Will SEO survive the era of generative AI?

Is SEO doomed to disappear with the rise of generative AI? Not really. But it’s undergoing a major transformation, and that metamorphosis is well underway.

For years, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has been the secret weapon of any company aiming to dominate search results. We were talking about carefully chosen keywords, perfectly optimized content, strategic backlinks, and a solid technical structure to appeal to Google’s algorithm. In short, a proven strategy to capture organic traffic and position yourself as a leader in your field.

But now, a new player is shaking things up: generative artificial intelligence. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google SGE no longer just point to links. They synthesize information, contextualize queries, and deliver clear, immediate, and personalized answers. For users, it’s ideal: one question asked, one nuanced and complete answer given :  no need to dig through results.

The consequence?
Organic results, once dominant, are pushed further down. AI blocks take the top positions, capture attention and... drastically reduce clicks. Enough to make many digital marketing professionals nervous.

Is this the end of SEO as we know it?

Not quite. SEO isn’t disappearing, it’s evolving. And it’s evolving fast.

At Beet, we’re already seeing signs of a transformation far beyond traditional search. We’re entering a new era of the web, shaped by intelligent agents capable of searching, synthesizing, and personalizing information in real time. These AI agents will no longer just suggest links: they’ll act as digital copilots, able to collaborate with each other, interact with internal databases, and autonomously respond to complex needs. The web experience will become more fluid, more contextual, and deeply personalized. Of course, we’re not there yet in most cases, but these advances are quickly appearing on the horizon. And to get ready, it’s essential to understand and master the current SEO levers, because they’re what will lay the groundwork for the content exploited by tomorrow’s AIs.

Today, it’s no longer enough to optimize your content for a search engine. You have to make it understandable for artificial intelligence. We’re moving from an algorithmic ranking logic to a logic of advanced recognition. The goal: to become the reliable source that AI will cite or include in its answer. This paradigm shift calls for a deep overhaul of how we design, structure, and distribute content.

The foundations of good SEO content in 2025 are:

• A clear and well-organized structure with well-thought-out H1, H2, H3 headings
•  Short paragraphs, bullet points, and easily digestible information
• Modular content, easily reusable by AI
• The use of structuring tags like Schema.org or JSON-LD to “mark up the meaning” of the content

In short, you have to think readability... but for machines.

 

And that’s not all. AIs now base their content selection on EEAT principles: Expertise, Experience, Authority, Trustworthiness.

In other words:

• Content signed by a real, identifiable person
• A consistent online presence (articles, posts, interviews, etc.)
•  Cross-references, quality backlinks, and authoritative citations
• A solid digital reputation, backed by client reviews, well-completed public profiles, and consistent publishing

 

The content must also be semantically rich. Forget keyword stuffing: what matters now is contextual relevance. You have to build a logical internal linking structure, interconnect your content, and explore topics with real depth. The ability to meet increasingly precise search intents will make all the difference.

This shift is also affecting the world of online advertising. If users get a complete answer from the get-go, ad impressions drop... and so do click-through rates. The result: ad formats are evolving. We’re seeing the rise of sponsored content directly integrated into AI responses, brand mentions in automatically generated blocks, and new KPIs to measure performance where the old indicators are no longer enough.

In short, no, SEO is not dead. It’s simply becoming more strategic, more technical, more demanding. We’re entering a new era where every word, every structure, every data point matters  because those are what will allow your content to be read, understood, and relayed by artificial intelligence.

For businesses, this isn’t just a technical adjustment. It’s a shift in mindset. It’s no longer about choosing between SEO and AI. It’s about making them work together intelligently.

 

This requires:

• Stronger collaboration between marketing, SEO and content teams
• The adoption of semantic analysis tools and AI monitoring
• An editorial strategy focused on sustainability and relevance
• A clear vision of what you want AI to retain... and pass on

 

At Beet, we help our clients through this transition. We create content strategies with them that are designed to appeal to both search engines and generative AI. Content that works today — and will keep working tomorrow.