In an era where AI is replacing search engines, is SEO still valid?

In the marketing industry today, it's becoming increasingly common to hear that “SEO is dead.”
This sentiment stems from the growing number of users who are turning to generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity to ask questions, rather than typing keywords into traditional search engines.
While platforms like Google and Naver are also enhancing their generative search features, this shift signals more than just the evolution of search engines — it reflects a fundamental change in the very nature of searching.
So, does this mean SEO has truly become an obsolete strategy?
Or are we simply witnessing the beginning of a new set of rules for the age of AI?

[Series preview 👀]

① In an era where AI is replacing search engines, is SEO still valid? (→ we're here now!)

② Is Click-Based SEO Over? Content Strategies AI Chooses

Want 'answers' instead of 'search results'? Understeadind 'Generative Search' 

In 2023, Google unveiled a new search feature called SGE (Search Generative Experience).

Unlike traditional search, which simply displays a list of web pages or links, this feature uses AI to understand the user's intent and summarize relevant information, displaying it directly at the top of the results.

For example, when a user asks a travel-related question like “What are the best things to do in Rome?”, SGE doesn’t just list links — instead, the AI analyzes information from various sources such as travel blogs, official tourism websites, and user reviews to create a concise guide.

This summary aims to provide a direct answer to the user’s question, rather than just conducting a “search” so users no longer need to click through multiple websites.

 (Source: How Google SGE Redefines Organic Traffic Across Industries)

This transformation is not merely an improvement in search UX — it reflects a broader trend in which users increasingly seek immediate answers rather than traditional search results.

Platforms like Microsoft Bing and Perplexity.ai are adopting similar approaches, and now, search is shifting from an act of exploration to one of conversation.

IS SEO Truly Obsolete? The Impact of Generative Search on SEO

The introduction of generative search is bringing fundamental changes to the role and strategy of SEO. As AI now provides direct and detailed answers to users’ questions, it has become increasingly difficult to drive sufficient traffic simply by having your content ranked at the top of search results. In particular, as AI-generated summaries become more common, users are often able to obtain the information they need without clicking through to individual websites — resulting in a noticeable drop in actual website visits and click-through rates (CTR).

According to a study by U.S. marketing firm BrightEdge, CTR for previously top-ranking websites dropped by an average of 31% for queries that include AI-generated search results.

Major search portals like Naver and Google have also experienced declines in ad click-through rates and search traffic since the introduction of AI-powered search.

However, this doesn’t mean SEO has become useless. In fact, as AI selects and cites reliable sources of information, the E-E-A-T factors — Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, which are already key standards in SEO for platforms like Google — are becoming even more critical. Since AI prefers to reference trustworthy content when summarizing or generating answers, future SEO strategies must go beyond keyword and link optimization, focusing instead on creating high-quality content that aligns with E-E-A-T principles. In this way, SEO is evolving from merely achieving a “top spot in search results” to becoming a trusted source cited by AI, ushering in a new era that demands a more strategic and foundational approach.

In the next installment, we’ll take a closer look at actionable “new SEO strategies for the AI era” that marketers can apply in this changing landscape.

Stay tuned!

_{Reference) 《The Art of SEO》 4th Edition, Chapter 7}

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