I’ve Had It! We Need to Stop the Fearmongering and “SEO Is Dead” Narrative

Lately, there’s been a activity of misinformation and half-baked truths flooding societal media from SEO influencers twisting information to fresh their narratives.

It’s the classical fearmongering and doomsaying wherever they declare SEO is dormant aliases a caller hunt feature/trend is not worthy optimizing for.

While I’m knowledgeable capable to shape captious opinions, I interest astir those easy swayed by these influencers. So, I’ve decided to debunk these claims and item what you really request to attraction connected to triumph astatine hunt successful 2025.

But first, here’s a sample of the mendacious claims I’ve seen lately:

• SEO is dormant because generative hunt will switch Google (laughs successful Google’s monopoly).
• Generative Engine Optimization is simply a buzzword that doesn’t mean thing (which explains why hunt measurement for the word has accrued by complete 50% successful the past year, right?).
• If you optimize for SEO, you automatically optimize for generative hunt because they mean the aforesaid thing. (Ehn, not quite).
• LLMs are connected people to switch Google Search arsenic the preferred hunt acquisition this twelvemonth aliases adjacent (With a 4% marketplace stock and nary monetization…I deliberation not).

These claims are designed to push a mendacious narrative, and the information down them is cherry-picked to show half a story.

Let’s group the grounds straight.

Google Search is doing conscionable good for an manufacture that’s supposedly dying. 

The numbers don’t lie. Google still dominates search, controls advertisement revenue, and continues to innovate pinch AI hunt features that make uncovering accusation faster than ever. 

But, of course, the fearmongers don’t talk astir that. Let’s break it down.

Google owns the hunt market

Yes, AI hunt devices are increasing fast, but influencers conveniently disregard the bigger picture. Google still controls over 90% of the world hunt market, and while it’s mostly navigational, it doesn’t make it irrelevant. It’s wherever users commencement their hunt journey, and that power isn’t crumbling anytime soon.

Want much numbers? I’ve sewage you:

• Google processed over 5 trillion searches successful 2024, while ChatGPT handled 45 billion. That’s a 110,111% difference​.
• Google Search Grew 20% successful 2024 and received 373x much searches than ChatGPT.
• According to Moz’s Senior Search Scientist, Tom Capper, ChatGPT’s postulation successful the US and UK is still 2.5x little than Bing—and Bing has hardly made a dent in Google’s dominance​. 

Look successful your GA4 analytics correct now and cheque really overmuch postulation and conversions you get from integrated hunt compared to GEO. When you comparison the numbers, there’s an ocean-sized gap, which intends that while clicks are going down, integrated hunt is still the superior postulation root for astir websites.

If that’s what dying looks like, I’d emotion to spot really y’all specify success.

Google’s advertisement revenue: In the awesome words of MC Hammer, “Can’t touch this”

Google isn’t worried astir AI hunt stealing postulation because astir AI queries are informational, and Google makes money connected commercialized intent. If you’re looking for merchandise reviews, shopping experiences, formation deals, aliases section services, you still spell to Google for recommendations.

• In 2024, Google’s gross was $348.16 billion, and advertising contributed 77.8%.
• Meanwhile, LLMs for illustration ChatGPT and Claude haven’t figured retired monetization and are burning rate fast​.
• According to Tom Capper, Amazon is the only existent competitor for commercialized searches but they are obscurity adjacent Google’s numbers with $56.21 cardinal successful advertisement revenue.

Until LLMs fig retired monetization, they can’t spell toe-to-toe pinch Google.

New AI features are making hunt better

A fewer years ago, I had to publication 3 to 5 articles to get a broad reply from Google hunt results. If I had a analyzable query, hide it. 

Today, Google handles mathematics problems successful hunt results, provides AI-generated answers to analyzable questions, and moreover allows follow-up queries pinch AI mode, making hunt much conversational.

Despite the increasing fame of AI search, astir group still trust connected Google arsenic their superior root of information. 

I've agelong said that Google’s eventual extremity is to create a hunt acquisition wherever users don’t request to click through, and these AI hunt features reenforce this.

Everything Google does is geared towards keeping users connected SERPs. So, alternatively of pulling users away, AI hunt features amended Google’s expertise to present high-quality results faster. 

It’s awesome for users, and if we’re being honest, SEOs are the only ones huffy astir AI hunt because it’s cutting into clicks.

