TL;DR
- SEO isn’t dead it is expanding. Google holds 86% U.S. share. AI Overviews/AI Mode shift attention from links to answers.
- Clicks fall with AI summaries to 8% vs 15% for those without. Win by being cited inside summaries, not just ranking.
- Zero click is up while classic organic is down 15–25%. Optimize for links & answers.
- Playbook: SEO fundamentals + AEO (cited answers) + GEO (summary inclusion) + AIO (AI and human teamwork).
- Action Plan: fix core web vital, create 40–60-word FAQs, schema, evidence tables, build topic hubs with primary sources codify prompts/QA & model-aware formatting. Track new AI focused KPIs (AI citation rate, generative inclusion, snippet win rate, time to publish, evidence coverage).
Takeaway: SEO isn’t dead but it’s evolving as always. Google’s AI Mode and AI Overviews changed how results appear. Users click less when AI summaries show but Google still dominates U.S. search at 86% market share (July 2025). Winning now means layering AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), and AIO (AI Optimization) in addition to strong SEO fundamentals.
Why People Say “SEO Is Dead” (again)
Every few years, the “SEO is dead” cycle returns. In 2025, it’s fueled by three shifts:
- AI answers before links. AI Overviews / AI Mode put generated summaries above or alongside traditional results. For many queries, this reduces the need to click.
- Lower click through when summaries appear. In Pew’s July 2025 analysis, users who saw an AI summary clicked a traditional result 8% of the time vs. 15% without one. That’s a big difference marketers can’t ignore.
- Zero click behaviors are growing. Bain & Company (Feb 2025) reports 80% of consumers rely on zero click results in at least 40% of their searches, reducing organic traffic by 15–25%.
SEO Dead? Nope. Google still commands 86% of U.S. search, and organic visibility still drives discovery. It’s just across classic results, AI answers, and new areas.
What’s Really Changing in 2025
- From 10 blue links to blended answers. Google’s AI Mode is expanding and experimenting with “agentic” capabilities (e.g., reservations), shifting Search towards tasks and answers as well as links.
- Organic clicks are decreasing. Link clicking drops when AI summaries appear so your content must earn citations and mentions inside summaries (AEO/GEO), not only rankings.
- Marketers are adapting. A June 2025 BrightEdge survey shows significant GEO adoption. Meanwhile, companies are rewiring workflows for generative AI, per McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI.
Definitions: SEO vs. AEO vs. GEO vs. AIO
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Optimize sites to rank in search engines (technical, content, authority).
- AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): Structure content so “answer” engines (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini) can extract concise, verifiable answers and cite you.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Strategy for generative engines that compose answers.
- AIO (AI Optimization): Operational practice of using AI across the content lifecycle from planning, drafting, QA, metadata to final publishing to optimize for both human and AI systems.
Table: SEO vs. AEO vs. GEO vs. AIO (2025)
| Optimization Type | Primary Focus | Typical Tactics | Primary KPIs |
| SEO | Crawlability, relevance, authority | Technical SEO, onpage content, links, core web vitals | Rankings, organic sessions, conversions |
| AEO | Direct answers with citations | FAQ blocks, 40–60 word snippets, schema, sourcing signals | Citations in AI answers, “source” clicks, SERP answer share |
| GEO | Appearing in generated summaries | Topic clusters, authoritative explainers, evidence tables | Inclusion rate in generative answers, brand mentions |
| AIO | AI-assisted content ops | Prompting/playbooks, AI QA, metadata optimization | Time to publish, content quality scores, coverage breadth |
From SEO to AEO/GEO/AIO: A Practical Plan
SEO Foundation & AEO
- Fix core web vitals & crawl issues (Search Console & PageSpeed). Google still recommends focusing on real-user performance. Core Web Vitals guidance.
- Lead with the answer, which is usually the first sentence, then support with additional information with 2–3 sentences.
- Use scannable subheadings that restate questions users ask.
- Publish FAQ clusters targeting real questions. Each answer in 40–60 words with citations where appropriate (AEO).
- Add schema (FAQPage, HowTo, Article, Organization). Google’s documentation remains the best reference.
- Evidence tables in key articles so generative engines can extract facts (GEO).
GEO Content Systems
- Build topic hubs (pillar + supporting explainers) for your core themes and cover intent variations and related entities.
- Source credible signals such as linking to primary sources (government, university, major research firms).
- Answer density: include snippable paragraphs that cleanly answer subquestions.
AIO Workflows
- Codify prompts & QA: Create reusable prompts for briefs, outlines, and meta while pairing with human editorial QA. This aligns with McKinsey’s 2025 finding that companies are redesigning workflows to capture value from genenerative AI.
- LLM Model aware formatting: Include citations, statistics, bullet lists, and definitions in consistent patterns which helps AEO/GEO extraction.
- Measure new KPIs: beyond rankings and sessions (see below).
KPIs That Matter in the AI-Search Era
Traditional
- Rankings by kewyords
- Organic sessions & conversions
- Crawl health / core web vitals
AI-era (additions)
- AI citation rate: how often your brand/URL is cited in AI answers (AEO)
- Generative inclusion share: percent of monitored questions where your content appears in summaries (GEO)
- Snippet win rate: share of target questions where your 40–60-word answer is used
- Time-to-publish / content velocity (AIO)
- Evidence coverage: number of pages with evidence tables & primary-source citations
How to Write for Answers (AEO) Without Killing Your Brand Voice
- Lead with the answer, which is usually the first sentence, then support with additional information with 2–3 sentences.
- Use scannable subheadings that restate questions users ask.
- Cite primary sources inside your answers (gov/edu/research).
- Add FAQ blocks on transactional pages to intercept prepurchase questions.
- Mark up with FAQPage and Article schema and test in Rich Results.
GEO Content Patterns That Win
- Create Topical depth content instead of fluff. Cover adjacent questions, tradeoffs, steps, and definitions in one cluster. That improves your odds of inclusion in generative answers.
- Evidence first formatting. Tables, bullets, and cited stats present extractable structure.
- Entity clarity. Define terms (e.g., “pricing tiers,” “regions,” “use cases”) so models have clarity about the topics of the articles.
- Human editors are critical. McKinsey (2025) highlights governance and role design to keep humans in the loop to avoid propagation of errors.
AIO: Building AI Assisted Content Operations
- Create briefs with constraints (audience, angle, evidence requirements).
- AI drafting as a starting point, not a final output. Editors must verify claims and tone.
- Human QA: link checks, fact flags, inclusive language.
- Metadata optimization (titles, descriptions, alt text) informed by your keyword set.
- Post publish learning loops: compare human vs AI generated snippets and track which gets cited in AI summaries and then adjust the process accordingly.
FAQs (for People and Answer Engines)
1) Is SEO dead in 2025?
No. It’s different. AI summaries reduce link clicks, but Google still dominates U.S. search, and organic visibility remains a growth channel. Pair SEO with AEO, GEO, and AIO.
2) What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)?
It’s structuring content so LLM-based answer engines can understand, cite, and recommend you. See AEO guide (2025) and Forbes.
3) What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?
An approach to earn inclusion inside generated answers on how generative engines synthesize sources.
4) What is AIO (AI Optimization)?
Using AI across content operations such as research, drafting, QA, metadata to move faster and improve quality. See McKinsey 2025 and a practical explainer here.
5) How do I measure success in the AI era search?
Track AI citations, generative inclusion share, snippet win rate, and time to publish alongside the normal SEO metrics. Use Google’s Core Web Vitals guidance to maintain user experience.
Final Thoughts
SEO isn’t dead it is expanding and adapting to the changing environment. The brands that win in 2025 do three things well:
- Preserve technical excellence and UX (Core Web Vitals).
- Answer clearly and get cited (AEO/GEO).
Build AIO workflows so your team can ship high-quality, evidence-based content faster. The result is durable visibility across links and answers. Google for Developers
About the Author: Chris Walton
