The Impact of AI and the Future of SEO

TL;DR

• AI is transforming search results: Google now uses AI-generated overviews at the top of many searches (the Search Generative Experience), which provide instant answers drawn from various websites. These AI summaries (also known as AI Overviews) often occupy the prime "position zero" on Google.
• Organic traffic is declining for some queries: Studies show that when an AI overview appears, clicks on traditional search results drop significantly (e.g. a 34.5% drop in clicks to the top result on average). Many websites have already seen a 15–30% decline in organic traffic as AI answers more queries directly. Informational searches are most affected, as users get their answers from the AI summary without clicking through.
• High-intent searches and quality clicks remain: Not all searches are losing traffic. Transactional and local queries (like "best plumber near me") still lead users to websites to take action. The clicks you do get may be more qualified – if someone clicks through from an AI overview, they're likely further along in their decision process (because Google's AI "vetted" the info).
• SEO isn't dead – it's evolving: Businesses need to adjust their SEO strategies for this AI-driven landscape. Success means optimising content to be the trusted source that AI references, focusing on authoritative, well-structured content that answers users' questions clearly. It also means leveraging AI tools for SEO (for content, analysis, automation) to work smarter, not harder. Crucially, local SEO and reputation (reviews, Google Business Profile) matter even more as Google's AI values authoritative, locally relevant sources.
• Prepare for "GEO" (Generative Engine Optimisation): As AI-powered search becomes mainstream – with projections that 75%+ of searches will have AI-generated answers by 2028 – businesses must incorporate generative AI optimisation into their marketing. In the future of search, winning means showing up in AI summaries and other AI platforms. Brands that adapt by creating quality content and monitoring their presence in AI results can maintain visibility, while those that don't risk losing 20–50% of their search traffic over time.

AI Is Changing the Search Game

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising how people find information online. In the past couple of years, tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT have shown that AI can answer questions conversationally – and millions of users embraced it. Not wanting to be left behind, Google introduced its own AI-powered search results. In Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), many queries now trigger an AI-generated overview at the top of the results page. This overview is essentially a brief answer or summary, compiled by Google's AI from information across the web, with links (citations) to the sources.

For example, if you search a question like "How does artificial intelligence affect SEO?", Google might display an AI overview summarising the key points (e.g. "AI can analyse search patterns, generate content, and alter how users see results…"), followed by citations linking to websites that provided those insights. The user can get a quick answer without immediately clicking any website. In essence, Google's AI acts as an instant research assistant for the searcher, synthesising content from multiple sites.

This is convenient for users – but it introduces new challenges for businesses. If Google's AI is answering questions at the top of the page, what does that mean for your website's SEO (search engine optimisation)? Will fewer people click your hard-earned Google ranking? How can you make sure your business still shows up and gets traffic in this new era? In this deep dive, we'll explore the impact of AI on SEO and what the future may hold, especially for businesses in the UK aiming to stay visible on Google. We'll also share practical strategies to help you adapt and even take advantage of AI – rather than be steamrolled by it.

(Note: We'll use "AI overviews" or "AI-driven search results" to refer to Google's new AI summaries in search, and "traditional search results" to mean the usual organic listings. All statistics are cited from recent studies and industry data to keep things factual.)

Google's AI Overviews: A Quick Primer

Google's AI Overview (part of SGE) is one of the biggest changes to search in years. Instead of the classic blue links and featured snippets we're used to, certain Google searches now display a prominent AI-generated answer at the very top. What exactly is this AI Overview?

