SEO isn't dead. But searching isn't what it used to be.
SEOAI
Every few years, someone declares SEO dead.
Social media was going to kill it. Voice search was going to kill it. TikTok was going to kill it. Now it's AI's turn. Except SEO isn't dead.
Searching is just getting a lot less predictable because we don't all search the same way anymore.
Not long ago, finding a business online usually started with Google.
Need an accountant? Google it.
Looking for a good restaurant? Google it.
Trying to work out why your monstera is suddenly looking miserable? Google that too.
Today, the starting point could be Google. But it could just as easily be ChatGPT, Gemini,
Instagram, TikTok or another platform entirely. And that's changing more than where we
search. It's changing how we search.
Keywords aren't the whole conversation. Traditional SEO has spent a lot of time thinking about
what people type into a search bar. But AI-powered search is making it easier for people to be
more specific, conversational and downright fussy.
They don't just want a cafe in Sydney. They can ask for a quiet cafe in Surry Hills with decent Wi-Fi, good coffee and enough space to work for an hour without getting dirty looks. For small businesses, that's interesting. Because suddenly being the biggest result isn't the only thing that matters.
Being the right result matters too. Specific beats generic.
If your website says you're “committed to delivering high-quality solutions tailored to our customers' needs” - congratulations, you sound like half the internet.
Being discoverable in this new search landscape starts with being clear about what makes you worth discovering.
Who exactly do you help?
What are you unusually good at?
What do your customers come to you for?
What do you believe that your competitors don't?
The more generic your business sounds, the harder it becomes for people, search engines and AI to understand when you're the right answer.
So, should you still care about SEO? Absolutely.
Just don't mistake SEO for stuffing the right words onto a page and waiting for Google to fall in love with you.
Good search strategy is increasingly connected to good business strategy. Know what you want to be known for. Then make it ridiculously easy for the internet to understand it.
SEO isn't dead
Boring, generic marketing might just be getting easier to ignore. And we're not particularly upset about that.
Instead of typing: best accountant Melbourne.
Someone might ask: “I'm starting a small business in Melbourne, have three employees and absolutely hate doing my books. What kind of accountant should I look for?”
That's a very different search!