Hey everyone, welcome back to AI Tech News! I'm Marcus Lin, and as always, I'm joined by Lucy. Today, we're diving into a topic that's, well, honestly, been keeping a lot of marketers up at night—SEO in the age of AI. Lucy, you ready for this?Oh, absolutely. I mean, Marcus, after last episode's deep dive into the Xiaomi YU7, I feel like we can handle anything. But SEO? That's a whole different beast. Especially now that AI is, like, shaking up the whole game.Yeah, and you know, it's funny—people keep saying, "AI killed my SEO." But, honestly, AI didn't break SEO. It just exposed all the shortcuts people were taking. You know, the content mills, those endless FAQ pages stuffed with keywords... It's like, if your strategy was built on gaming the system, AI just turned the lights on and showed all the cracks.Totally. It's like when you clean your room by shoving everything under the bed, and then your mom comes in and actually looks under the bed. Suddenly, you're not so clever anymore.Exactly! That reminds me of my early days in product design. I once tried to fix a bug in our smart home interface with this quick patch—just a little code tweak, you know? It worked for, like, a week. Then the whole system crashed during a demo. My boss just looked at me and said, "Shortcuts are only fast until you hit a wall." I feel like that's what happened with SEO this year. Brands that relied on those quick fixes—thin content, keyword stuffing—they saw their traffic just drop off a cliff in 2024.Ouch. So, basically, AI is the stress test, not the villain. If your SEO tanked, it was probably fragile to begin with?Yeah, that's it. The real problem wasn't AI—it was the strategy holding everything together. The system used to reward those fragile tactics, but now, if your content doesn't actually help someone or offer something original, it's just ignored. Not even penalized, just... invisible.So, all those brands chasing quick wins are realizing, maybe a little too late, that shortcuts don't last. I mean, it's kind of satisfying, but also, yikes.But it's not just about the tactics, right? The way people search is changing, too. Like, I read that over 25% of U.S. consumers are using AI tools like ChatGPT instead of Google for some questions. I mean, I literally asked ChatGPT for the best poutine recipe last week. Sorry, Google.Wait, did it give you a good answer? Because, honestly, I still trust my grandma's recipe, but—It was... okay. But it was fast! And it felt like I was just chatting with a friend, not scrolling through a million links. That's the thing—search is getting way more conversational and personal. People want answers, not just a list of websites.Yeah, and that's why Google is doubling down on AI, too. They're trying to keep up as people move beyond the old "10 blue links" model. But for brands and SEOs, it means you can't just focus on rankings anymore. You have to show up wherever your audience is—whether that's Google, Bing, ChatGPT, or even TikTok.And it's not always clear what works, right? Sometimes really good content gets skipped by AI, and random stuff gets featured. It's kind of wild out there.Yeah, there's definitely some volatility. But over time, the pattern is clear: content that actually anticipates what people want, adds something original, and earns trust tends to hold up. The fundamentals haven't changed—just the way people find and interact with your content.So, if you're still just chasing clicks, you're missing the point. It's about being useful, wherever people are searching—even if that means showing up in a chatbot instead of a search result.So, let's talk about what actually works now. The shortcuts are gone, but the brands that are thriving are the ones doubling down on substance, trust, and user intent. It's not about churning out a hundred blog posts—it's about original insights, real expertise, and credibility.Yeah, like, if your content doesn't help someone make a decision or actually teach them something, it's just not gonna show up. Google's AI Overviews want clear, credible, comprehensive answers. And honestly, I think that's a good thing. Less fluff, more real value.Exactly. There's this case study from Victorious—they're an SEO agency that's been guiding brands through this shift. Their approach is all about mapping content to user intent, making sure every piece actually answers a real question or solves a real problem. And they're seeing results—brands that focus on substance and ongoing R&D are holding steady or even gaining, while the shortcut-takers are dropping off.So, it's not about traffic for traffic's sake. It's about high-quality clicks that actually convert. Like, one person who finds what they need and takes action is worth way more than a hundred who just bounce.Right. And you have to measure what matters—leads, conversions, revenue. Not just sessions or rankings. Plus, with AI, some visits might not even show up in your analytics the same way, so you need to look at the bigger picture.And don't fight AI—use it! Analyze your data, cluster queries by intent, draft outlines, but always keep a human in the loop. And don't forget to experiment. Set aside time and budget for R&D, try new things, and evolve as the landscape changes.Yeah, AI didn't kill SEO—it's just forcing us to do it right. If you focus on being genuinely useful, clear, and credible, you'll earn visibility, no matter how search evolves. That's the real win.Alright, I think that's a wrap for today. If you were hoping for a magic SEO hack, sorry, but the real secret is... do the work, and do it well.Couldn't have said it better. Thanks for tuning in, everyone. We'll be back soon with more on how AI is shaping the tech world. Lucy, always a pleasure.You too, Marcus. Bye everyone!

Episodes

SEO in the Age of AI