SEO Remains Essential for AI Search Success

Over the last few months, the world of search has rapidly transformed with AI at the heart of the changes. The good news? Strong SEO best practices remain core to AI success.

Coming out of Google’s annual I/O developer conference, it’s important for marketers to understand the evolving SERP as AI continues to change the landscape.

What is AI in search?

“AI in search” refers to the integration of artificial intelligence technologies into search engines to make them more intelligent, efficient, and user friendly. This technology is not new; in fact, Google has been using machine learning and artificial intelligence for over a decade.

AI technology has profoundly advanced, pushing the boundaries of how we traditionally think a user may search and the information they receive. AI in search looks different from the traditional ten blue links as it manifests in several key ways, including:

AI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini): These conversational interfaces provide direct answers and engage in back-and-forth dialogue, often drawing information from vast datasets, including the web
AI search engines (e.g., Perplexity, Brave): Built from the ground up with AI as their core, these engines aim to provide more direct, synthesized answers rather than just lists of links
AI search features (e.g., Google’s AI Overviews, AI Mode): These are integrated into existing traditional search engines, offering AI-generated summaries (AI Overviews) and more conversational, multi-turn experiences (AI Mode) directly on the search results page

What’s new: key “AI in search” developments from Google

AI Mode out of beta (U.S. only): Google’s AI Mode moved out of beta for U.S. users, becoming a more prominent feature in search results. AI Mode is essentially Google’s answer to AI search engines like Perplexity. This AI Mode is a new tab found within the Google Search space, and looks essentially like an expanded AI Overview. AI Mode coming out of beta means more users are encountering AI-generated, conversational answers directly within Google Search.

AI Mode data in Search Console: Google officially confirmed that search results data from AI mode are being counted in Google Search Console as regular web traffic. Unfortunately, at this time there is no method for segmenting out AI Mode impressions, clicks, and position. The only other information at this time is that Google provided documentation to distinguish how AI Mode data is calculated, including:
- Click: Clicking a link to an external page in AI Mode counts as a click.
- Impression: Standard impression rules apply.
- Position: Position in AI Mode follows the same methodology as a Google Search results page. Generally, carousel and image blocks within AI Mode are calculated using the standard position rules for those elements

AI Overview expansion: AI Overviews (AIOs), the AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results for certain queries, continue to expand their presence for a wider range of queries. This means brands that rely on informational organic traffic will continue to see organic clicks decline as AIOs continue to reduce the need for users to click through to websites

More ads in AI Overviews and AI Mode: The introduction of ads directly within AI Overviews and AI Mode is a significant update. These are clearly labeled as “sponsored” and are being tested to appear as product recommendations or relevant services embedded within the AI-generated responses. This marks a new frontier for paid search

What this means for marketers: the new normal

SEO remains vital: Foundational SEO tactics like a technically sound website and quality, unique content that meets the user intent are still crucial for success in the AI search landscape. Without a technically sound, fast website, AI engines won’t be able to access content. And without high-quality content that provides a valuable user experience, content won’t rank highly enough to be of note for AI engines to inform AI-generated answers
Search continues to expand beyond traditional search engines: SEO strategies can no longer solely focus on traditional “blue link” organic results. AI chatbots, AI-first search engines, and integrated AI features mean users are finding information and making decisions in new ways, often without clicking through to a website
Need to think GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Just as we’ve optimized for SEO, there’s a growing need to optimize for generative AI. This means creating content that is comprehensive, well-structured, and authoritative, making it more likely to be cited or summarized by AI models
Clicks for high-funnel content will continue to decline, but conversions may not: With AI providing direct answers, searchers will increasingly get the information they need without visiting a website, particularly for informational queries. This might lead to a decline in organic clicks for certain high-funnel content. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean a loss of conversions. AI can aid in the discovery phase and users who do click through are often further down the purchase funnel, leading to more qualified traffic. This change in traffic patterns necessitates a shift in measurement, with visibility metrics paired with traffic and conversions, so marketers can best understand how AI in search impacts overall performance
AI in search will continue to grow: This is not a fleeting trend. As Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated, “AI is as big as the creation of the internet,” signifying its profound and lasting impact. Expect continued innovation and integration of AI across all aspects of search and a need to evolve search strategies alongside AI innovations

In essence, AI is reshaping the search landscape, offering both challenges and opportunities. Marketers must adapt by understanding new user behaviors, optimizing for AI-driven content consumption while holding true to SEO best practices, and embracing the evolving nature of the customer journey.

Curious to learn more? Collective Measures can provide AI “Lunch and Learns” or additional education on AI search if your company would like to learn more.