BrightonSEO Insights: Search In The Age of AI
You do not want to miss this article, unless you want your business to be left behind in search results, enquiries and revenue over the next 12 months.
We have just returned from another fantastic two day conference in Brighton: BrightonSEO, the leading search marketing conference. We went so you do not have to spend hours decoding the latest AI and SEO jargon. In this post, we will walk you through what is changing, what actually matters for your business, and what you need to do next.
Over the last few months, we have been hearing from various business owners asking questions like:
- Is SEO dead?
- What is GEO?
- Is AI the future of search?
- What is the point of doing SEO anymore?
Armed with questions that are currently disrupting the search space and confusing clients, we went looking for answers, confirmation, understanding and, inevitably, even more questions, to find out what is happening right now and where we are going next.
First, let us get a few quick questions answered.
“Is SEO dead?”
No, SEO is not dead and it is not going to be. However, SEO is evolving due to the rapid rise in AI and LLMs (large language models). Most importantly, the way users search is changing, and we need to adapt to those changes to stay relevant in search. This matters because it directly affects how visible you are and how many enquiries your website can generate.
“What is GEO?”
GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimisation. It is a new buzz term that is still, essentially, Search Engine Optimisation. So when you hear GEO, just think “new SEO”. In fact, several new start ups that tried to niche down into GEO have already shut those businesses down after realising that GEO is just SEO. In practical terms, it is still about making sure search engines and AI systems can understand, trust and surface your brand when people are ready to buy.
“Is AI the future of search?”
Yes, absolutely. Artificial Intelligence is the future, and in particular AI Overviews (AIO). Google has just rolled out AI Overviews as the default in the USA and is planning to roll them out across the rest of the world by the end of the year. This changes how often people click through to individual websites, which in turn affects how many leads, bookings and sales you receive from organic search.
“What is the point of doing SEO anymore?”
Google has, for a long time, been focused on zero click results, meaning users can get answers without even clicking on a link.
AI Overviews now mean that a summary answer is provided, with multiple sources cited to support that answer, depending on the query. The impact of this is that users are less likely to click on the traditional organic links on page one and visit your website.
At this point you might be thinking, What does all this change mean for my business? and Why do I need a website?
Well, traffic is generally down across the board for most sites, but user engagement is up. Users are still finding the content they need, and this is improving results. Even if overall traffic drops, the right SEO and content strategy can protect, and in some cases increase, the number of qualified enquiries you receive.
The purpose of your own website remains exactly the same as it always has: you have control of your own content and, most importantly, your brand.
Being in control of your own brand is going to be the key to succeeding in search in the future. Alongside your website and multiple web assets, such as social media and community discussion platforms like Reddit, brand entities can be established.
We are all standing on the edge of a new era of search, and it is only just beginning. To borrow Jon Earnshaw’s phrase from his excellent talk, we are in the middle of “a paradigm shift”. This is the equivalent of the Industrial Revolution in terms of the scale of change. The paradigm shift in search is happening right now, and how we embrace it will affect how we all show up in search in the age of conversation.
Using your website and other web entities, we now need to be providing all the answers that potential clients are asking as questions. Search is becoming far more conversational throughout the client journey.
The days of simple, short searches for one or two keywords, such as “men’s black trainers”, are behind us. Users now know they can use voice search and say, for example, “Find me a pair of men’s black trainers in size 10 UK, made by Nike, with a white tick down the side.”
The conversation can then continue with, for example, “Find me a pair under £50.”
Overall, this is why it is more important than ever to focus on SEO if you want your business to keep showing up in search and winning new clients. If you are not answering the real, conversational questions your potential clients have throughout their journey, you are missing vital touchpoints where they could discover, trust and choose your business.
We are already seeing clients maintain or grow enquiries despite AI Overviews reducing clicks in their sector.
At Cosmik Carrot we have created upgraded SEO packages specifically designed to help your business stand out in AI Overviews and conversational search. If you want to protect your visibility and grow your enquiries in this new search landscape, explore our SEO services.
