Artificial intelligence is, by far, the most discussed topic at the moment. Is it going to take our jobs? Is it a good or a bad thing? No matter how you look at it, AI is an innovation that is changing the way we work, learn, and search for information. In this article, we will focus on the impact of AI on SEO and how it’s revolutionizing search optimization strategies in 2025.
What is happening in the search engine market today?
When you think about SEO, you can’t help but think about Google. This search engine has even been turned into a verb. Now, we’re “Googling” stuff, not researching or “surfing the web.” However, with the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity, Google is starting to feel a bit old school, especially among younger users.
Google’s journey with AI in search began in 2015 with the introduction of RankBrain, a machine-learning system designed to interpret complex and ambiguous search queries. RankBrain was followed by BERT in 2019 and MUM in 2021, both enhancing Google’s ability to understand user intent. In 2023, Google introduced Search Generative Experience (SGE), now known as AI Overviews (AIO). Importantly, these AI algorithms work together as complementary systems rather than replacing one another, collectively improving search relevance and user experience.
Statistics show that 27% of U.S. teens reported using chatbots for online searches daily. While Google generated an average of 94.8% of organic traffic over the past year, other search engines, such as Bing and DuckDuckGo, as well as AI platforms, are gaining traction.
AI is reshaping the way people search, and we’re only beginning to see what that will look like in a few years. We now have a whole new class of search engines emerging alongside Google, and that means we need to rethink our strategies. Time will tell which algorithm — Google’s or the LLMs’ — will be easier to optimize for, but the landscape is definitely shifting.
This shift in market dynamics is creating new opportunities for smaller players. While Google remains dominant, its market share has declined slightly as regional search engines and AI-powered alternatives continue to gain ground. The search ecosystem is becoming more diverse, with companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity AI establishing themselves as important players in the information retrieval space.
AI platforms can offer quick and more in-depth answers. Also, users don’t have to search through dozens of articles to find the answer they’re looking for. Additionally, other search engines are gaining traction due to enhanced privacy, local relevance, and AI integration.
How has the user’s search behavior changed with the rise of AI?
Moving towards AI for research is a natural occurrence. Why? Because users can search for more complex things and are not limited to direct keywords. For example, on Google, users search using simple keywords like “Best smartphone for gaming” and often end up reading the first article.
Now, they can ask more detailed questions like, “What is the most reliable smartphone under $1,000 with a high refresh rate display and excellent battery life for gaming?” They will receive a straightforward answer from generative AI tools.
However, this shift has some negative implications. People used to actually research the information and compare options before making a decision. Now, many users accept the answers from AI and use them without conducting any further research. This can lead to the spread of fake or incorrect information.
Let’s say you are writing an article and use ChatGPT to research the topic. You delve deeply into the topic, and ChatGPT provides an interesting statistic without a source. Some people may be inclined to use the information without questioning what the AI tool stated. However, if you ask for the source with a link so you can attribute it, you can see how the tool answers:
Unfortunately, not many people double-check the information they receive from an AI tool, which means that information is often included once again in a new article or social media post. Then the AI tool gathers information from those incorrect articles or social media posts, and the cycle continues. AI-generated content can be included in your marketing strategy, but you need to review and edit it to keep the information meaningful.
Always double-check what AI is giving you (made-up sources are still a thing). Edit those AI texts thoroughly. From our experience, the difference between spending 30 minutes on an article and 4 hours is game-changing. Don’t stop thinking (ever)! Overall good life advice, but also works with AI for SEO – use it to give you ideas, speed up your work, but not to do everything for you. You have to stand out among competitors and search results. Remember that AI is like a knife – the meal that’s cooked with it depends on the chef and how she uses it.
Voice search capabilities have evolved beyond basic tools like Siri and Alexa to become powerful interfaces for advanced AI platforms. Users now leverage voice input with ChatGPT and Gemini to address long and complex queries without needing to type. Again, it is all about ease of use. It’s simpler for some users to ask, “How’s the weather this week?” than to type it on Google’s search bar or to look at the weather app. The technology has matured to the point where voice is no longer just a novelty but a practical method for interacting with AI systems. This shift has made information access more conversational and natural. Users can express sophisticated questions through speech just as easily as they might in a text message.
How do these changes impact SEO?