• An AI-powered answer box: Google's AI Overview is essentially an AI-crafted summary of answers, shown at the top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). It uses Google's artificial intelligence to read and digest content from across the web, and then presents a concise answer or overview to the user's query. Think of it as an expanded featured snippet, but generated by a powerful AI that can combine information from multiple sources.
• Citations to sources: Unlike a chatbot that might just give an answer, Google's AI overview typically includes citations (links) to the websites it pulled the information from. This means your site could be featured as a source in that answer – which is a new kind of visibility. Being cited in the AI box can be a brand boost (it signals your content is trustworthy enough for Google to highlight). However, if you're not one of those cited, your page might be pushed further down the page.
• Triggered mostly for informational queries: Not every search triggers an AI overview. They tend to appear for questions or broad informational searches – for instance, "what is the best way to improve SEO with AI" or "how to train for a marathon". In fact, AI overviews showed up for about 59% of informational queries in one analysis. For more commercially oriented searches (like "buy running shoes size 10"), they are less common (around 19% of those queries in that study) – likely because Google also needs to show ads and specific product results for those. But as the technology evolves, the line is blurring. Google has even started testing ads within AI overviews for commercial queries.
• Takes up a lot of screen space: Importantly, these AI answer boxes dominate the screen, especially on mobile. Combined with other rich results, an AI overview can take up ~75% of the screen on a phone and ~67% on a desktop. This means even if your website is ranking #1 organically, it might be pushed way down, possibly below the "fold" (what's immediately visible), when an AI result appears on top. In short, the AI overview is the new "Position Zero" – it's the first thing users see, and it tends to capture their attention before any traditional search listing.

The key takeaway: Google's AI overviews aim to answer users' questions immediately. They're great for user experience in many cases, but they inevitably draw clicks and attention away from the standard search results. Now, let's look at how this shift is affecting website traffic and SEO.

How AI-Powered Search Is Impacting SEO

The rise of AI in search is already changing user behaviour – and the data shows it's reducing traffic to many websites. Here are the major impacts being observed:

• Significant drop in click-through rates (CTR): When an AI overview is present, fewer people feel the need to click the regular results. Two separate studies (by Ahrefs and by Amsive) found that the introduction of AI answers led to a notable decline in clicks on organic listings. The Ahrefs study measured a 34.5% drop in CTR for the #1 organic result whenever an AI overview appeared. Amsive (looking across various positions) saw an average 15.5% drop in CTR, with even larger losses in some cases. In other words, if your page was getting, say, 100 clicks a day from Google, it might drop to ~65 clicks when Google places an AI answer on top – a considerable hit to traffic.
• Overall organic traffic decline: Multiple reports indicate that websites are seeing their search traffic fall by roughly 15–30% in sectors where AI answers are common. Google's AI is answering more queries directly on the SERP, leading to fewer visitors clicking through. This trend is reminiscent of the long-running rise in "zero-click searches," but AI has accelerated it. If someone's question is answered immediately by Google's AI, they might not need to visit any site – including yours. One McKinsey analysis warns that unprepared brands (those who do nothing to adapt) could experience a 20% to 50% drop in traffic from traditional search as AI search grows. That's huge – imagine losing half of your Google visitors. This is a wake-up call that we can't ignore.
• Informational queries: biggest impact: AI overviews are much more likely to appear for non-branded, informational queries – and those queries have seen the largest drops in CTR. For example, if someone searches "how to improve website SEO," Google's AI might give a summary. In such cases, users often get their answer from the overview and don't click on the blog posts or guides that they would have before. On the other hand, branded or navigational queries (like a customer specifically searching your company name) rarely trigger AI summaries. And if they do, the studies found those branded queries might even get a slight boost in clicks (+18% CTR) because the AI overview likely confirms the brand's info and makes the user even more inclined to click it. But for most generic questions, AI is siphoning off a chunk of the traffic.
• Lower-ranking pages suffer more: If your page wasn't in the top few results to begin with, an AI overview can hurt you even more. Google's AI box can push everything further down, so being on page 2 (or bottom of page 1) becomes even less visible. The Amsive study noted a ~27% CTR drop for keywords where a page wasn't in the top 3 positions. This underscores an important point: ranking on the first page is no longer a guarantee of visibility if an AI answer and other rich elements take up the user's attention first.
• Local and high-intent queries fare better: It's not all gloom. For searches where the user intent is to take action (buy something, hire someone, visit somewhere), the AI overview often isn't the final stop. For instance, a search like "24/7 plumber in London" might show some AI info or a list, but ultimately the user needs to call a plumber – they will likely click through to a site or local listing. The AI might actually highlight a few businesses (with links to those), meaning if your local SEO is strong, you could be one of them. In fact, Google's AI draws on local authority signals heavily for these kinds of queries. That's why maintaining your Google Business Profile and reviews is crucial (more on that later). Studies also suggest that while traffic for purely informational searches is down, "bottom-of-funnel" searches are still leading to conversions as before. So, pages targeting users ready to make a purchase or decision are still very much in play – you just need to ensure you are the one they see when they're ready to click.
• Quality over quantity of clicks: One somewhat positive spin is that the overall quality of organic traffic might improve. Google has claimed that AI-generated results could lead to "higher-quality clicks" – meaning users who do click are more engaged or serious. The idea is that casual information-gatherers might get filtered out by the AI (they got their quick answer and left), and the ones who click through are those who want more detail or are closer to acting. This is echoed by observations that if a user comes via an AI overview citation, they are often a more informed and motivated visitor (since they came through a vetted summary). In short, you might see fewer visits, but a higher percentage of those visitors could be ready to buy or inquire. Of course, losing traffic is never ideal, but if you can maintain the right traffic and conversions, your business can still grow.

