SEO is Dead: Why We’re Right (and What the Experts Say)
There’s still a debate about what AI means for SEO. (It’s dead, duh!) But while we at SEO is Dead are convinced we’re right–who isn’t?--we like to keep an open mind to the best of our ability. Here’s a quick shout out for some folks’ recent contributions to the debate!
Short-Term Tactics vs. Long-Term Strategy
Jason Hennessey’s sharp piece, “How To Future-Proof Your SEO Strategy For The AI Search Era,” reminds us that there is NO “set it and forget” when it comes to adapting to the new answer-engine world. You need a long-term strategy, not shortsighted tactics. Per Hennessey, AI tools aren’t designed to make things harder for brands, they are intended to produce more accurate, conversational answers for users. So? It “means search engines are becoming less about matching keywords and more about understanding the intent behind a query.” The winning sites will deliver the “most helpful content–not just the most optimized.” Both “black-hat SEO techniques” and keyword-heavy approaches don’t work anymore. While Hennessey says all this “doesn’t mean SEO is dead,” we beg to differ. If it’s all about delivering valuable content for AI answers in no-click searches…enough said.
Building Authority and Trust
How to build this authority? Jane Phelps, CEO of Know Agency, gives some tips in “The New Era of Nutraceutical Marketing: Navigating AI and SEO for Growth.” While she cautions against forgetting about keywords and ignoring link building, Phelps highlights the importance of building your brand's “E-E-A-T”: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. SEO is Dead totally agrees! To build that trust, consider these guidelines:
Prove your impact: Use evidence and testimonials to demonstrate your brand’s results.
Showcase your people: Highlight the specialists and experts behind your product.
Create citable content: Produce valuable resources, such as white papers, studies, and articles that other experts want (or need) to cite.
Prioritize transparency: Clearly cite your sources and display user testimonials!
Don’t Fall Behind
But how to make sure to stay on track? The Future of Things’ article “The SEO World Is Quietly Shifting—Are You Falling Behind?” kicks off by claiming “search engine optimization is going through a quiet revolution.” Well, not if SEO is Dead has anything to say about it. The staff writer then pivots to the key point–what used to work doesn’t work anymore. “If your SEO strategy still relies on old formulas, the best time to change was yesterday. The second-best time is now.”
The piece then makes clear we are in the midst of a shift from keywords to context and that user experience is the new SEO. It closes by emphasizing how to future proof your SEO: 1) clear helpful content; 2) topic clustering over isolated posts; and 3) firsthand experience, eg, showcase your data, insights, etc.
All good ideas for SEO (on its way down). Not to mention the right moves to Artificial Intelligence Optimization (AIO), the real future as we all ask more and more of ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and other LLMs.
Check out our short piece to learn about how to get discovered by answer engines: “Five Steps to Get Your Brand Noticed by ChatGPT.” Or dive straight into the white paper, available here.