“Should we abandon SEO now that ChatGPT, Claude and co are here?”
We’re hearing this weekly from clients and their executive leadership teams, and it’s a fair question when headlines scream about AI disruption, throwing around terms such as AEO & GEO.
Here’s what the numbers actually show: Google processed over 5 trillion searches in 2024 – a 22% increase, the highest growth in years. ChatGPT, for example, handles about 37.5 million queries daily. That’s a 373:1 ratio favouring traditional search.
Think of it this way: if Google were a motorway, ChatGPT is currently a country lane. Both have their uses, but one still carries the vast majority of traffic.
-
Why Google isn’t going anywhere
Google’s head of search, Liz Reid, put it bluntly: “We don’t view AI as replacing search—we view it as augmenting it.”
The data backs her up. When people use ChatGPT, they actually click through to websites more often than when using Google (1.4 links per visit versus 0.6). And those visitors convert at 23 times the rate of typical Google traffic.
Different tools serve different needs. Google excels when you know what you’re looking for, whether it’s finding a specific website, checking a fact or making a purchase. While AI chat helps when you need to compare options, understand complex topics, or create something new.
They’re complementary, not competitive.
-
The real challenge: fewer clicks, same opportunity
Here’s the legitimate concern: about 59% of searches now end without anyone clicking a website. When Google shows AI-generated answers at the top (which happens on roughly 13% of searches), that figure jumps to 83%.
Your position-one ranking now gets 2.6% of clicks instead of 7.3%. That’s a material impact on traffic.
But here’s what matters more: 76% of sources cited in AI answers already rank in Google’s top 10. That percentage has grown from 32% when AI Overviews launched to 54% today.
Translation? If you’re doing SEO well, you’re positioning yourself to win in AI search. If you’re not, AI will accelerate your decline.
-
What “optimising for AI” actually means – AEO & GEO
The industry loves new acronyms—AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) are the latest. But strip away the jargon, and here’s what they actually do:
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) focuses on how AI looks at your content. You need to structure your information in a way that allows AI to easily pull out the answer for search.
Our recommendation: Put the key point of your subject in your first paragraph, then expand from there with supporting details. Think of it like writing for a journalist who needs a strong opening lead. AI systems work the same way, scanning for clear, direct answers they can quote.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) focuses on why AI chooses to cite you. AI systems prioritise trustworthy content because they know they make mistakes (research shows AI gives wrong answers over 60% of the time). GEO is about proving you’re reliable enough to be the source they select.
Our recommendation: Build credibility signals that will prove you’re worth referencing! Those signals include sharing the author’s credentials, citing authoritative sources and sharing/demonstrating first-hand expertise.
In practice, this means: Answer questions directly upfront (AEO), whilst also building your authority through credentials, citations, and a multi-platform presence (GEO).
Your website remains the foundation of this. But being present where customers ask questions— e.g. Reddit threads, YouTube tutorials, industry review sites, LinkedIn posts—significantly increases your citation likelihood. For instance, ChatGPT cites Reddit more than any other source, and YouTube citations have increased 300% in the past year.
This isn’t about gaming algorithms. It’s about making your expertise both accessible and credible.
-
What you should do differently (and what stays the same)
Keep doing: Building authoritative content, earning quality backlinks from other sites referencing your content, maintaining technical excellence and demonstrating your expertise.
Start doing more of: Answering questions directly in your first paragraph, updating your best content quarterly instead of annually, building a presence on other platforms where relevant, and adding author credentials and citations to your articles.
Stop worrying about: Constant publishing, keyword stuffing, chasing algorithm updates. Quality always beats volume, and AI systems actively penalise these sorts of manipulation tactics.
Think of it as an upgrade, not a replacement. You’re not learning an entirely new discipline—you’re executing the existing one with higher standards.
-
The budget question
Despite the disruption narrative, 44% of marketers are increasing SEO budgets for 2025, while another 39% are maintaining spend, only 17% are cutting back.
More tellingly, 97% plan to invest specifically in optimising for AI platforms such as ChatGPT. B2B companies now allocate 25% of marketing budgets to SEO – more than paid social or email – because it delivers 16% ROI.
The market is voting with its wallet. Smart money is adapting, not abandoning.
-
What to tell your board
AI hasn’t killed SEO any more than smartphones killed the internet or email killed the telephone. Each platform evolution created new opportunities for those who adapted early.
The companies winning in 2025 are doing SEO fundamentals exceptionally well while extending their presence to new platforms. They’re treating AI as an expansion of where customers can discover them, not a threat to defend against.
Your board likely cares about three things: Are we spending wisely? Are we prepared for the future? What’s our competitive position?
The answers: Yes, your SEO investment protects and enhances your AI visibility. Yes, the fundamentals that built your current rankings will drive your future discoverability. And yes, companies that execute now will capture advantage whilst competitors hesitate.
The strategy isn’t revolutionary—it’s evolutionary. Do what’s always worked in SEO, but do it better than before.
-
Ready to future-proof your SEO strategy for the AI era?
The shift to AI-powered search represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Organisations that adapt now will capture market share whilst competitors scramble to catch up.
Book a free consultation to discuss how your SEO strategy can evolve to capture visibility across both traditional and AI search platforms.
Subscribe to our monthly insights for data-driven analysis of the latest developments in AI search, SEO, and digital growth strategy.
