Is SEO dead?

No. But it has changed more in the last two years than in the ten before that.

People still search on Google every day, and Google’s own AI answers are built from websites it trusts. What’s changed is where people ask their questions, and what it takes to be the answer. SEO now means being the business Google ranks and the one ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity recommend.

“SEO is dead” runs every single year

I wrote a LinkedIn post about this a while ago. It started: “SEO is dead. That headline runs every. single. year.”

It was true then and it’s true now. Every time Google changes something, someone declares SEO over. What actually dies each time is a shortcut, not the job.

What has changed

Here’s something we noticed in our own keyword research. In the UK, searches for “is SEO dead” fell from about 260 a month at the start of the year to around 170 now. Searches for “how much does a website cost UK” more than halved over the same year, from about 590 to 260.

People haven’t stopped asking those questions. They’re asking AI instead.

AI answers come first. Google often answers a question before anyone clicks, and ChatGPT and Perplexity answer it without Google at all.
Simple questions bring fewer clicks. If the answer fits in a sentence, people get it without visiting a website.
Trust matters more than ever. AI tools recommend businesses they can see real evidence for: reviews, mentions on other websites, clear answers and real experience.

What hasn’t

People still need a business they can trust, and they still check its website before getting in touch.
Local searches still bring in calls, and the map results still matter.
A fast, clear website that answers real questions still wins, on Google and in AI tools.

Ranking first isn’t the goal

Another one of mine: “I got my business to number 1 on Google for the keyword I wanted most. It made us almost no money.”

Ranking isn’t the goal. Enquiries are. The searches worth winning are the ones your buyers make when they’re ready to talk to someone like you, and more and more of those now start with AI.

What to do now

Make your website the clearest answer. Say what you do, who it’s for and what it costs, in plain English. Answer the questions people actually ask.
Get mentioned elsewhere. Google reviews, directories, partners, local press and podcasts all tell AI tools you’re real.
Keep your details the same everywhere. Your name, address and phone number should match on every site that lists you.
Show real experience. Case studies, named authors and real numbers beat generic copy every time.
Track AI visibility, not just rankings. Check what ChatGPT and Google’s AI say when someone asks for a business like yours.
Fix the basics. Speed, mobile and a clear structure still decide whether you’re seen at all.

So, is SEO dead?

No. Lazy SEO is. The businesses that keep doing the real work, being genuinely useful, trusted and easy to understand, will be the ones both Google and AI keep recommending.

That’s exactly what our SEO and AI search work does. Want to see where you stand? Get a free Growth Audit, starting with what AI tools say about your business.