If you’ve noticed more people complaining about the quality of their Google search results lately, you’re not alone.
And they’re not wrong.
There have always been less-than-admirable ways to grab first-page search positions and SEOs willing to try them.
Keyword stuffing. Hidden text. Link farms. Content scraping. Exact match domains. The list goes on.
Over the years, Google and its competitors have updated their algorithms to pick up on these “gray” and “black” hat techniques. But today, AI-generated content has made it possible to produce content instantly that’s designed to rank but isn’t helpful.
So you might be wondering, how is the AI-generated content problem any different from old scummy SEO strategies?
It’s all about volume.
The influx of AI content – and how difficult it is to distinguish AI content from human content – has made it harder for search engines to deal with large-scale spam campaigns.
And the problem is quantifiable.
A recent longitudinal investigation by a team of researchers from Leipzig University, Bauhaus-University Weimar, and the Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence looked at the product review genre of searches, finding a connection between affiliate links – like the popular (and easy to become part of) Amazon Associates Program – and poor-quality content in SERPs.
The team studied thousands of product searches on Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo over the course of a year and found the top results littered with affiliate links, finding an “inverse relationship between affiliate marketing use and content complexity.”
This study looked at only a small segment of all searches – product reviews – but it’s easy to imagine how the combination of AI-generated content and affiliate marketing can fill SERPs for other types of searches as well.
In addition to spammy organic results, ad fatigue is setting in. Are the results people are seeing really the best results for the search, or are they just being constantly sold to? It’s a big problem that can lead people to have less faith in the tool.
So SEO is dead, right?
Well, not quite.
As usual, reports of SEO’s death are greatly exaggerated.
Search – with a capital “S” – has come a long way since the days of Archie and Gopher. Google revolutionized the game with its PageRank algorithm and managed to stay on top by constantly innovating and focusing on the user experience.
But things are shifting.
Unfortunately, for Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo, Search is becoming much more diverse.
TL;DR: People are noticing a dip in Google’s search results quality, thanks to a flood of AI-generated content and affiliate links.
This isn’t the end of SEO, though – just a shift.
Social media and AI tools like ChatGPT are changing how we search, bringing platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest into the mix. Each has its own optimization tricks, but the core of SEO remains: create great, user-focused content. Stay flexible, adapt to the changes, and focus on giving users the best experience.
Google Shaped Search, But It Didn’t Begin There
Before we talk about the future of Search, we need to understand where it’s been.
For the past few decades, Google has shaped the way we think about Search. But Search didn’t begin with Google. Google built on a foundation established by several different players. What made Google so ubiquitous in our lives is the PageRank algorithm, for better and for worse, and its focus on the user experience.
In the early days of the Internet, search engines were basic. Archie, created in 1990, was the first search engine; it indexed FTP sites to help users find specific files. Skipping ahead a few years, WebCrawler, launched in 1994, was arguably the first “modern” search engine. It was the first full-text search engine, indexing the entire text of web documents.
A few years later came more recognizable names – Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, AltaVista, and AOL – that made Search more accessible as more people came online.
This is the world Google was born into.
When Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Stanford University, their goal was to create a better search engine that could rank web pages not only based on content but also on the importance and authority of the pages. This led to the development of the PageRank algorithm.
PageRank evaluated the quantity and quality of links to a webpage to determine its importance and relevance. This concept of ranking web pages based on the number and quality of links pointing to them was revolutionary.
The early implementation of PageRank allowed Google to provide more relevant and reliable search results compared to its competitors, who primarily focused on keyword frequency.
By 1998, Google’s search engine indexed 25 million pages, a significant achievement at the time.
Obviously, Google didn’t stop there.
From 1998 to 2003, PageRank remained the core of Google’s algorithm, with continuous improvements to handle web spam and refine the ranking process.
Between 2003 and 2010, major updates like Florida (2003) targeted keyword stuffing, and Caffeine (2010) improved indexing speed and accuracy.
The Panda and Penguin updates in 2011 and 2012 focused on content quality and penalized black-hat SEO tactics like link schemes.
Hummingbird (2013) enhanced the algorithm’s ability to understand conversational search queries, while RankBrain (2015), an AI component, improved the handling of search queries.
