Mike King: Why Relevance Engineering Is Replacing SEO
▼ Summary
– SEO is undergoing major changes due to AI and zero-click results, requiring professionals to adapt their strategies.
– Current SEO tools are outdated, lagging behind Google’s advanced AI and relevance-based search models by nearly a decade.
– “Relevance engineering” is emerging as the future of SEO, focusing on strategic branding and user behavior shifts rather than just rankings.
– Google’s lack of transparency about AI-driven search behavior changes is a major challenge for SEOs managing client expectations.
– The industry must reinvent itself, moving toward scientific testing and open-source tools to stay viable in the evolving search landscape.
The future of search marketing is undergoing a seismic shift as artificial intelligence reshapes how users find information online. In a revealing discussion with Mike King, CEO of iPullRank and a leading voice in digital marketing, we explore how professionals must adapt to stay ahead in this rapidly evolving landscape.
King highlights several critical areas where traditional SEO approaches are falling short:
- Google’s AI Overviews fundamentally change how search results are compiled and displayed
- Current SEO tools remain years behind Google’s actual ranking processes
- The emerging concept of relevance engineering may replace conventional SEO practices
- Upcoming insights to be shared at SMX Advanced 2025 in Boston
During the conversation, King emphasized how search behavior has transformed: “What we’re seeing is that when users do click through from AI-generated answers, they’re more qualified leads. The relationship between clicks, impressions, and conversions has fundamentally changed.”
A particularly striking observation concerns the disconnect between marketing tools and search reality: “Our industry’s software remains stuck in lexical analysis while Google moved beyond that a decade ago. We’re trying to solve today’s problems with yesterday’s tools.”
The discussion turned to how professionals should respond to these changes. King advocates for a strategic shift: “Search has always been a branding channel, but we’ve measured it purely as performance marketing. With zero-click results becoming more common, we need to recognize how visibility influences decisions even without direct clicks.”
When asked about what excites him most about the industry’s future, King pointed to the creative challenges: “We’re in a period where we get to invent new approaches. The technology is incredible – multimodal searches, personal context, deep search capabilities – but we need to develop new ways to work with these systems.”
However, King expressed concern about the lack of guidance from search platforms: “Google’s relationship with marketers has become increasingly one-sided. We’ve helped improve search quality for years, but now when we need documentation about behavioral changes to show clients, that support isn’t there.”
The conversation concluded with thoughts about the profession’s future direction. King predicts a bifurcation: “Some will cling to traditional SEO, while others embrace relevance engineering – a more scientific approach that tests assumptions and builds tools aligned with how search actually works today.”
For those attending SMX Advanced in Boston, King promises practical insights: “I’ll share concrete strategies to not just survive but thrive in this new era of search. It’s time to move beyond best practices and develop approaches grounded in how the technology actually functions.”
This transformation presents both challenges and opportunities for digital marketers willing to rethink their strategies and tools. As search continues evolving at an unprecedented pace, professionals must decide whether to adapt or risk becoming obsolete.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
