The SEO Shift No One Saw Coming…

As generative AI technologies like ChatGPT continue to evolve, they are redefining the way users search for information.

With tools like OpenAI’s SearchGPT, Perplexity and other generative AI-powered assistants rapidly gaining popularity, search engine optimization (SEO) will again become increasingly important for business owners.

However, the focus of SEO is shifting.

It’s no longer just about ranking high on traditional search engines like Google, but also about showing up in generative AI results, which are quickly becoming users’ default search engines.

Generative AI, such as ChatGPT and Google Bard, provides users with curated, summarised answers rather than a list of links.

This shift from traditional search results to AI-generated responses means that fewer sources are referenced directly, and many users are bypassing traditional search engines entirely.

In the past, users would scroll through pages of Google search results to find what they needed.

Now, AI is trained to do that work, summarising the web and presenting answers in an easy-to-digest format without the friction of clicking multiple links.

As OpenAI’s SearchGPT moves forward, businesses that want to remain visible must adapt.

According to early reports, SearchGPT is designed to link users directly to publishers, with clear in-line attribution and source links.

This creates an opportunity for businesses to still be part of the conversation — but only if they’re optimising their content properly for AI-generated searches.

It will be the Google AdWords model but for AI (I predicted here: https://x.com/OrrenHimself/status/1818260775062196570)

AI-powered search tools are now competing directly with Google’s traditional search model.

This competition is introducing a new wave of SEO strategies, where businesses need to focus on creating content that is AI-friendly.

The rise of voice search, driven by AI assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Home, further exemplifies this shift.

When users ask their AI tools a question, they expect one or two definitive answers, not hundreds of search results.

Remember who I was yelling from rooftops about this 4+ years ago? (https://medium.com/@orren/the-opportunity-of-voice-apps-bbb165a96b87)

In my articles on Medium (https://medium.com/@orren/chatgpt-why-all-brands-need-to-forget-selling-advertising-39c7ab5cc154), I argued that as people get lazier and more accustomed to quick answers, they would rely less on traditional search engines and more on AI to find what they need.

I noted that SEO strategies would need to shift toward making sure businesses and brands are optimized for AI-driven results.

This prediction is proving accurate as both consumer habits and the technology itself continue to evolve.

The challenge for businesses is clear: adapt or become invisible.

Generative AI technologies rely heavily on data to provide relevant and accurate answers, which means that businesses must ensure their content is up-to-date, factual, and optimised for AI indexing.

SEO strategies now need to account for how AI pulls information and ranks it in order of importance.

Keywords, structure, and quality content remain critical, but there’s an increased emphasis on how easily AI can extract (scrape) that information and turn it into an answer.

Moreover, it’s essential to remember that even though AI is generating these answers, traditional search engines like Google (and now Bing) still play a vital role in feeding data into these systems.

So, while businesses need to focus on AI, they shouldn’t abandon traditional SEO efforts.

Being highly ranked on Google (or Bing) can still be a significant advantage because AI tools like SearchGPT and Perplexity are likely pulling from the same top-ranked content.

Voice search, which I also discussed previously, is poised to become a dominant way users interact with AI-driven tools (https://openai.com/index/chatgpt-can-now-see-hear-and-speak).

In this scenario, SEO will shift even more toward optimising for concise, direct answers that AI can easily extract.

Voice search offers fewer results — often just one or two — making it critical for businesses to aim for that top spot.

In addition, paid advertising within AI search results is likely the next evolution.

Just as Google monetized traditional search through ads, companies like OpenAI may integrate native ads into AI responses.

This will drive fierce competition for the top (only) spot in AI results.

Brands that aren’t optimised for organic AI search will be forced to pay increasingly higher rates for visibility, more so than what they are used to currently.

The key takeaway for business owners is that SEO is not dead — far from it.

SEO is evolving in response to AI’s rise as the default search tool for many consumers.

Businesses must now optimise for both traditional search engines and AI-driven platforms.

Here are a few steps businesses should take:

1. Optimise for text AI: Ensure content is easy for AI systems to find and interpret (contrary to this: https://orren.medium.com/how-to-stop-chatgpt-openai-scraping-your-proprietary-information-get-compensated-f951af48eff3).

2. Stay relevant in voice search: Voice search will continue to gain traction, making concise and direct responses even more critical.

3. Prepare for paid AI listings: As AI tools integrate native advertising, businesses should prepare to bid for top placements in AI-generated results.

4. Build your brand: As I’ve emphasised, building a recognisable, trustworthy brand is more important than ever.

The world of SEO is rapidly changing.

Business owners who stay ahead of these trends and adapt their strategies to generative AI will be the ones who thrive in this new digital landscape.