cut questions it can help with. It can even help people decide on the right product for them, weigh up pros and cons, or make suggestions.
To start with, it will sit alongside other options such as Image, Video and News search as a selectable option.
These updates are forcing digital marketers to rethink their strategies and their measurements of success too.
The Impact of AI on SEO: Performance Metrics
Every digital marketing strategy uses data to see how well a website is performing, usually known as KPIs or Key Performance Indicators.
KPIs are usually different from client to client, but common metrics to measure for organic search include:
- Search Visibility or Impressions
- Clicks and Click-Through Rate
- Website Users
- Conversions and Conversion Rate
- Session Duration
Improving the number of users on your website through organic clicks has up to now been a hugely important part of an SEO's work. Most content marketing strategies are geared towards these very metrics, providing websites with more visibility, clicks and users.
But these new updates mean that you could have the best content on a subject, the AI generated SERP may use your excellent content in its answer, it may even credit you - but it's still not going to give you that all important click, because the user's question has already been answered.
That means that several of the most common KPIs are going to take a big hit. You may even find that your website is getting a big bump in visibility, but a big drop in clicks - a double whammy that's really going to harm your click-through rates.
So what does this mean for performance metrics? And how should we be tracking success in a future driven by AI based SEO?
Is AI Killing SEO?
When certain key metrics are showing big drops, it could be easy to think that this is the end of SEO, but in reality, it's just an evolution that requires us to think a little smarter about how we measure performance and success.
This doesn't mean that click data is no longer important, but it will mean a shift in understanding for SEOs - and their clients too.
As user numbers drop, other performance metrics, such as visibility and session time may become more significant, with focus shifting towards engagement, rather than just on getting more people on the website.
And this is really what Google is pushing us towards, creating great experiences, rather than bringing in random clicks.
The more a user engages with your website, the more relevant your page must have been to their search, and thus, the more Google wants to show your page to others who've made the same or similar searches.
As always, conversions will remain the most significant measure of success for most campaigns, and in this period of flux, it may be helpful to get more focused on that rather than tumbling clicks and user numbers.
Is Google Eating Itself?
With all the upheaval due to the new AI overviews, there's also some speculation in the industry that these moves could end up being detrimental to Google's stated aims.
In theory, Google exists to help people find the websites, information and content they want.
Previously, there was a symbiotic relationship between users, marketers and Google.
Marketers created great content that Google liked, Google showed it to users, users got the information they wanted courtesy of Google, and the Marketer got the click onto their website.
Everybody wins.
But now, you could create great content, Google can use that great content for its AIOs, and you could get absolutely nothing in return.
So what happens if content marketers stop producing the content Google needs for its AIOs? Chances are it could end up relying on more AI generated content, rather than great, original content.
This is supposedly the exact opposite of what Google is trying to achieve, and could seriously damage the reputation of AIOs if they become full of inaccurate, out of date or AI produced content.
So the next few years are going to be very interesting, and many SEOs predict further upheaval as the industry tries to adjust to the new rules.
Content Marketing, SEO and AI
So, if traditional content marketing strategies aren't bringing in as many clicks and visitors, should SEOs be looking at other optimisation methods?
Realistically, content marketing is still a hugely important part of any organic SEO strategy, and despite it not bringing the same results as it did in the past, it's still absolutely essential to online success.
Google is very clear that original, useful content is still a key driver of ranking and performance, but now more than ever it may be best to expand your content into new media and channels.
That includes things like video (especially if it's hosted on Youtube), and using high quality images in your content.
Another key area to focus on is user experience. With fewer users on your website, this will be huge anyway, but it also makes a difference to Google.
Ensure you've got a great, fast-loading website that's easy to navigate. Make sure you provide useful meta titles and headings that give your content structure.
The more signs you can give to Google that users are finding your content interesting and valuable, the more likely it is to rank it well (even if that's underneath the AI overview) and even use it as a source.
And yes, ranking in the AIOs may not bring you clicks, but it does hugely affect your brand visibility.
In fact, Search Engine Journal's recent report on AIOs suggests that search is moving from a "click economy" to a "visibility economy".
Their research indicated that users are now being more motivated by brand authority than search intent matches.
