With AI everywhere, the question keeps popping up: Will AI replace SEO?
As someone working in the SEO space, this question comes up a lot.
I wanted to share my honest opinion based on what I’m seeing in the real market.
AI is not going to replace SEO, but it’s transforming how SEO works by changing what you optimize for and where your content appears.
To put it simply, SEO is changing.
Image Source: https://www.outranking.io/
What is changing in SEO:
Generic content for SEO benefit is dying.
AI can now instantly answer basic questions. If your SEO strategy is creating surface-level, generic blog posts, your traffic will continue to drop.
User behaviour is shifting.
From Google to X and Microsoft, every brand is offering AI features.
Google’s offerings include Gemini, AI Overviews and AI Mode. X has Grok, while Microsoft has Copilot, both of which act as AI companions.
People are using Google, ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools for their research. Therefore, you need to consider this user behaviour when optimising for SEO.
Search experience is shifting.
Searchers today rely not just on Google, but also on advanced AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity and more.
This shows that search habits are shifting, with users exploring multiple digital channels. Website visibility is still important, but the platforms where people search are expanding.
Many experts are advocating for Search Everywhere Optimization (SEO) because of this.
SEO without tracking doesn’t work anymore
You can’t just publish and hope for the best.
You need to know:
- What keywords are performing well;
- What new terms you’re ranking for;
- Which types of content is your audience engaging with; and
- Where AI search engines are showing your brand (or not).
SEO isn’t just keywords anymore. Engagement is becoming the real ranking game.
In my previous post, I discussed about AI and blogging. You can also read that post.
SEO is relevant in 2026
SEO is highly relevant because Google and other search engines are still the go-to source for high-intent queries.
The fundamentals of SEO remain crucial: helpful content, trusted brands and a good user experience and interface.
However, success increasingly depends on establishing yourself as the go-to expert source for both AI and humans.
As businesses need help optimising for AI search, SEO experts who adapt to these changes will remain essential.
My honest take for 2026:
AI won’t replace SEO.
It will replace:
- Generic content
- Guess-based SEO strategies
- Low-quality websites
- SEO without reporting
SEO in the AI era is simple:
- Original data
- First-hand experience (person, brand, or any other entity)
- Clear opinions
- Best web experience
AI is making SEO more strategic and helpful by focusing on user intent, relevance, expertise and using data.
SEO professionals who adapt to these new marketing channels will continue to succeed.
It could be called GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization) or SGE (Search Generative Experience). Whatever.
Find an SEO expert who will:
- Audit the website to identify the real SEO issues
- Interpret data from tools
- Make bespoke recommendations
- Understand the nuance of tech stack, priorities and SEO concepts
I’m curious to know your thoughts about AI SEO.
Do you think AI will replace SEO, or will it simply force SEO to evolve?
Please leave a comment below.
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