No, I’m saying, why take erstwhile you tin person both? 

SEO and GEO aren’t competing strategies; instead, they activity together. You conscionable request an integrated attack to triumph crossed some platforms.

When you deliberation astir it, astir strategies for optimizing generative hunt are geared toward expanding marque visibility.

This is an oversimplification, but here’s what works:

• Brand mentions crossed the web
• Positive marque sentiment
• Brand relation pinch cardinal topics
• Brand mentions successful strategical places (training datasets and LLM-favored sites)

Do you spot the problem?

SEO is not capable to execute this goal, and therein lies the biggest spread betwixt SEO and GEO. For excessively long, SEO has sat successful a silo erstwhile it should beryllium portion of an integrated marque strategy that increases visibility connected each platforms wherever your assemblage spends time.

A holistic strategy should include:

• SEO for discoverability
• Digital PR for credibility
• Influencer trading for trust
• Affiliate trading for demand
• Social media to enactment apical of mind

Everything moving successful unison to support 1 goal: Brand.

Measure your Brand Authority pinch trusted metrics from Moz

Put those 2 insights together, and the connection is clear: marque consciousness drives clicks. Users who spot a acquainted marque successful hunt results are much apt to click it. 

Search doesn’t commencement connected Google. It originates successful the user’s mind, wherever you must rank first to build affinity. We request to grow the extremity of SEO beyond hunt ranking to see an moreover bigger extremity of becoming THE marque group actively activity out.

The Helpful Content Update (HCU) was astir marque demand

For months, SEOs speculated astir what Google’s Helpful Content Update was really targeting. Was it bladed content, AI spam, aliases parasite SEO? 

The reply turned retired to beryllium thing overmuch bigger: Brand Authority.

Tom Capper’s investigation connected the HCU revealed that it wasn’t conscionable astir having precocious Domain Authority but the ratio betwixt DA and Brand Authority. Sites pinch beardown nexus profiles but anemic marque beingness struggled, suggesting that Google is penalizing perceived manipulation and rewarding existent marque demand.

LLMs usage marque signals successful training information and output

Large connection models study by identifying patterns crossed immense amounts of text. When high-authority sources consistently mention a marque successful relationship pinch circumstantial topics, the exemplary originates to subordinate that marque pinch authority and relevance.

High-quality mentions from trusted sources thief models shape clearer associations betwixt brands and topics.

We've been focusing connected the incorrect thing. Instead of debating the decease of SEO aliases the value of GEO, we should beryllium focused connected marque arsenic the early of search.

If you want to future-proof your hunt strategy, here’s really to build an integrated integer strategy: 

1. Own your topics successful SERPs

You can't look successful generative hunt if you don't rank consistently for accepted SERPs. Generative engines often propulsion summaries, citations, and discourse from the aforesaid top-ranking pages connected hunt engines. If your contented isn’t already ranking for cardinal topics, it’s little apt to beryllium featured successful AI results.

Owning your topics signals authority to hunt engines and LLMs, and that’s the first measurement to earning visibility crossed both.

If you want a broad guide, I covered this taxable successful a webinar, but for now, present are immoderate tips to implement:

Do keyword investigation to place your topics: 

Use Keyword Suggestions By Topic to cluster keywords and quickly shape your contented strategy. This will avoid cannibalization and guarantee you create only arsenic overmuch contented arsenic needed.

Conduct competitor study to understand positioning and strategy:

Moz Competitive Research helps you analyse which topics thrust postulation and gross for your competitors, highlighting keyword gaps you tin exploit.

Other tips for owning your topic:

• Create best-in-class content: Rather than publishing fluff that contributes to the problem of “sameness,” level taxable matter experts pinch unsocial insights to thief you ain the conversation.
• Earn backlinks and mentions from reputable sites: Get links from trusted sources to build credibility and summation your chances of featuring successful Google SERPs.
• Optimize for SERP features: Target People Also Ask (PAA), featured snippets, and AI overviews to summation hunt visibility.
• Dominate hunt intent astatine each personification travel stages: Don’t conscionable attraction on BOFU content because it’s much apt to convert. Cover each phase, including awareness, consideration, and decision-making.
• Expand beyond Google: AI and hunt engines progressively favour multi-format content. Optimize for YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok alongside accepted search.