Bottom line: AI in search is causing a power shift. It's like having a new "gatekeeper" above the usual Google results. To thrive, businesses must understand that the old SEO playbook needs updating. In the next sections, we'll discuss how to adapt your SEO strategy so that you can regain visibility and even leverage AI to your advantage.

Adapting Your SEO Strategy for an AI-Dominated SERP

If you're a business owner or marketing manager, all this information about AI stealing clicks might sound worrying. The good news is SEO isn't over – but the strategies to succeed are evolving. Here's how you can adapt and even benefit in the age of AI-driven search:

1. Create Content That AI Wants to Feature

In an AI-driven search result, being the source that the AI overview pulls from is golden. That means your content needs to be authoritative, relevant, and well-structured so that Google's algorithms deem it worthy of citation. How to do this?

• Provide expert, in-depth information: Superficial content won't cut it. Aim to produce detailed, expert-level content on topics in your industry. This establishes you as a trustworthy source. Google's AI is designed to use trusted sources for its answers, so demonstrate your expertise (the "E" in Google's E-E-A-T guidelines: Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust). For example, a law firm might publish a comprehensive guide on "How AI is changing legal research" with insights and data – something that shows real expertise.
• Answer questions clearly and directly: Structure your content to answer common questions directly, because AI will be looking for concise snippets to quote. A great approach is to include an FAQ section on your pages, or use headings that are questions (like we're doing in this article). Then provide a crisp answer right below. If you can manage a Wikipedia-like clarity in explaining a concept, do it – brevity and clarity increase the chance the AI can pull a useful sentence or two. One tip is to imagine the exact phrasing of a question a user might ask, and use that in your content with a direct answer. (For instance: "Q: What are the benefits of AI for SEO? A: AI can help analyse data, automate repetitive tasks, and generate optimisation insights much faster than a human, helping businesses improve their SEO efficiency.") Google's AI loves well-structured Q&A content.
• Use structured data (schema): Adding schema markup to your pages can give you an edge. Schema is code that helps search engines understand the context of your content (e.g., marking up an FAQ section, how-to steps, product information, local business details, etc.). By implementing relevant schema (FAQ schema, HowTo schema, LocalBusiness schema, etc.), you make it easier for Google to identify important information on your site. This can increase the chances of getting featured in snippets or AI results. It's basically speaking Google's language to highlight your content's key points. Many AI overviews cite content that's well-structured and easy to parse – schema helps with that.
• Stay factual and up-to-date: AI models have a tendency to favour content that is current and accurate. Ensure your content is kept up-to-date (especially in fast-changing fields). Include stats or references where appropriate – ironically, helping the AI by providing the evidence it might use to justify an answer. Just like we're citing sources in this article, your content can cite reputable sources for claims; Google's AI might trust it more and even directly pull those references into its answer if relevant.

2. Optimise for Local Search and "Geo" Signals

For any business serving a specific geographic area (or multiple areas), local SEO is more vital than ever in the AI era. Google's AI overview, when handling a local-intent query ("near me" searches or queries implying local need), will often incorporate local business info. Here's how to make sure you show up:

• Keep your Google Business Profile updated: This is your business's listing on Google Maps/Google Search (formerly Google My Business). Ensure your address, phone, hours, and services are accurate and complete. Add photos and posts if relevant. This profile is a primary source for Google's local data – if the AI is summarising "best Italian restaurants in Manchester," it will draw from business profiles (and their reviews). An up-to-date profile increases your chances of being mentioned or linked in an AI summary for local searches.
• Gather strong customer reviews: Reviews are not just for persuading human customers – they're a trust signal for Google's AI too. Businesses with a high average rating and a good number of reviews are more likely to be referenced in AI overviews for local queries. Encourage happy customers to leave reviews on Google. Respond to reviews professionally. A sterling online reputation tells the AI that your business is a reputable answer for users' needs in your area. For example, if someone asks "best family lawyer in London AI overview," the AI might say, "According to Google, Smith & Doe Law (5★, 120 reviews) is a top-rated firm in London specialising in family law…" – You want to be that example!
• Ensure NAP consistency across the web: "NAP" stands for Name, Address, Phone number. Keeping your NAP consistent across various directories (Yelp, Bing Places, Yellow Pages, industry-specific directories like Avvo for lawyers or TripAdvisor for hotels, etc.) is a classic local SEO practice that remains crucial. Consistency helps Google's algorithms confidently connect the dots about your business's identity and credibility. If AI is pulling info from across sources, a consistent NAP means it won't get confused or miss info about your business.
• Leverage local content: Create content that is locally relevant. Local guides, local case studies, testimonials from local clients, etc., can all strengthen your local authority. If Google's AI is summarising something about your locale or industry, having localised content increases your chance of being included. For instance, a security company might publish a "2025 Crime Prevention Tips in [Your City]" – if a user asks the AI about safety tips, it might incorporate those insights and cite the company's site.

3. Embrace AI-Friendly Content Practices

We've talked about content depth and structure, but there are a few more "AI-friendly" practices to adopt, which also tie into good user experience:

• Concise, conversational answers: As mentioned, try to write in a way that directly answers questions. Also consider the tone – Google's AI is trained on conversational patterns. Content that reads in a straightforward, conversational tone (yet still professional) can align well with how answers are formulated. Avoid excessive fluff; get to the point early in a paragraph. Aim for a balance between brevity and helpful detail, especially at the top of your articles.
• Optimise for voice and conversational queries: With AI, more people will treat search like a conversation ("Hey Google, how do I improve my site's SEO?"). To capture these, include natural language questions in your content. Phrases that sound like how a person would ask aloud can be effective. This also means focusing on long-tail keywords (longer, specific phrases) that indicate specific questions or intents. Voice searches often have a local component too ("find a web designer near me who uses AI"). So think about how people speak their queries and incorporate those phrases where relevant, then answer them clearly.
• Multimedia and visuals: Google's AI doesn't only read text; it can reference images or videos in some cases, or at least the presence of them can enrich your content's appeal. High-quality images (with good alt text descriptions) and informative videos can make your page more engaging. The Scorpion study notes that visual content is increasingly prioritised in AI-driven results. That might mean that if your page has a great diagram or infographic, the AI might mention there's an image or use its content (and at minimum, users seeing the AI overview might notice your page has a useful visual and click it). Plus, in the future, who knows – AI overviews might even show images. So, don't skimp on relevant visuals to support your text.
• Monitor new AI metrics: This is more of an advanced tip, but start paying attention to how and when your content appears in AI overviews. Google Search Console has begun providing some data (if you're in the SGE experiment) about your site's appearances in AI results. There are also third-party tools emerging to track this. Traditional metrics like overall impressions and clicks are still vital, but keep an eye on AI-specific performance. For instance, if you notice certain pages often get cited by the AI but perhaps still have low clicks, you might tweak the content to encourage click-through ("learn more about X on our site"). It's a new area of analytics – but being aware gives you an edge.

4. Don't Neglect Technical SEO and Core Rankings

While content is king, the technical side of SEO – site speed, mobile optimisation, good site structure, etc. – remains as important as ever. Why? Because Google's AI isn't magic; it still largely feeds off the index of websites Google has. If your site isn't crawlable or is deemed low-quality due to slow speed or poor mobile layout, it may not rank well or be chosen as a source for answers.

• Stay on top of technical health: Continue to use tools and audits to ensure your site has no major SEO issues (broken links, missing meta tags, slow loading times, etc.). Interestingly, AI can help here too – modern SEO platforms use AI to detect technical issues quickly and even suggest fixes. For example, AI can monitor your site 24/7 and alert you if a new update accidentally messed up your page speed or caused some pages to not be indexed. Fix issues promptly because a technically sound site boosts all your other efforts.
• Aim for Top 10 (or Top 12) rankings still: Being on page 1 of Google is not dead – in fact, it's the prerequisite to even play in the AI game. One study found that 75% of the content cited in AI overviews came from the top 1–12 organic results. That makes sense: Google isn't likely to cite a site that it wouldn't rank on page 1 anyway. So, you still need to follow core SEO best practices to rank well for your target keywords (good on-page optimisation, relevant keywords in content, quality backlinks to build authority, etc.). Think of it this way: classic SEO and "AI SEO" are not opposites – they are layers. First, you get the traditional ranking; then your next goal is to be the one the AI picks to quote. You won't get picked if you're languishing on page 5. So, continue investing in content optimisation and link-building strategies that improve your overall rankings.
• Match intent and semantics: Google's AI is very context-driven. It uses natural language understanding to match what the user is really asking with the content that provides the answer. This means your content should closely match the intent of the query. Use semantic keywords and related terms generously. For instance, if your target keyword is "AI SEO tools", also talk about related concepts like "content optimisation automation" or "machine learning for keyword research". A study found a strong correlation between content that semantically matches the AI's answer and being featured. In plain terms, if your article answers the query in almost the same wording the AI uses, you have a higher chance of being that cited source. This doesn't mean copy the AI (you can't know exactly what it will say), but it means thoroughly covering the topic so that whatever angle the AI takes, your content has something closely relevant.

5. See the Opportunity: More Qualified Leads and Brand Visibility

It's easy to focus on the traffic loss, but let's not miss the silver lining: AI summaries can also highlight your brand in ways that weren't possible before and send very qualified visitors your way:

• Being cited builds credibility: If your site is one of the few cited under an AI answer, that's a bit like being quoted as an expert in a news article. It can increase brand exposure and trust. A user might see your brand name hyperlinked in the AI box – even if they don't click immediately, it registers that your brand contributed to the answer. Over time, this builds familiarity. And if they see your name repeatedly (by dominating a niche topic's content), you become known as an authority. Brands appearing in AI overviews could gain a reputation boost akin to being recommended by Google's own AI.
• Higher conversion potential: As mentioned, if a user does click through from an AI result, they often are deeper in the funnel. One agency noted that visitors from AI Overview are more likely to convert because Google has effectively pre-screened the info. The AI gave them a taste of your content; if they wanted more, they're probably quite interested. Ensure that when these visitors land on your site, they get a great experience – clear information, call-to-action, easy contact options – to capitalise on their strong intent.
• Efficient marketing spend: If AI reduces some of the "junk" traffic (casual visitors who bounce quickly) and you're left with more serious prospects, your ROI on SEO might improve. You could find that even with somewhat lower traffic, your lead or sales numbers hold steady or even increase, because the ones coming are the right people. Also, if AI summaries handle a lot of top-of-funnel education, you might save time/money by not having to create endless basic posts – instead, focus on content that persuades and converts the warm leads who do click through. In other words, you can refine your content strategy to focus on what brings business value, not just chase every pageview.
• New content avenues (GEO): The concept of "Generative AI Engine Optimisation (GEO)" is emerging. This means optimising your overall digital presence for AI-driven search, not just your website's SEO. AI might pull answers from forums, YouTube videos, Reddit, or other sources – not solely your website. Smart businesses will see this as an opportunity to diversify where they provide expertise. For example, participating in Q&A platforms, publishing research, or having a presence on high-authority sites can indirectly get your brand into AI answers. If you know your audience asks certain questions, you might want to ensure those questions are answered (accurately) on popular sites – because the AI could very well quote that. The future of SEO might involve a bit of digital PR: making sure your brand's knowledge is present in the broader sources AI trusts. We're not saying spam the web – rather, be strategic about thought leadership across platforms.

In summary, adapting to AI in search requires a mix of technical SEO excellence, content strategy refinement, and leveraging new tools and tactics. By making these adjustments, you can reclaim visibility and even use the AI shift to your advantage.