Artificial intelligence is definitely changing the way we search for and gather information. With the rise of AI and a decline in Google’s market share, how are these changes affecting search engine optimization?
Decrease in organic traffic
The first and most important thing that most marketers are noticing is the decrease in organic traffic. The advent of AI-generated answers has led to a significant increase in “zero-click” searches, where users obtain information directly from search results without needing to visit external websites.
Studies indicate that in 2024, approximately 58.5% of Google searches in the U.S. and 59.7% in the EU resulted in zero clicks. This trend reduces organic traffic to traditional web pages, prompting businesses to reassess their content strategies.?
We can’t trust Google anymore that it will send traffic to us after the AI overview’s implementation. So, more and more SEOs should go beyond Google SEO and think in terms of cross-platform visibility. User behavior change. People spend more time in AI chats, social media, forums, and reading newsletters. I ran many experiments to acquire traffic from LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Reddit, YouTube, Medium, and Substack, and had good traction on each platform. These platforms evolve. They improve their algorithms to reward the best content with more reach. So I see a huge opportunity here.
Commercialization of Google searches
Google’s integration of AI Overviews has altered the search landscape, but the most significant shift is how users approach search engines. Information-seeking traffic is increasingly flowing from Google searches to AI chatbots. When you want to buy something or find a particular service, you often come up with an answer already at hand from AI tools. So, you don’t need to research as you used to when googling.
At the same time, users still turn to Google with transactional intent. ?With this change, Google appears to be transforming from an information-focused search engine to one with a more transactional orientation.
Challenges in performance measurement
The emergence of AI-driven search features complicates the measurement of SEO performance. Traditional analytics tools may not fully capture user interactions with AI Overviews and traffic coming from AI tools. Google Search Console doesn’t provide data on performance in AI Overviews, and there are few solutions available to track positions in Google’s AI features or in AI chatbots. This leads to gaps in understanding user behavior and engagement.
With these measurement challenges, SEO professionals need to develop a new approach for tracking performance across both traditional search engines and AI-powered platforms.
Diversification of SEO strategies
In response to these changes, SEO professionals are expanding their focus beyond Google to include platforms like YouTube, Reddit, Quora, and TikTok. Engaging with these platforms allows businesses to reach audiences through alternative channels, mitigating the impact of reduced organic traffic from traditional search engines. For instance, Reddit has seen a substantial increase in Google search visibility, highlighting its growing importance in the search ecosystem. This multi-platform approach requires adapting content production methods to suit different formats and user expectations.
Start learning how to improve visibility in LLMs, and make it a priority in your strategy. It’s a great time to get ahead of competitors who are slower to adapt. Also, explore how AI tools can streamline your workflow — automate the routine stuff so you can focus on high-impact, strategic work.
Is AI killing SEO?
No, AI is not going to kill SEO, but it will continue to change it. SEO remains a key channel for traffic acquisition in marketing, but the approaches must evolve. Because AI tends to show results from smaller, less-known websites, it’s a great time for these brands to change the game. As larger players adjust to the new landscape, smaller companies have an unprecedented opportunity to gain visibility.
On the one hand, there has been more low-quality content on the internet; on the other hand, SEO specialists have found it easier to work with an assistant like AI at their side. You need to learn as much as possible about AI and all the techniques for its use.
How to adapt to this modern reality?
As you know, the only constant in life is change, and it’s important to understand how to adapt to these changes. Here are some things you need to consider if you want to improve your SEO strategy.
Content
You’ve probably heard the phrase “Content is king”. It might no longer be the case if your content is generic and written without in-depth research. To align with Google’s EEAT guidelines, your content needs to be professional and demonstrate deep expertise. It should cover the topic from different angles, with practical experience to make sense for the reader.
Search engines put a lot of emphasis on expert content that has a personal touch and is filled with examples. Case studies and expert round-ups tend to be more valued by search engine algorithms.
AI made SEO faster. You can find the right keywords, write outlines, and edit texts in minutes now. But that also means everyone else is doing it. So there’s way more content out there and most of it sounds the same. We’ve tried going this way and focusing on volume. The experiment has failed (just like for many others who tried it), which proved again that focus on quality is always the right decision. The real value now is in content that feels human, based on real experience and actual know-how. That’s something AI still can’t replicate. If you want to stand out, I’d recommend focusing less on volume and more on what only YOU can say.