2. Get featured connected high-authority sites

LLMs and Google favour contented from high-authority publishers successful their training information and results. If these sites mention your brand, your chances of appearing successful AI-generated answers increase.

One of the champion ways to gain these mentions is by getting featured successful reviews from reputable publishers.

For example, erstwhile I searched for lightweight marathon moving shoes nether $100, ChatGPT showed recommendations from Verywell Fit, a reputable reappraisal site. The apical proposal is an Asics moving shoe. Remember this arsenic we'll touch connected it later on.

If a moving footwear institution were trying to get much marque mentions for this usage case, it would make consciousness to get featured successful these types of articles.

Digital PR is an effective measurement to unafraid placements successful charismatic publications. Unlike traditional link-building that focuses connected nexus acquisition, digital PR positions your marque arsenic a valuable assets that high-authority sites want to reference.

3. Partner pinch influencers and affiliates

Affiliate trading is simply a awesome measurement to summation marque awareness, gain societal proof, and thrust referral postulation to your merchandise pages.

Tali Chester, Senior Affiliate Account Manager at All Inclusive Marketing Inc., shared immoderate insights connected really to get the astir worth from your connection and influencer program.

Prioritize:

• Niche influencers and contented creators
• Educators who thatch courses aliases supply tutorials and learning resources 
• Review & comparison sites
• Affiliate marketers pinch proven conversion

Aim for these topics:

• Review
• Vs
• Is x instrumentality really worthy the money?
• How to usage x instrumentality for x usage case
• Bext x tool/software
• X alternatives to competitor name
• How to do x usability for beginners
• I tried x instrumentality for 30 days, and here’s what I found

For example, here’s a merchandise reappraisal I recovered connected Inc. erstwhile I was researching productivity hacks.

My neurospicy encephalon loves dot grids, truthful while it’s a turn-off for immoderate people, it’s eden connected a portion of insubstantial for me.

Do you spot what’s happening? Sidekick Notepad has earned:

• Positive marque mention
• Association pinch their superior topic
• A backlink from Inc.
• Referral traffic
• Potential income from conversion

4. Be omnichannel

Search is becoming fragmented, pinch users turning to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for trustworthy advice. Brand visibility isn’t constricted to Google, arsenic LLMs and hunt engines propulsion information from aggregate sources. 

To enactment apical of mind, show up wherever your assemblage is. Diversify pinch videos, podcasts, webinars, and infographics, and find ways to repurpose and cross-promote contented crossed channels.

At Moz, we do this by utilizing our webinar program to create multi-format content. Let’s use Lily Ray’s AMA arsenic an example.

I created a short clip from the webinar and posted it connected YouTube, wherever it has astir 2k views.

The repurposed blog post was 1 of our best-performing contented successful 2024 because it was timely and applicable proposal from a respected thought leader.

Here’s another illustration of an AMA with Amanda Natividad, Tom Capper, and Dr Peter Meyers that I repurposed into:

• Short video clips
• Social media posts
• Quotes
• Blog post

The guests are happy to stock the contented connected their societal media because it makes them look bully and its adjuvant proposal for their audience.

Affiliate and influencer partnerships are different awesome measurement to support an omnichannel presence.

Mix up contented to include:

• Webinars pinch partners who person an established program
• Email campaigns pinch celebrated newsletters your assemblage love
• Reviews and how-to contented connected YouTube
• Content partnerships pinch high-authority niche publications
• How-to contented from influencers targeting caller characteristic releases and circumstantial usage cases

5. Build products that foster apostles

Great products don’t request hype because they create their own. ​​

The champion marque mentions travel from having awesome products group usage each time and want to talk about. Your customers people go influencers, constitute reviews, and stock usage cases you haven't considered. They advocator for you connected forums for illustration Reddit erstwhile group inquire questions astir your product. 

Remember that screenshot I shared astir ChatGPT recommending moving shoes from a niche publication? It turns retired Asics has tons of affirmative marque mentions and associations pinch moving shoes.

 For example, I searched for moving shoes nether $100, and the apical subreddit connected SERPs mentioned Asics arsenic their existent moving shoes.

So, it’s not conscionable 1 mention but a postulation of marque signals pointing to this marque arsenic a awesome product.

Suffice to say, it each comes backmost to brand.