Leveraging AI Tools to Boost Your SEO

It's not just Google using AI – you can use it too. In fact, one of the best ways to stay ahead in SEO now is to incorporate AI into your workflow. Many of your competitors likely already are: by late 2025, 78% of organisations were using AI in their marketing operations in some form. SEO is no exception. Here's how AI tools can help your SEO, especially for a medium-sized business or agency:

• Content Generation and Optimisation: AI writing tools (like GPT-based systems) can assist in generating content drafts, meta descriptions, or social posts promoting your content. You input some guidelines or an outline, and the AI can produce a first draft in seconds. This can dramatically speed up content production. However – important caveat – AI-written content must be reviewed and edited by humans. You need to ensure it's accurate, aligns with your brand voice, and genuinely helpful. Google's stance is clear: AI-generated content is not against their guidelines as long as it's useful and created for people, not just for gaming the rankings. So, use AI as a writing assistant to overcome blank-page syndrome and cover routine content, then refine it with your expertise. Also, AI can help optimise existing content: there are tools that analyse your page and suggest additional keywords, topics, or questions to cover (often comparing with top-ranking pages). This is like having a junior SEO analyst on call 24/7.
• Keyword Research and Trend Analysis: Traditional keyword research can be time-consuming. AI tools can sift through massive amounts of search data to identify patterns and "hidden" keywords much faster. For example, AI might analyse thousands of queries and cluster them into themes for you, revealing niche topics or question phrases you might not have thought of. It can also predict trending searches by analysing social media or news – giving you a head start on content creation. In fact, modern SEO suites use AI to continuously monitor search trends and alert you when there's a new opportunity (say, a surge in searches for "AI for local SEO tips"). This means you can react quicker and be the first to publish content on emerging questions.
• SEO Auditing and Problem Detection: Gone are the days of manual site audits page by page. AI-powered SEO tools can scan your site for technical issues in minutes, catching things like broken links, missing alt text, slow pages, or crawl errors faster than a human. They can prioritise issues by severity and even suggest fixes. For example, if an important page became non-indexable due to a rogue meta tag, an AI tool could flag it before you even notice the traffic drop. This proactive monitoring can save your traffic. As one expert put it, these tools act like a guardian angel, spotting issues "faster than your first coffee kicks in"!
• Competitive Analysis: AI can help analyse your competitors' websites and SEO strategies at scale. It could quickly compare your content with competitors for a given keyword and highlight what topics or keywords they cover that you don't (content gap analysis). Or analyse backlink profiles to see where competitors are getting mentions. Some advanced platforms even use AI to estimate your competitor's traffic or conversions (with some margin of error) to identify their strengths. This information can inform your strategy – basically letting you learn from others' successes and mistakes without manual digging.
• Automation of Routine Tasks: For an SEO campaign, there are many repetitive tasks: generating reports, checking rankings, monitoring mentions, etc. AI and automation can handle a lot of this. For instance, you can set up automated alerts: "If my ranking for AI SEO tools drops by more than 5 positions, alert me with possible reasons." Or automatically generate a weekly SEO report that highlights not just data but insights ("traffic up 10% from last week, likely due to X page's improvement"). By freeing up time spent on grunt work, you or your SEO agency can focus more on strategy and creative work – the human parts that AI can't do.
• Personalisation and Testing: AI can help with personalising content. Some tools analyse user behaviour data to suggest how to tailor content for different audience segments. For example, if you have an e-commerce site, AI might find that users from different industries care about different features of your product – and suggest creating segment-specific landing pages. Additionally, AI can run A/B tests or multivariate tests virtually, predicting which changes might yield better SEO performance or user engagement, before you fully roll them out.

A note of caution: While AI tools are powerful, they are not a magic wand. They can sometimes make mistakes or suggestions that don't make sense in context. They also require quality data to be effective. Always remember that AI tools aren't perfect and still need human oversight. They might, for example, recommend a keyword that is irrelevant to your business just because it's trending, or they might generate content that's factually off. Use your human judgment to validate AI-driven insights. As an analogy, think of AI as a super-smart junior assistant – they can do a ton of work quickly and highlight things for you, but you're the strategy director who decides what to actually implement. With the right approach, AI tools can amplify your SEO efforts dramatically, helping a small team accomplish what used to require an army of analysts.

The Future of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in an AI World

SEO is often compared to a cat-and-mouse game with Google's algorithm updates. The rise of AI in search is a whole new animal – one that's changing the rules of the game entirely. Looking ahead, here's what the future might hold and how you can prepare:

• "GEO" – Generative Engine Optimisation – becomes standard: We're entering an era where SEO and what some call GEO (Gen AI Engine Optimisation) will go hand in hand. This means optimising not just for the ten blue links, but for the AI-driven results and answers. In practical terms, businesses will need to broaden their content strategy. Your website is still central, but you also want to ensure your brand's knowledge and positive reputation exist wherever the AI might look – whether that's on your site, on a popular forum, in a press article, or a third-party review site. Forward-thinking companies are already starting to audit their presence in AI results. In fact, a McKinsey survey noted only 16% of brands were systematically tracking their AI search performance in 2025 – meaning there's a lot of room for others to jump in and gain an edge.
• Most searches will have an AI element: By some projections, over 75% of searches will include an AI-generated result by 2028. And it's not just Google – Bing has integrated AI chat, and other platforms are introducing AI assistants. The search experience is likely to become more interactive, conversational, and multi-faceted. Users might have a dialogue with search (ask follow-up questions, refine results via AI). This means content creators might need to think in terms of content that can engage in a "conversation." For example, providing content in a stepwise manner (cover basics, then deeper info, then related questions) could align with how AI might walk a user through a topic. We might also see new schema or meta tags to help content engage with conversational search (imagine something like <ai-answer>...</ai-answer> tags – just speculation, but not far-fetched).
• Personalisation of results: AI can tailor answers to the user more than ever, using context like the user's location, search history, preferences, etc. So the concept of a single "ranking" becomes fluid – two people might get different AI answers or differently ordered results for the same query. For SEO, this reinforces the importance of understanding your audience segments. You might need to optimise multiple pieces of content for variants of a user intent. The old tactic of one page trying to rank #1 for everyone may give way to creating content that satisfies different personas, with AI deciding which to show to whom. It's like SEO meets personalization. The future winner will be the site that has content to satisfy every user need state that's relevant to its business.
• Even more emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust): Google's algorithms – and by extension its AI – will likely put even greater weight on content quality and source reputation. When an AI is formulating an answer that it will effectively present as truth to the user, Google has a big incentive to ensure that answer is correct and from a reliable source. Expect Google to continue refining ways to evaluate a site's expertise and trustworthiness. This could mean even more value placed on authoritative backlinks, author credentials (perhaps schema to verify author identities/expertise), and user signals that indicate trust (like engagement, low bounce rates, etc.). In short, "cheap tricks" in SEO will become less and less effective. High-quality content and genuine authority will be the cornerstone – which, if you're a legit business with real expertise, is actually good news. It levels the playing field away from spam.
• New search interfaces and experiences: The concept of a search "engine results page" might evolve. We might get more integrated experiences – for example, an AI that not only gives text but also suggests actions (like "Here is the info you need, shall I connect you to this business or book an appointment?"). Already, we see things like Google's "SGE while browsing" that can summarize a page you're reading, or AI that can pull data from multiple sources into a comparison chart. SEO may expand to optimising data (so that if AI creates a comparison or a list, your product or service is listed with the right data points). For instance, if you're an e-commerce retailer, you'd want to ensure your product specs are marked up and accurate so that if an AI compiles a "Top 5 products" table, yours is included with correct info.
• Voice and multi-modal search: AI-driven search is naturally going to integrate with voice assistants and possibly even AR (augmented reality) down the line. Voice search already uses AI to parse natural language queries. If more people start using voice (like asking Alexa or Google Assistant complex questions), you need to have content that those voice assistants will pick as the answer. Often, that's the same content that features in an AI overview. So, winning the AI text result likely means winning voice search as well. Also, consider multimedia – if Google's AI can answer with a video clip or an image (e.g., showing a how-to from YouTube, or a diagram), having presence on those media (like a YouTube channel or informative images on your site) could be part of SEO in the future.
• Constant change – stay agile: Lastly, we have to acknowledge that we're in early days. Google is experimenting, users are adapting, and competitors (like Bing or even emerging AI search startups) are in the mix. The SEO landscape may shift rapidly with each advancement in AI. One month an AI result might be lab-style (just text answer), next it might include more interactive elements or source attributions in different ways. It's crucial to stay informed via reliable SEO news sources and perhaps even participate in beta programs (if available) for new search features. The companies that spot a new trend early and adjust (for example, those who first optimised for featured snippets years ago) often enjoy a big advantage. We're likely to see similar windows of opportunity with AI search – chances to be the first in your niche to conquer a new type of result or user query pattern.

