Marketers concerned about generative AI’s effect on SEO
The rapid advancement of generative AI is making waves in the media and communications industry, and marketers are now worried about its impact on the future of SEO.
76% of APAC industry leaders professionals predict it will disrupt or render SEO obsolete, according to a new study by Media Collateral in partnership with the State of Digital Publishing (SODP).
Only 8% of respondents believe SEO will not be impacted by Generative AI, while 16% remain uncertain about the future.
Media Collateral lead author Andrew Thompson said content strategy must evolve beyond simple keywords to align with the vector search capabilities of Gen AI answer engines.
“This requires a shift to semantic search, which offers a deeper understanding of the relationships between words, concepts, user intent, and potential ambiguities.”
Various professionals had differing opinions on whether SEO would be impacted.
For example, visual content creators are more likely to think SEO will become obsolete (46%), while 39% expect transformation. Among journalists, 38% foresee transformation, 20% predict obsolescence, and 22% believe SEO will not be affected.
PR professionals and advertisers are the most confident in SEO’s transformation (61% and 75%, respectively). However, marketers (24%) and journalists (20%) show notable uncertainty.
SODP founder and director Vahe Arabian added: “SEO professionals are adapting to a shift toward more strategic, value-added work, driven by AI’s support in moving beyond gaming algorithms.
“Simultaneously, Google is decreasing its reliance on backlinks for content authority, instead focusing on authorship and topical authority. This reflects a broader trend where big data and AI enhance content classification, making SEO more nuanced and technically demanding.”
The research also found that fears of job losses have subsided, with 22% of respondents now believing that Gen AI will create more job opportunities, a 12% increase from 2023.
Journalists continue to show the highest levels of resistance to using Generative AI at work; however, there are signs of overcoming initial resistance, with a significant increase in the exploration phase – from 15% to 33%.
Moreover, marketers’ initial enthusiasm has tempered, with many scaling back from deep integration and returning to the experimentation phase.
According to the data, fear of inaccuracies (72%) and ethical concerns (50%) remain top challenges, underscoring the need for responsible AI governance and transparency.
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Interesting insights in this article, especially regarding the evolving landscape of SEO in the face of Generative AI. Traditional methods are being challenged, and businesses need to adapt to avoid being left behind. Continuing with the same strategies will no longer yield the same results as AI-powered businesses rapidly advance. At Optidan AI, we view this as an exciting evolution rather than a disruption. We’re helping online retail clients drastically reduce the time required to enhance search performance.
Our clients are already experiencing a transformation where content workflows that once took months or even years are now completed in just minutes. This acceleration is a testament to the power and efficiency of generative AI, enabling them to stay competitive in a fast-paced environment.
When we speak to businesses, they quickly get the benefits and how it can save them time, resource, cost and get them measurable results.
The key takeaway is clear: standing still is not an option—those leveraging AI will set the pace.