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The end of SEO: How AI search engines are reshaping digital marketing

Oxygen's Laurent Ross suggests shifting gears from traditional SEO practices to strategies that ensure visibility in the world of AI.

SEO AI
“Businesses must now craft strategies that cater to varying levels of AI comfort and usage across different demographic groups,” writes Laurent Ross, COO and Co-owner, Oxygen on the future of SEO in the world of AI.

Did you know that more than half of American adults use artificial intelligence daily? Just two years after the launch of ChatGPT, 55 per cent regularly use AI tools, with more than a quarter engaging multiple times daily for everything from answering questions to making purchasing decisions.

This seismic shift in consumer behaviour signals something bigger: the traditional search engine optimisation (SEO) playbook that marketers have relied upon for decades is becoming obsolete.

At the heart of this transformation is a wave of AI-powered search innovations. Google’s integration of Gemini, Perplexity AI’s sophisticated search engine (backed by nearly $9bn in funding), and OpenAI’s ChatGPT search functionality are reshaping how users discover information online.

These platforms frequently deliver direct answers on their results pages, keeping users within their ecosystems rather than directing them to external websites. This fundamental change dramatically reduces organic traffic that businesses have historically relied upon for growth.

What does this mean for traditional SEO practices?

For businesses, the implications are profound. Digital presence now encompasses far more than website optimisation. Every piece of information about a company across the internet – from Google Business reviews to employee feedback on Glassdoor – can be analysed by AI systems to form recommendations.

This heightened scrutiny means reputation management and digital perception have become more crucial than ever.

For e-commerce businesses, this AI-driven transformation runs deeper than simple search rankings. When consumers ask AI search engines for product recommendations, these systems don’t just look at a company’s website – they analyse the entire digital footprint of a product or brand. Poor reviews on third-party sites or negative customer experiences shared on social media can all influence whether an AI system recommends a product, regardless of how well the company’s website is optimised for traditional SEO.

This shift fundamentally changes the dynamics of product discovery. A beautifully optimised product page becomes virtually worthless if the AI finds a pattern of negative experiences across the wider internet. Conversely, products with genuine positive sentiment across multiple platforms may find themselves recommended more frequently, even if their own websites aren’t perfectly optimised.

Laurent Ross, COO & Co-owner, Oxygen.

How is the digital industry adapting to AI?

Marketers are responding to these changes with a renewed focus on diversification.

Recent surveys indicate that 55 per cent of businesses are eager to use AI for content creation, while 54 per cent plan to implement AI for SEO data analysis. Yet these statistics mask a crucial distinction in approach. Many marketers merely use AI to automate existing processes or create content more quickly – essentially doing the same things faster, but not necessarily better.

The impact is already being felt with so many websites being punished in Google’s December 2024 spam update, which penalised generic AI content.

The real competitive advantage lies with those who harness AI not as a time-saving shortcut, but as a tool to elevate the quality and strategic value of their content. This fundamental difference in mindset – between using AI to work less versus using it to work better – will likely separate market leaders from followers in 2025.

The generational divide in AI adoption – with 37 per cent of millennials embracing AI compared to 20 per cent of baby boomers – presents another layer of complexity for marketers. Businesses must now craft strategies that cater to varying levels of AI comfort and usage across different demographic groups.

Shifting SEO practices for the AI future

Looking ahead to 2025, successful digital marketing will require a fundamental rethink of how businesses approach search visibility. The focus must shift from traditional SEO metrics to a more holistic approach encompassing reputation management, community building, and AI-optimised content creation.

This isn’t merely an evolution of existing practices – it represents a paradigm shift in how businesses connect with their audiences online. Those that adapt quickly, embracing AI-driven solutions while maintaining authentic connections with their customers, will be best positioned to thrive in this new landscape.

The end of traditional SEO doesn’t spell doom for digital marketing. Instead, it heralds a new era where success depends on understanding and leveraging AI capabilities while building genuine relationships with customers across all digital touchpoints. For businesses willing to embrace this change, the opportunities for growth and innovation in 2025 and beyond are substantial.

By Laurent Ross, COO and Co-owner, Oxygen.