Brand visibility
AI-powered platforms, such as Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and conversational chatbots, generate responses by referencing trusted and credible sources. The more frequently your brand is mentioned positively in authoritative sources, the higher the likelihood that the AI algorithms will cite it in their responses, directing users to your content.
For instance, if your SaaS brand is consistently recommended in authoritative tech blogs, industry reviews, or expert roundups, AI chatbots are more likely to recommend you in responses like:
“According to TechCrunch and Forbes, BrandX is one of the most reliable analytics tools for SaaS companies.”
Tracking with the right tools
As mentioned earlier, tracking organic traffic from various AI sources presents a new challenge for SEO professionals. Google Analytics 4 can recognize traffic from traditional search engines and AI platforms.
Coupler.io’s dashboard template provides valuable insights into AI traffic performance. This dashboard connects directly to your Google Analytics 4 data and clearly breaks down:
- Which AI tools are sending visitors to your website
- How these visitors engage with your content
- Whether AI-referred traffic converts better than traditional search traffic
- Revenue generated from each AI source for efficient SEO ROI calculation
AI traffic performance dashboard
Preview dashboard
AI traffic performance dashboard
Preview dashboardThe dashboard refreshes automatically on your preferred schedule, ensuring you always have up-to-date information to inform your AI-focused SEO strategy. It is available as a template for Google Sheets and Looker Studio but gets its data automatically from GA4 using the Coupler.io connector. Choose the version you like the most and try it right away for free.
AI traffic performance dashboard in Google Sheets
Analyze the performance of website traffic from AI tools like ChatGPT, Meta.ai, Gemini, and others in this comprehensive dashboard.
AI traffic performance dashboard in Looker Studio
Visualize and analyze visitor behavior from AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini with actionable insights on engagement, conversions, and content performance. This dashboard helps you understand the emerging AI referral channel and its impact on your business goals.
You can also use Ahrefs to track your presence in AI Overviews for your target keywords, giving you valuable insights into how AI is impacting your visibility for specific search terms.
If you want to learn more about How to get traffic from AI, check out our dedicated blog posts about this.
How to take advantage of AI for SEO?
From content preparation to advanced SEO analytics, here’s how to make the most out of these resources.
1. Content creation
Using AI tools like Clearscope, SurferSEO, and Claude can streamline the process of creating high-quality content.
Clearscope and SurferSEO both provide SEO content optimization features that suggest relevant keywords and topics based on what ranks well for your target search terms. They use Natural Language Processing to analyze top-performing content, generate detailed outlines, and ensure content comprehensiveness.
Claude is a useful tool for generating content outlines, drafting initial copies, and providing conversational content ideas. It is particularly effective for creating long-form, coherent content with a structured approach.
2. Competitor content strategy analysis
Understanding your competitors’ content strategies has become both more important and more complex in the AI-driven search landscape. Tools like Ahrefs provide the foundation for this analysis, but combining them with AI platforms creates a more comprehensive approach.
With the help of Ahrefs and ChatGPT, you can:
1. Quickly identify which topic clusters generate the most traffic for your competitors.
Download the list of the top 100 articles by traffic from Ahrefs for a competitor’s domain, share the list of URLs with metadata, and ask ChatGPT to analyze and group the URLs by topic and content type. As a result, you understand what types of articles and topic clusters generate the most traffic for your competitor.
2. Analyze the entire blog to identify the key focuses in the content of your competitors.
Now, repeat the process but for the whole list of articles from the competitor’s domain. The AI will help you understand the key focuses in the content of your competitor.
Instead of doing this manual routine, let the AI work for you. It will save you a lot of time when dealing with large volumes.
This multi-layered approach transforms traditional competitor analysis and helps you identify not just what works today, but what’s likely to perform well as search evolves.
3. Outreach domain analysis
AI technologies can significantly improve outreach efforts by automating the analysis of potential websites for link building. Here’s a practical use case:
You can collect most website evaluation metrics, such as Domain Rating and traffic numbers, in Ahrefs. However, thematic analysis, which is very important, typically requires manual effort. With ChatGPT, you can automatically analyze and group domains by topics or industry without manual intervention. This saves a tremendous amount of time in outreach preparation. So, the workflow will look as follows:
- Export a list of domains from Ahrefs with their metrics (DR, traffic, etc.)
