Don’t Choose: SEO and AI Search Are a Winning Combo
▼ Summary
– SEO is not dead but thriving, with search engines still commanding 88% of search traffic while AI usage grows rapidly.
– Consumers use both traditional search engines and AI tools like ChatGPT simultaneously, rather than choosing one over the other.
– Brands must track and optimize for both channels, as AI search visitors are 4.4 times more valuable in conversions, while search engines drive top-of-funnel awareness.
– Content should be structured to answer key user questions clearly and cover topics comprehensively to perform well in both traditional and AI search.
– Successful brands will adopt a holistic search strategy, using tools like Semrush Enterprise AIO to unify tracking and optimization across all search platforms.
The conversation around search marketing often presents a false dilemma: choosing between traditional search engine optimization and the rise of artificial intelligence search tools. Despite predictions of its demise, SEO is far from dead. In fact, it continues to be a powerful force, with search engines still responsible for the vast majority of web traffic. Simultaneously, the adoption of AI-powered search is accelerating at a remarkable pace. This isn’t a story of one replacing the other; it’s about a fundamental shift in user behavior. People are not abandoning Google for ChatGPT. Instead, they are using both, layering AI on top of their existing search habits to conduct more research than ever before.
The marketing industry’s tendency to frame strategies in binary terms is misleading and potentially costly. Pitting SEO against AI search creates a false choice that ignores the current reality of consumer discovery. These are not competing channels but parallel streams of information. The underlying psychology is a desire for certainty in a changing landscape, pushing brands to wonder where to allocate their resources. However, over-investing in the emerging AI channel means potentially forfeiting the immense market share that traditional search commands today. Conversely, hesitation could allow competitors to build unassailable advantages in the new AI frontier.
So, where are consumers actually conducting their searches? The core assumption of the either-or narrative is flawed. While Google’s global market share has seen a slight dip, this does not indicate a mass exodus. Data reveals a more nuanced picture: users who adopt ChatGPT do not decrease their Google usage. In fact, their weekly search sessions often increase. This suggests that AI tools are supplementing, not supplanting, traditional search behavior. People are expanding their research toolkit, not swapping one for the other.
This evolution creates a compounding opportunity, particularly for ecommerce. Search engines remain a colossal driver for online sales, with organic search accounting for a significant portion of both traffic and revenue. At the same time, shopping-related queries on platforms like ChatGPT are on the rise. The total addressable market for search visibility has effectively multiplied. Consumers are distributing their queries across a wider array of platforms, meaning brands have more touchpoints to capture attention.
To seize this holistic search opportunity, a strategic shift is required. The first step involves comprehensive tracking. Brands must measure performance across both traditional and AI-powered channels. For larger organizations, enterprise-level tools become essential. Platforms like Semrush Enterprise AIO allow brands to monitor visibility in search engine results while simultaneously tracking brand mentions and sentiment within AI environments. This integrated view is critical for identifying gaps and opportunities with a single, unified strategy.
When it comes to content, the foundational principles of good SEO largely support strong AI search performance, but execution may need adjustment. The key is to create content that answers the questions users are genuinely asking. AI models are designed to recognize when content comprehensively addresses the core “who, what, where, when, and why” of a topic. Covering these fundamental questions upfront improves topical authority and increases the likelihood of being cited in an AI-generated answer.
It’s also vital to provide full context. AI understands topics as interconnected networks of ideas, not just isolated keywords. For instance, an article on sustainable products should naturally encompass related subtopics like eco-friendly materials and ethical sourcing. This approach deepens authority and expands the range of searches where your brand might appear. Crucially, this pursuit of conceptual completeness should not be confused with outdated keyword stuffing tactics.
Finally, content must be straightforward for both AI and human readers. A logical structure, clear headings, and scannable formatting ensure that the meaning of your content is accurately interpreted by all. Tools that offer dual-channel optimization can provide real-time guidance, helping to structure content for maximum performance across the entire search ecosystem. The goal is not to optimize twice, but to create a single, powerful asset that performs everywhere.
The impact on revenue makes this dual approach non-negotiable. Visitors arriving from AI search are often significantly more valuable in terms of conversion rates. These users typically arrive further down the sales funnel, armed with more context and possessing higher purchase intent. Meanwhile, traditional search engines continue to drive the bulk of top-funnel discovery and brand awareness. Neglecting SEO sacrifices volume, while ignoring AI search sacrifices conversion efficiency. Brands that master both are building a resilient customer acquisition engine that captures high-value customers without losing broad reach.
For brands, the era of focusing on a single search channel is over. Actionable steps include implementing cross-channel tracking and auditing top-performing content to see if it appears in AI citations. In the next 90 days, priorities should include evaluating content structure for both traditional crawling and AI comprehension. Strategically, the imperative is to build organizational capabilities that treat search holistically, using platforms that enable unified analysis and developing content strategies that meet customers at every stage of their diversified search journey.
The notion that businesses must choose between SEO and AI search is a fundamental misreading of the modern digital landscape. Customers aren’t choosing one over the other; they are seamlessly integrating both into their daily research. A successful marketing strategy must reflect this blended reality. The brands that will lead in the coming years are those that recognize the diversification of customer discovery and build systems to win across every platform where their audience searches.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