This is a big shift, as up until now, matching search query intent has been one of the most significant areas of SEO - ensuring you're getting the right people to the right content.
But if users are now more swayed by brand authority, that means it's as important as ever to be creating the content that gets you seen. Because even if that doesn't get you that first click, it positions your brand as an authority, and may get you that user in the long-term.
Using AI for SEO Content Marketing
Since the emergence of ChatGPT, there have been some people in the industry leaning on it heavily to write article content.
Each of Google's updates in the past few years has specifically targeted this practice, trying to weed out AI generated content, while at the same time, that content has become more sophisticated.
In 2020, you could spot an AI generated article a mile away. But in 2025, it's a lot harder.
At the end of the day, AI can only create something based on the instructions it's given, and the knowledge it has access to. That means it's unlikely to provide you with truly original content on a subject - because it will need to have learned it from somewhere else.
But that doesn't mean that AI can't help you with your article writing. It can still be very useful for planning, editing and even providing suggestions of additional content to include.
So if AI is a big part of your content marketing process, you'll need to be clever about how you use it, and where it can add value. Otherwise you could find yourself generating content that Google doesn't rate, rank or respect.
Changes in PPC Since the Launch of AIOs
It's not just organic search that has seen some significant changes since AIOs came on the scene. Another area you may have seen changes is through PPC campaigns.
PPC is also experiencing big drops in click-through rates, dropping by more than 10% when an AI Overview is shown.
And at the same time, cost per click seems to be rising for many campaigns, possibly due to marketers looking to improve the numbers by moving budget from organic to paid campaigns, or perhaps due to SEOs turning from organic to PPC to help recover some of those lost clicks and users.
So is turning from organic to PPC in order to boost failing user numbers a good strategy?
It all depends on what the data says, and here's where you need to remember that your focus needs to move from users and clicks, to engagement and conversions.
If you've found that your user numbers are falling, but engagement and conversions seem fairly steady, then the majority of users you're losing are likely to be those right at the top of your sales funnel.
So you'll need to carefully weigh up the value of those users, against the cost of regaining them through your PPC campaign.
For some people, this investment may well be worth it, but for others, you may want to consider other options, such as CRO, Local SEO, content marketing and your social channels.
How to Optimise for AI Search
While users and clicks may be down (and may be down quite a lot), that doesn't mean that content marketing is dead. AI has made it harder, and we may need to re-evaluate the metrics we use to determine success, but content is still king - so long as you do it well.
But now we have additional elements to optimise for, starting with AI overviews themselves.
With AIOs taking up the first section of the serps for many queries, appearing in them can be hugely helpful. However, because the overviews are usually cut off with a "show more" option, being IN the AIO isn't enough - you need to be right at the top of it.
So how do you get yourself to the top of the AIOs? The answer, as usual, is with relevant, unique content, ideally in small, easily reproduced snippets that Google can read, understand and summarise quickly.
If Google sees you as an authority on a given subject, your website is more likely to be cited and linked from the AI overview. And it's also important to diversify how your content is delivered as well, using not just articles, but video and infographics that can be used on different platforms and channels and give you wider exposure.
5 Steps to Improve your SEO Strategies for AI in Search
At the end of the day, will AI replace SEO? No, of course not. But it is rapidly changing how we think about our SEO campaigns, and how we need to prepare for AI taking a greater role within search.
So, here's some actionable strategies that might help you through this period of flux:
- Review your reports, and start focusing more about engagement and conversions, rather than users and clicks.
- Make sure your website is technically optimised, with great structure, clear meta information and fantastic page speed.
- Take a look at your current content - is it original and unique? Or do you have some old AI articles that aren't really showcasing your content quality?
- Consider diversifying your content - can you add high quality video, graphics or images to your articles to improve engagement? And don't forget to upload those videos to Youtube as well for additional exposure!
- Refocus your content on creating brand authority and awareness through AIOs and organic search. It may be harder to get noticed, but your visibility online has now become one of your biggest assets.
Your website may be one of those that's taken a big hit in the past few months - and if that's the case, you're far from alone!
But there are things you can do to shore up your SEO strategies for AI search, and even use it to your advantage.
