Why SEO is Not Dead? 🤔

Insights from SEO Expert Sam Dunning

I recently attended RB2B’s community learning session featuring SEO Expert Sam Dunning, which really blowed my mind. While everyone is talking about SEO is dead (which has been an ongoing topic for the past 2 years!), Sam was advocating for what SEO’s still worth today, and shared his playbook for next steps adapting your SEO to the age of AI. Hence, I reorganized my notes and sharing some of his insights here.

(He shared a backlink/SEO hack that he personally is using, which is totally thinking outside of the box, check it out below!) 👇
(He also shared deep insight around whether SEO is for you OR NOT! see below!) 👇

How’s SEO evolving in the age of AI?

"I think there's a few factors. One we can get into is building a foundation about actually thinking about starting to rank on LLMs," says Sam Dunning, founder of Breaking B2B.

This statement captures the current state of SEO -

it's not dying, it's evolving.

Source

The rise of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) has undoubtedly shaken up the world of search engine optimization. Some have even proclaimed the death of SEO as we know it.

However, the reality is far more nuanced.

SEO isn't dead; it's undergoing a transformation, adapting to the new landscape of AI-driven search.

Sam's insights reveal that while traditional SEO metrics like traffic are changing, with some clients seeing up to a 20% decline in traffic from traditional search, new opportunities are emerging.

The key is to understand these changes and adapt our strategies accordingly.

Google remains the undisputed king of search.

Despite the buzz around AI search tools, Google remains the undisputed king of search. Sam points out,

"Google latest report still gets 373 times more traffic than than, ChatGPT. And even if you combine all the AI search tools together, I think it's like two to 3% of the search market."

This statistic is crucial for SEO professionals and businesses alike. While it's important to prepare for the future of AI-driven search, we can't ignore the present reality.

Google is still the primary source of organic traffic for most websites, and optimizing for Google's algorithms remains a critical part of any comprehensive SEO strategy.

Adapting SEO Strategies for AI-Driven Search

While Google still dominates, the rise of AI search tools like ChatGPT can't be ignored.

Sam advises,

"It's about building that foundation for LLMs. So not disregarding Google. Still need to work on it because the chances are when they fully roll out Google AI mode in a year or so (it’s already out!), it would likely take a lot of those ranking factors across, but build up a foundation to start ranking on chatGPT, and similar as well so you don't get kind of caught behind."

This dual approach - optimizing for both traditional search engines and AI-powered tools - is likely to become the new norm in SEO.

It requires a deeper understanding of how AI interprets and ranks content, as well as a willingness to experiment with new strategies.

Understanding your Customer before Content Creation is the key.

One aspect of SEO that remains unchanged, regardless of the technology driving search, is the importance of understanding your audience. —> This has never changed!

Sam emphasizes,

"If the content you're putting out just ranks, but it doesn't actually resonate with your dream clients, expensive problems, motivations, jobs to be done, address their common questions, position your product as a painkiller, and show why you and it's almost a waste of time."

This insight tells me that thorough customer research should be top priority in your SEO strategy.

It's not just about ranking for keywords; it's about creating content that truly resonates with your target audience's needs, pain points, and motivations.

This customer-centric approach not only helps with SEO but also improves conversion rates and overall marketing effectiveness.

Technical SEO? Do your users understand your content?

While technical SEO elements remain important, Sam's approach emphasizes the need to balance these with user-focused content. He states,

"So many SEOs talk about the technical things, the step by step processes, but they forget that we're actually selling complex solutions to prospects that have jobs to be done, struggling moments, etcetera."

This balance is crucial in the evolving SEO landscape. Technical optimizations help search engines understand and rank your content, but it's the user-focused elements that keep visitors engaged and encourage conversions.

As AI becomes more sophisticated in understanding user intent, this balance will likely become even more important.

Backlinks and brand mentions still works…

Despite the changes in search technology, some fundamental SEO principles remain crucial. Sam highlights the continued importance of backlinks and brand mentions, especially in the context of AI search.

He notes,

"They evaluated 75,000 brands. And that evaluation, it showed that the ones that are ranking the most consistently on AI overviews were getting consistent brand mentions on external websites."

This insight suggests that while the mechanisms of search are changing, the underlying principles of authority and relevance - as demonstrated through backlinks and brand mentions - continue to play a significant role.

It's a reminder that SEO isn't just about on-page optimization, but also about building a strong presence across the web.

Strategies for Ranking in Both Traditional and AI-Driven Search

Sam provides several strategies for optimizing content for both traditional and AI-driven search: