SEO is Dead? Yeah, About That... My Take on What's Really Changing

May 30, 2025

Alright, let's talk about something that’s been a hot topic, and an article I saw on Inc.com by Joe Procopio pretty bluntly titled, "SEO is Dead, According to Google" really hammered it home for me.

That provocative headline, or variations of it, seems to be everywhere these days, doesn't it? And it really makes you stop and think, especially with all the AI fireworks we just saw at the recent Google I/O (and my detailed breakdown of what was ACTUALLY released).

So, is SEO actually dead? Or is something more nuanced, more of a radical transformation, happening right under our noses? My money's on the latter.

Why We're Even Talking About "The Death of SEO"

If you caught any of Google I/O (or my last post on it – felt more like "Gemini I/O," didn't it?), you saw the writing on the wall. Google isn't just dipping its toes into AI; it's diving headfirst. The heavy emphasis on Gemini becoming the core of search, the rollout of AI Overviews that directly answer user queries, and the clear, ambitious push towards an "AI mode" or even a full-blown "Agent mode" for search and interaction – this is the catalyst Joe Procopio and others are pointing to.

Now the fact is - this isn't just about fancier search snippets anymore. Google is aiming to be an "answer engine" and, increasingly, an "action-by-digital-labor engine" If an AI can synthesize information and give the user a direct answer, or an AI agent can complete a task based on that information, the million-dollar question for all of us is: what happens to the traditional click-through to our websites? That’s the core tension, and it’s (rightfully) making everyone in the SEO and content world sit up and seriously rethink things.

What "SEO" Used to Mean (The Good Old Days)

To understand where we're going, it helps to remember what the "good old days" of SEO (say, even just a couple of years ago) largely revolved around. It was a specific playbook, wasn't it?

The Old Playbook Went Something Like This: We meticulously managed technical SEO to make sure Google could even find our stuff. We did deep keyword research for on-page optimization, trying to sprinkle those magic words just right. We chased backlinks like they were gold, because, well, they kind of were for off-page authority. We crafted "SEO-driven content" (and let's be honest, sometimes it felt more for the bots than for actual humans). And local SEO had its own little black book of tricks, which also popularize the strategies like "rank and sell".

The Often-Forgotten Underlying Goal: But even with all those tactics, what was the real aim supposed to be? Wasn't it always about connecting actual people with genuinely valuable, relevant content that actually satisfied what they were looking for? In a more technical term, matching your content with the audience's search intent. Things like click-through rates (CTRs) and how long someone actually stuck around on your page (engaged sessions) were always waving their hands, trying to tell us if we were hitting that mark.

Now, why’s that old playbook starting to feel a bit old? Because AI, especially the kind Google is unleashing, is getting incredibly good at understanding context, pulling together information from all over, and giving users direct answers. Some of our old reliable levers are just not having the same isolated impact.

What "Optimizing" in SEO Means Now (My Take)

This is where it gets really interesting, and where we need to adapt our thinking – fast. The game is changing, and "optimization" needs a serious refresh.

Here's my take on what's shifting:

A. Consumption Models Change - SEO for Agents and Bots

Here’s a big shift: AI is often the first "reader" of your content now. (And this is not new, think about it, why would you have a robot.txt file for google bots?) It’s pulling information for those AI Overviews or to inform how an AI Agent might complete a task. This means your content has to be crystal clear, impeccably structured (think logical headings, good use of lists, and yes, get friendly with schema markup and the good old technical SEO game!), and factually accurate. If an AI can't understand it or trust it, good luck getting it in front of a human. Leverage your content to build your brand, not just for bots consumption.

B. Generic is Over - Instead, Build Your Brand

AI Can Do "Basic" Effortlessly: If your content is generic, easily replicable information (the kind of basic listicles or simple definitions we've all skimmed past, with or without help from ChatGPT), well, AI can generate that in its sleep. That content's value as a differentiator? Plummeting, fast.

Your Unique Brand is Your Superpower: What AI can't replicate is your brand's distinct perspective, your original research, your proprietary data, your first-hand experiences, and your deep, nuanced expertise. Google's concept of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)(and all these core updates that came with it, fun times!) isn't just important anymore; it's becoming the bedrock (no pun intended) of discoverability. Focus on creating content that only you can genuinely bring to life.

C. Produce Content for Multimodality Consumption - Blog/Podcast/Video/Offline/AI Agent

Google's Multimodal Vision: I/O wasn't shy about showcasing incredible advancements in understanding and generating video (like Veo 3), audio (Lyria 2), and images (Imagen 4). Search and user interaction are rapidly moving beyond just strings of text.

Your Strategy Must Diversify: Your content needs to exist where your audience (and the AI serving them) is looking – and that includes various formats. Think informative videos (YouTube, TikTok, etc), engaging podcasts, insightful infographics. These also help build broader topical authority and brand presence.

D. Social Media and Communities around Your Brand

Optimizing for the "Answer," Not Just the Link: With AI Overviews, the goal shifts. It’s less about being the #1 blue link for a high volume and low KR keyword and more about being the definitive, trusted source that an AI quotes, references, or uses to construct its answer.

Building Your Own Bridges to Your Audience: This means reducing sole reliance on organic search. Strengthening your brand's presence and engagement on social media, building valuable email lists, and fostering active, genuine communities around your expertise become even more vital. These are your direct lines.

E. Deep Understanding of Your Users

Customer Intelligence: We're not unfamiliar with the CDPs, as a matter of fact, we all know someone who's great at building them. It's about understanding of every touch points of your customer journey, not a one and deal deal even with your anonymous users.
Keywords are Clues, Not the Whole Story: With conversational AI and agents becoming more prevalent, it's absolutely paramount to understand the nuanced "why" behind a user's intent – their full journey, the specific problems they're truly trying to solve. Simple keyword matching just isn't going to cut it anymore.
Creating Genuinely Satisfying Experiences: Your content needs to anticipate those follow-up questions and provide truly complete answers that satisfy complex needs, making your site the place people (and AI) trust to get the full picture.

F. Agent2Agent + Agent2Human Automation

The Future of Content Consumption: I know, with the amount of times AI mentioned in this post, we might as well live in the post Terminator Judgement Day world. That said, the true power behind this AI era is AI, and your content experience can be automated via ML/AI. Turn your true understanding of your customers into automated and actionable micro-transactions.

This means -

We create content for best human consumption as well as direct agent consumption.
We build tools and models to enable automated actions.
And, as always, we learn from the consumer behaviors (Human or AI agents), and improve our strategies and actions.

And around all that - data, your data is the key!

So, is SEO Dead? Nah. It's Just Demanding Our A-Game

Let's circle back to that big, scary question, the one Joe Procopio and others are rightly making us confront: "Is SEO Dead?" My answer is still a clear no. But the SEO we all grew up with? That’s definitely undergoing a massive, AI-driven transformation. And you know what? That’s probably a good thing for everyone.

As I've said before, regardless of how the algorithms and interfaces change, the fundamental incentive will always be for creators to provide better, more valuable experiences for their customers. The core mission – to deeply understand your audience, create exceptional value for them, and ensure it's discoverable – isn't being replaced; it's being amplified. AI raises the bar for quality, for authenticity, and for genuine expertise. It's challenging all of us to be better, more thoughtful creators.

With Google's clear direction towards a more sophisticated AI and Agent-driven search experience, how are you thinking about shifting your content and "optimization" strategy? I’d love to hear your insights!

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