SEO is dead as AI tools like ChatGPT dominate search results for businesses

Three years ago, I said Google was going the way of the dial-up modem. People called me crazy with a capital K. Well, I was spot on.  We don’t use the web the same way anymore. 

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Look at the numbers. ChatGPT now has over 180 million users and powers more than 800 million sessions each week. Google’s own AI Overviews appear in over 60% of search results. One Pew study found that when those AI blurbs show up, only 8% of people bother to click through to a website. Ouch.

SEO is dead.

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If you’re still focused on keywords, backlinks, and trying to land on page one of Google, you’re playing last year’s game. You now need to make sure AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini find you when someone asks a question.

You need to know about GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization).

Traditional SEO is dead – here’s how to rise from the ashes. (Serene Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Get found by AI

AI tools are trained on huge datasets: Reddit threads, Wikipedia entries, product reviews, how-to guides, forums, FAQs and even customer service transcripts. To get found in AI answers, you need to think less like a blogger and more like a helpful expert. 

Here’s how:

• Answer real questions, directly. Get specific. Think “What’s the best dog food for older pugs with allergies?” instead of “Top 10 pet nutrition trends.”
• Use structured formatting. Bullet points, FAQs, tables, and comparison charts are AI gold. They’re easy to scrape, summarize, and quote.
• Flex your expertise. Mention credentials, years of experience, client testimonials. AI systems weigh trusted sources higher.
• Be where the people are. Conversations on Reddit, Quora, and Facebook groups matter. When someone mentions your product or service in those places, AI notices.
• Test it. Ask ChatGPT or Perplexity to recommend something in your space. Are you part of the answer? If not, it’s time for a rewrite.

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ChatGPT can be a valuable tool to see if you’re getting left behind by the SEO revolution. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Geeky stuff matters too

Let’s use this article as an example of how you’d post it on your site.

1. Your meta title should be short, sharp, and targeted. Under 60 characters. Something like: “Forget SEO: How to Get Found by AI Tools in 2025”

2. Add a clear, benefit-driven description, under 160 characters, like: “SEO is dead. Learn how to optimize your content for ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini to stay visible in the AI era.”

3. Don’t forget schema markup. Yes, Google still reads it, and so do other AI crawlers. It’s behind-the-scenes code that tells machines, “This is an article,” “This is a product review,” or “Here’s a list of FAQs.” 

Need help? Just ask ChatGPT, “Can you generate a FAQ schema for my blog post?” and you’ll get copy-paste code in seconds. 

Perplexity is another easy-to-use AI model that can help you with SEO. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

It’s AI or die time 

There’s no more gaming Google. No more squeezing 400 variations of the same keyword into a blog post. If your business, blog, or store isn’t showing up in AI results, it’s invisible.

Now, if you found this helpful, send it to a friend. Let’s help each other stay ten steps ahead of the tech curve. 

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