Every development that pushes the technological frontier and changes online consumer behaviour transforms the way brands handle search optimisation strategies — from the first Google update to the rise of mobile and voice assistants. Today, with generative AI reshaping how people search and consume information, the discipline of SEO is questioned. Search is evolving — and so is SEO. The familiar focus on rankings and clicks is giving way to a broader understanding of what it means to be discoverable in a digital ecosystem. 

Beyond blue links: the new search paradigm

Traditional search was built on a straightforward exchange: a query typed into a box, and a list of links offered in return. That exchange created an ecosystem where visibility was measurable, where clicks equalled website traffic and opportunity, and where strategy revolved around the mechanics of ranking.

Over time, search results pages evolved. The simple list of blue links gave way to richer SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) that combined traditional links with featured snippets, product carousels, images, and videos. Each of these shifts prompted predictions about the end of SEO as a discipline. In practice, SEO didn’t disappear — it adapted. Professionals refined their strategies, developed new reporting frameworks, and learned to compete for visibility within these new formats.

AI is redefining search as a whole. Tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity — together with Google's own AI Overviews and AI mode — are replacing the “list of blue links” with synthesised responses. In this emerging paradigm, the machine (a Large Language Model search tool) becomes the primary reader, distilling information from multiple sources and presenting it as a single, concise answer.

Competing for visibility in an AI-driven world

This shift carries profound consequences. If users don't need to click to get an answer and fewer people click through, if websites become sources for machines rather than destinations for humans, then SEO is no longer a contest for position on a page. It becomes a contest for recognition in the minds of both humans and algorithms. For businesses, the central question is shifting from "How do we rank?" to "How can we remain visible in a world where answers arrive before the click?".  

Visibility strategies can no longer be limited to Google alone. Businesses must now consider both traditional search engines and gen-AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.

It's important, however, to be clear-eyed: today, large language models still account for only a small fraction of total search — according to SEMrush (Jul, 2025), Google still has 97% of the traffic share. Most queries still run through the familiar process of rankings and links. Yet, the trajectory is unmistakable. Studies project that AI-driven search could surpass traditional search by 2028 — perhaps sooner as features like Google's AI Overviews and Google's AI Mode expand.

That is why this conversation matters now. Businesses must continue playing the current game of SEO, where rankings and clicks remain vital, while also beginning to adapt to the new reality — because the fundamentals of trust, authority, and clarity will be just as critical in the AI-driven future.

The first steps towards transactional search

One of the major concerns raised by eCommerce professionals around generative AI was that, so far, it didn’t drive transactions. Users could consult ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini for research, but the journey often ended with an answer — not a purchase. This dynamic is beginning to shift.

In April, OpenAI announced a shopping feature in ChatGPT, enabling users to move from an AI-generated conversation directly to a merchant’s website.

Just a few months later, in late September, this trajectory accelerated with the launch of Instant Checkout in ChatGPT. Instead of redirecting users to external sites, this feature allows them to purchase directly within the chat interface. For now, it’s limited to US Etsy merchants, but if adopted more broadly, this could completely transform the way users shop online — collapsing discovery and transaction into a single step.

Early data, while modest in scale, indicates a strong upward trend. In one global fashion client, AI-driven traffic is already 48 times higher than it was just a year ago (YTD vs same period last year). While its share remains small compared to Google, the growth curve is too steep to ignore.

How AI is changing online shopping

This growth suggests that the eCommerce funnel is about to be rewritten. 

Graphic 1: The difference between the eCommece funnel today and tomorrow

The traditional journey gave businesses multiple chances to capture attention and interact with users. The AI-driven journey condenses those moments into a single decisive interaction: the moment when the model selects which brand to recommend. 

For businesses, this means fewer entry points but higher-quality opportunities. If your brand is the one surfaced in the answer, you may find yourself closer to conversion than ever before. If not, you may not be seen at all. 

The revenue impact of ai-driven search

This raises a central concern: if clicks and traffic decline, what is the impact on revenue? 

For advertising-driven publishers (newspapers, blogs, etc), the answer has already been painful. Click-through rates on Google are down by 30%, with blogs and news outlets being the most affected. Fewer clicks means lower traffic, and therefore less ad revenue. 

For eCommerce, the story is more nuanced. Early evidence suggests that AI-driven visits, while fewer in number, are far more valuable. According to a SEMrush study (Jul 2025), traffic originating from AI-driven search converts at a rate 4.4 times higher than traditional search traffic. 

The funnel is narrowing — moving from multiple stages to just a few — but the intent behind these interactions is stronger. AI may reduce the volume of casual browsing, but it also increases the precision of discovery. For those brands included in its answers, this can mean not less revenue, but more efficient revenue. 

The next evolution of SEO

This is why some practitioners now speak of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) or Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) or even Search Everywhere Optimisation (still SEO). The terminology continues to evolve, and remains to be defined, but the principle is clear: in an AI-driven world, success depends on being referenced within answers, not just ranked in results. 

The fundamentals of SEO remain familiar. Authority, clarity, quality and consistency still decide who rises above the noise. The difference is that these qualities now influence whether a brand appears inside an AI-generated answer, rather than on one (blue) line of a results page. 

SEO skills are not disappearing; they are being reoriented. What was once optimised for visibility in lists now is optimised for recognition in AI-generated narratives. 

Seo's growing pains: maturing for an AI-driven era

The recurring debate about the “end” of SEO is better understood as a process of maturation. Each industry disruption — from mobile-first search to voice search to AI search — strips away another layer of superficiality and brings the discipline closer to its essence: connecting human curiosity with reliable knowledge. 

Generative AI is accelerating that process. It eliminates the trivial, rewards the substantial, and forces businesses to decide whether their digital presence is truly authoritative. 

SEO is not ending; it is maturing. Those who recognise this shift early and adapt accordingly will shape how AI narrates the story of their industry and brands to the world.