Recent updates like BERT (2019) and MUM (2021) further advanced the algorithm’s understanding of natural language, making search results even more relevant and contextually accurate.
By building a search engine with the end-user in mind, Google made Search what it is today, and it has the lion’s share of searches. On desktop, 79% of searches are done on Google. On mobile, thanks to Google being the default search engine on Android and Apple devices, that number is 95.5%.
While Google’s dominance of both desktop and mobile Search hasn’t always been great for consumers, it’s been really great for advertisers.
Google’s global presence and huge user base allowed businesses to reach a vast and diverse audience. But on top of that, Google Analytics gave us a central dashboard for data-driven decision-making. Additionally, Google’s various ad formats, including search, display, video, and shopping ads basically built much of what we know today as modern digital marketing.
But being so dependent on Google over the years also had its downsides.
Marketers and brands are vulnerable to Google’s algorithm updates, which aren’t easy to understand. We’re also over-reliant on Google for traffic – both organic and paid – and the rising cost of advertising.
Then, there’s also obvious data privacy concerns over how much data Google collects and uses on each and every one of us.
That’s the world that’s changing.
And this is what “SEO is dead” feels like: a shift in the tectonic plates that modern digital marketing was built upon.
Diversification of Search
Search has never been a stagnant, unchanging thing. Google purchased YouTube in 2006 partially to get in front of growing searches for video.
Today, new competitors and changing user behaviors are creating an even more complex search landscape.
But what does that look like exactly?
Put plainly, it’s bigger than the almighty Google SERP, and it demands a variety of content types on a variety of different platforms for a variety of search intents.
Yeah, things are getting complicated for us, but they’re getting better for the consumer.
Social, for example, is much more than a newsfeed now. According to a recent HubSpot survey, across all generations, 15% of people prefer searching on social media rather than a traditional search engine.
Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are becoming significant players in the search space. TikTok’s short-form video content and powerful algorithm for content discovery have attracted millions of users, and Instagram’s visual search capabilities through hashtags and explore pages are also gaining traction.
Social media platforms have proven to be great resources for a wide range of searches. Here are just a few examples:
- Inspirational Searches: Outfit ideas, home decor inspiration, lifestyle trends, travel destinations, hidden gems, recipes, and restaurants
- DIY Searches: How-to-guides, hacks, and tutorials
- Product Reviews: Trending products, real authentic user reviews
- Event Information: Information and coverage of events, from music festivals to holiday parades
- Local Searches: Local businesses, pop-ups, and things to do
Outside of social, people are turning to large language models (LLMs) to fill the Search gap. Tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and even Google’s own Gemini are providing conversational and context-aware search experiences, which are great for searches that would traditionally be long-tail keywords in Google searches. It’s not uncommon for people to use Google in addition to large language models to verify information, but in those cases, Google is relegated to the role of fact-checker, not the primary source of information.
OpenAI’s search engine prototype, SearchGPT, is attempting to combine the interactivity of large language models with fast, up-to-date answers with clear citations.
To keep up with this change, Google has tried to incorporate AI responses into its traditional SERP to mixed results, including one Google search that recommended adding glue to your pizza sauce to keep the cheese from sliding off.
SEO Across Different Platforms
Since people have gotten more used to searching outside of Google, SEO demands a broader approach across various platforms. Each one has its own nuances and strategies, but at the end of the day, we’re focused on user experience, authenticity, and engagement.
Here are some practical tips for optimizing content for each search environment.
Traditional SEO tactics include keyword optimization, backlinks, technical SEO (site speed, mobile optimization), and content quality. Ensuring your website is well-optimized for Google’s algorithm remains crucial. Content freshness, structured data, and user experience have also become increasingly important. For example, using schema markup can enhance how your content is displayed in search results with rich snippets, providing more context to users.
YouTube
Video SEO focuses on titles, descriptions, tags, thumbnails, and engagement metrics like likes, comments, shares, and watch time. YouTube’s algorithm prioritizes content that keeps viewers engaged. Video length and frequency of uploads also play roles, with longer, in-depth videos often performing well when paired with frequent, consistent uploads. Transcriptions and captions can improve accessibility and help with keyword optimization.
Optimizing for hashtags, engaging visuals, consistent branding, and interactive content (stories, reels) is key. Instagram’s search functionality relies heavily on hashtags and user engagement. Alt text for images, which many overlook, can also enhance discoverability. Leveraging geotags and engaging in Instagram collaborations or influencer partnerships can further boost visibility and reach.
TikTok
Utilizing trending sounds, participating in challenges, and creating engaging, shareable short-form videos can boost visibility. TikTok’s algorithm favors content that quickly captures user interest. Video completion rate and rewatchability are key metrics, with content that encourages interaction (such as duet and stitch features) having an edge. Captions and hashtags are also important for discoverability within the platform.
Keyword-rich descriptions, high-quality images, board organization, and regular pinning are essential for maintaining visibility. Pinterest’s search is highly visual and discovery-oriented. Rich Pins add extra details to your pins, such as pricing or availability for products, which can enhance engagement. Seasonal and trend-based content can drive traffic, especially if you time your pins around popular searches or events.
Amazon
Optimizing product listings with relevant keywords, compelling descriptions, high-quality images, and encouraging positive reviews can improve search rankings on Amazon. It’s all about making your products easy to find and appealing to buy. Backend search terms and A+ Content (Enhanced Brand Content) can provide additional opportunities for keyword optimization and customer engagement. Amazon Advertising options, such as Sponsored Products, can also boost visibility and sales directly within search results.
Large Language Models
With the emergence of AI-powered search engines like SearchGPT, the focus is shifting towards creating content that aligns with conversational queries and provides clear, accurate information. Unlike traditional search engines that rely on keyword matching, LLM searches prioritize contextual relevance and natural language understanding.
Content Optimization for LLM Search:
- Conversational Keywords: Incorporate natural language phrases and questions into your content. Think about how users would phrase queries conversationally.
- Rich, Informative Content: Provide in-depth, authoritative information. LLMs value content that thoroughly addresses user intent.
- Citations and Source Credibility: Since LLMs like SearchGPT cite sources directly, high-quality backlinks and authoritative references can improve your content’s chances of being featured.
- Multimedia Integration: LLMs can interpret and present multimedia content, so including well-labeled images, videos, and infographics can enhance your visibility.
- Structured Data and Contextual Clues: Using structured data helps LLMs understand and categorize your content, making it more likely to be accurately summarized and presented in search results.
So What Do We Do?
So what do we do now? What does the future hold for SEO?
It’s simple: We do what we’ve always done: We evolve.
This evolution brings new challenges and techniques to keep up with technological advances and shifts in user behavior. There will be winners and losers, and that’s why it’s essential to stay ahead of these changes and be proactive.
But here’s something to ground you: The more things change, the more they stay the same. What I mean by that is, while the specific tools and individual tactics change, the core principles of SEO are as relevant as ever. Good SEO is still about providing what users are looking for in the best possible way.
When clients ask me about what’s “good for SEO,” I always say that SEO is just an avatar for the user experience. As long as we put the user first, the rest will fall into place.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Informative and Helpful Content: SEO isn’t about tricking search engines. It’s about creating content that genuinely answers user’s questions in a comprehensive and engaging way. Users are just people – real humans – who are looking for valuable information, not superficial content stuffed with keywords. You’ve heard “content is king,” but it’s really quality that’s king.
- Fast Loading Times: Site speed and performance, especially for mobile users, play a critical role in user satisfaction. Slow-loading sites frustrate users and drive them away, impacting not just your SEO but your overall user experience.
- Holistic User Experience: SEO goes hand-in-hand with UX design. A seamless, enjoyable, and intuitive user experience across all devices is what sets successful SEO apart. This means not just optimizing for search engines but creating a user journey that is smooth, engaging, and informative from start to finish.
SEO is far from dead. But it is evolving and diversifying. Embracing these changes and focusing on creating valuable content and providing a great user experience across multiple platforms will ensure that your SEO efforts remain effective and relevant.
The future of SEO is about adapting to new trends and technologies while maintaining the core principles of good user experience.
Stay proactive, stay flexible, and keep delivering value to people.
The rest is out of our hands.