In essence, the future of SEO will be about working with AI, not against it. Embrace AI as part of the ecosystem: optimise your content for AI consumption, and use AI tools to improve your optimisation. At the same time, double down on what makes your business unique – your expertise, your story, your customer understanding – because AI can't fabricate genuine authority out of thin air. Those who combine human creativity and strategic thinking with AI-powered efficiency will dominate the next era of search.

Conclusion: Evolve and Thrive

AI is not the end of SEO; it's the next evolution. Much like when mobile search rose or when social media started influencing traffic, the businesses that thrive are the ones that adapt early and smartly. For medium-sized businesses – whether you're a local service provider or a growing e-commerce site – the playing field is shifting, but you have tools and strategies at your disposal to navigate it.

To recap, don't panic – plan. Audit how your current SEO is performing and where you might be losing out to AI answers. Then implement the tactics we discussed: create high-quality content that addresses your customers' questions, fortify your local and online reputation, mark up and structure your site for easy digestion by AI, and leverage the many AI tools available to supercharge your SEO work. Keep an eye on the data (both traditional analytics and new AI metrics), and be ready to tweak your approach as Google's AI evolves. SEO in the future will be a blend of classic fundamentals and new techniques to win visibility in AI-driven contexts.

Remember, at the core, good SEO and good marketing still revolve around understanding your customer and providing value. AI doesn't change that – it just changes the format in which the customer might encounter your value. Business owners who stay educated (hopefully this article helped!), stay agile, and maybe get the right partners (yes, a little plug – an agency that keeps up with SEO trends can be invaluable) will find that AI is not a threat but an opportunity. It's an opportunity to outsmart the competition by embracing innovation and to deliver even better experiences to users.

The search landscape five years from now will likely look very different, but one thing is certain: people will still be searching for products, services, and answers. If you ensure that your business is the one providing the best answers – whether directly on your site or via an AI-generated summary – you'll continue to attract and convert customers. In the age of AI search, the winners will be those who optimise and innovate. So, it's time to future-proof your SEO strategy: AI is here to stay, and with the right approach, your business can shine in the new era of search.

Need help adapting your SEO strategy for AI-driven search? Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can help your business stay visible in the evolving search landscape.

Data and projections are based on current industry research and may evolve as AI-powered search develops.

References

1. Ahrefs – AI Overviews and Click-Through Rate Impact Ahrefs analysed SERPs with AI Overviews and found that the #1 organic result experienced an average 34.5% drop in CTR when an AI Overview was present. Source: Ahrefs Blog – AI Overviews Reduce Clicks
2. Amsive – SERP CTR Study (AI & Rich Results) Amsive analysed click-through rates across multiple SERP features and found average CTR declines of ~15.5%, with drops as high as 27% for non–top 3 positions when AI-style results appear. Source: Amsive – Google SGE & CTR Impact Study
3. McKinsey – The Economic Potential of Generative AI McKinsey research highlights that unprepared brands could see 20–50% declines in traditional search traffic as AI-driven search becomes mainstream, while also outlining the rise of AI-powered discovery. Source: McKinsey & Company – The Economic Potential of Generative AI
4. Google – Search Generative Experience (SGE) & AI Overviews Google documentation and announcements explaining how AI Overviews work, when they appear, and how they cite sources in search results. Source: Google Search Central – Search Generative Experience
5. Scorpion / Agency-Level AI Search Behaviour Studies Agency research showing that local and high-intent searches continue to convert, while informational queries see the largest traffic drops due to AI answers. Source: Scorpion Marketing – AI Search & Local SEO Impact
6. Statista / Industry AI Adoption Data Industry-wide data showing that ~78% of organisations were using AI in marketing by 2025, including SEO, content, and analytics. Source: Statista – AI Adoption in Marketing
7. Google Search Central – AI Content Guidance Google's official stance confirming that AI-generated content is acceptable when it is helpful, people-first, and not created solely to manipulate rankings. Source: Google Search Central – AI-Generated Content and Search