The question “Is SEO dead?” seems to resurface every few years and 2025 is no exception. This question is being discussed by greater numbers of industry experts as AI revolutionises search.
In 2025, the answer remains clear: SEO is not dead—it's evolving.
Rather than fading away, SEO is adapting to new technologies, the changes in user behaviour and the evolving search ecosystems.
SEO Is evolving, not dying
Search engines remain a primary gateway for discovering information, products and services. But how SEO works has fundamentally changed. Outdated tactics (which died a decade ago) like keyword stuffing, spammy backlinks, and thin content are no longer effective.
Modern SEO focuses on delivering high-quality, user-centric content that meets real search intent, and is organised in a logical hubs around a subject matter. Since most users are on a mobile device, they are looking for ‘a journey on a page’ rather than needing to click around the website to complete a journey.
Google's continuous evolution and integration of AI-driven features, such as AI-generated overviews and the new AI Mode (live in US from 20 May) have made the search environment more dynamic. These changes don’t eliminate SEO; they reward authenticity, expertise, and value-driven content.
Why do some believe SEO Is dead?
Major updates in 2024 and 2025 and the emergence of AI in search have caused significant fluctuations in rankings. Many websites have reported drops in organic traffic by over 30% most notably for informational searches as users are given richer answers in the search environment. However, many sites are also achieving higher conversion rates, as users now conduct more thorough off-site research before making purchasing decisions. This means that users that visit a site are more like to take action and covert.
In addition, the rise of alternative platforms e.g. AI chatbots, voice assistants, and social search, has diversified how users find information. Nevertheless, Google still processes billions of searches every day and remains the most dominant discovery tool online. One recent study from Bright Edge showed that users searching Google (as measured by impressions) grew by 50% in 12 months.
Notably, B2B performance on Bing is improving, especially as professionals increasingly use tools like ChatGPT for work-related research.
The new SEO: search everywhere optimisation
SEO today isn’t just about ranking on Google; it's about visibility wherever people search. Successful modern SEO involves:
- Producing original, high-quality content that answers real questions.
Your content is different from Google AI Overviews because it provides your unique understanding and positioning in your market and weaves in your unique selling proposition (USP).
- Prioritising user intent and experience over any particular keyword
- Adapting to technologies like voice search, and AI chatbots
- Integrating SEO with broader digital performance strategies and leveraging signals from social and other platforms
- Using sophisticated analytics to understand your marketing performance in this complex environment.
(We explore the symbiotic relationship between SEO and Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) further on this page.)
Which aspects of SEO have ‘died’ and what are the alternatives?
| Outdated Tactic | Modern SEO Focus |
|---|---|
| Writing content for keywords, not users | Understanding user intent |
| Spammy backlinks | Earning trust and authority; building brand authority and recall |
| Thin or duplicated content such as blogs written for SEO purposes | Providing original, comprehensive content |
| Attemping to 'game' search algorithms | Delivering an authentic experience that is right for your users |
SEO is not dead in 2025—it’s simply evolving, as it has done for 20 or more years
As SEO evolves into AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation), it’s about earning visibility by delivering value. The brands and marketers thriving today are those who embrace change, stay aligned with evolving user behaviours, and remain focused on creating genuinely helpful content. SEO isn’t dead; it’s just outgrown shortcuts. Today, success comes from aligning with user needs, building trust, and evolving with the landscape.
SEO is alive and well—but only for those willing to grow with it!
If you would like help evolving your SEO strategy, please get in touch.
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| Author | Andrew Burgess |
| Channel | SEM |