- Feed the URLs into ChatGPT with a prompt to categorize domains by relevance to your niche
- ChatGPT will return organized lists of high-priority targets based on both metrics and topical relevance
This combination of quantitative data from Ahrefs and qualitative analysis from AI creates a more efficient outreach workflow.
4. Metrics analysis
AI can transform how you analyze performance and help build assumptions about the reasons for the changes. For instance, if you’ve noticed a decline in the number of clicks in Google Search Console, here’s what you can do:
- Take screenshots of your GSC performance data showing clicks, impressions, CTRs, and average positions for the affected period.
- Document all website changes implemented in the months preceding the drop and include information from Google’s updates log.
- Submit all this information to ChatGPT and ask it to analyze the data and provide potential explanations for the traffic drop.
This approach leverages AI to identify patterns across multiple data sources that might be difficult for humans to recognize.
5. Technical automation
AI tools simplify complex tasks by automating processes and improving efficiency.
With ChatGPT, you can automate numerous technical processes that contribute to SEO activities:
- Create custom Google Sheets formulas for complex reporting needs by simply describing what you want to calculate in plain language.
- Generate complex XPath or RegEx expressions for web scraping and data extraction without needing to master these technical languages.
- Build custom scripts for SEO routine, including API implementations, that would normally require advanced programming knowledge.
These capabilities dramatically reduce the technical barriers to implementing sophisticated SEO automation, allowing you to focus more on strategy and less on implementation details.
With Coupler.io, you can easily automate data flows from your data sources for analysis. For example, you can collect data from Google Analytics, Search Console, and social platforms to track your performance.
And, of course, check out our ready-to-use SEO dashboards for instant reporting.
6. Search intent analysis
Understanding search intent is essential for optimizing your content. While Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer provides basic search intent classification, AI can elevate this analysis to a more sophisticated level. You can gather the top-ranking pages for your target keywords using Ahrefs and submit this data to AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT to perform a deeper analysis of the content patterns.
- They can examine how successful pages address user intent beyond simple categorization.
- AI can also identify subtle intent nuances, such as whether informational searches are looking for step-by-step guides, comparisons, or definitions.
- Generate content briefs tailored to the specific search intent signals identified in the analysis.
This AI-enhanced approach moves beyond basic intent categories (informational, commercial, etc.) to understand the specific user needs driving searches. With all these insights, you can create content that more precisely answers the questions behind the queries.
You need to learn the math part and use it at a higher level than an ordinary user. Then it will become your assistant, really helping you with different tasks, and doing great research for you. For example, by using ‘Deep research’ in ChatGPT on a certain topic, you will get several thousand words of relevant information and a bunch of links to very relevant resources. The resulting text is only good for inspiration, but the resources should be checked, leave only useful and trusted ones, and use them in a future article. This will give additional value to it. I also advise you to create projects in ChatGPT for businesses and directions. For example, you created a project for a website, threw in introductory information about the business (the more the better), Google patents, SEO manuals, and your assistant for this site is ready. In the future, I advise you to keep all requests in one branch of the project, so the AI ????keeps history, uses all this information, and takes it into account for further requests.
The future of SEO with artificial intelligence
The integration of AI into SEO is an ongoing process that continues to evolve and challenge traditional approaches. As artificial intelligence reshapes the search landscape, businesses must rethink their approach to keyword research, content creation, competitor analysis, outreach, performance tracking, and search intent optimization.
However, these opportunities come with challenges. The rise of AI-generated content, increased emphasis on commercialized search, and the complexities of performance measurement mean that marketers must adopt a more strategic and adaptive approach. Diversification of SEO strategies is essential, as reliance solely on Google’s traditional SEO is no longer enough.
Keep learning. Remember what AI used to be two years ago, and how we were laughing at the ‘digital landscape’ sentences? Give it a few months and we won’t recognize it. It will be capable of even more. It’s fascinating and exciting to think about what we’ll be able to accomplish together in just a few years. Keep up with the new AI features, AI SEO tools, and how others are using AI in the SEO industry.
In 2025 and beyond, successful SEO strategies will require a balanced approach that embraces AI tools while maintaining human expertise, creativity, and critical thinking. The most effective marketers will be those who can leverage AI to enhance their capabilities rather than those who resist the technological transformation reshaping the digital landscape.
