SEO Isn’t Dead, But Your Strategy Might Be.
How to Update Your SEO Approach in 2025 to Survive AI Overviews, Win Trust, and Grow Your Brand.
For years, the standard SEO strategy was simple: create keyword-rich content to rank on Google. It worked well for a long time, but the SEO game has experienced a seismic shift.
AI Overviews, which are summaries at the top of many SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), pull information from across the web and serve it directly in the search results.
Users no longer have to sift through links to find what they’re after.
That means even if your brand is the best result for a particular search query, fewer people will reach your site because AI is giving them the answer before they ever see you.
The result? A sharp decline in organic search traffic.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Ahrefs studied over 300,000 keywords. When AI Overviews appeared, click-through rates to the #1 result dropped by more than 34%.
Amsive analyzed 700,000 keywords. They found a 15% average drop in clicks, almost 20% for non-branded terms.
That’s just from AI answers appearing in SERPs.
Now add this: 58.5% of Google searches in the U.S. already end without a click. And on mobile, it’s even higher!
If your SEO strategy relies solely on organic visibility, you're likely already feeling the effects.
Why Top-of-Funnel Content is Losing Steam
Most AI Overviews target TOFU (Top of Funnel) queries.
For example:
“How to prolong the life of concrete”
“How to tie a Windsor knot”
“Best replacement windows for cold weather”
TOFU tactics, including SEO content, fall into the marketing category of brand awareness. It used to be the gateway. In the context of SEO, you’d write an informative article, hope to rank on page one, and wait for users to click and explore your website.
Now, AI answers the question before users even scroll.
That means no page views. No clicks. No chance to earn trust or start a relationship with prospects.
If your site is full of this type of content, it’s time to rethink what you're publishing and why.
The Volume Trap
There’s another shift happening, and it’s a bigger issue than many realize.
Thanks to AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and others, it’s never been easier to create more content…
Like, a lot more content.
However, most marketers haven’t caught on to or have been slow to react to the SEO changes I described above. Desperate to cling to organic reach, marketers are turning to AI-generated content (en masse) to scale content creation efforts, hoping to regain lost ground. In most cases, this has resulted in strategy taking a back seat to production.
And in the new era of SEO, more content isn’t better—it’s just noise.
Meanwhile, those ahead of the curve aren’t focused on scaling the volume of content. Instead, they’re focused on quality, not quantity. They audit content based on impact, not output. They ask: What actually changed someone’s mind?
That’s the mindset shift.
AI can help accelerate production, but it can’t replace the clarity of purpose.
What Still Deserves a Place in Your SEO Strategy
Despite what you might be thinking at this point, or what you might be hearing from some online “gurus,” SEO is not dead.
Here’s what still works—and matters more than ever before:
Branded Search
People directly searching for your organization by name, products, or services still click on SERP links. These are high-intent searches that AI isn’t trying to answer.
Long-Tail and Conversational Queries
“Medium roast coffee beans vacuum pack” is an example of a descriptive or conversational query, which isn’t easy for AI to summarize. If the query is very specific, AI often won’t even try to summarize a conversational query. Content that answers highly specific questions encounters less search competition and usually drives higher-converting traffic.
The chart below shows the average conversion rate (%) by keyword length.
Bottom-of-Funnel Content
People further down the decision path, or BOFU (Bottom of Funnel), still want real comparisons, customer stories, and insights. These queries often go beyond what a quick summary can cover.
But simply ranking isn’t enough. Even BOFU content won’t perform if it lacks credibility.
A Focus on Search Intent Over Volume
Write for decision-makers, and solve real problems. The deeper or more complex the need, the more likely users will scroll and read beyond an AI Overview.
And yes, technical SEO still matters, but it no longer defines success—your content strategy does.
The Credibility Collapse
Another change is coming. In fact, some might argue it’s already here.
Audiences have been getting smarter, and they can sniff out disingenuous and inauthentic content and avoid it like the plague.
They don’t want generic tips. They want unique perspectives, real-world proof, and authentic personalities to guide them through their decision-making process.
“Content that feels disconnected erodes trust, even if it’s well-written.”
Here’s how you should shift:
Write from lived experience.
Use screenshots, real examples, and quotes from actual customers.
Publish insights that only you could know.
This is how trust gets built (or rebuilt) in a post-AI content world.
So, what does credible, trustworthy content look like?
That brings me to my next point…
What AI Can’t Replace
AI can summarize information, but it can’t replace your unique perspective.
It doesn’t understand nuance. It doesn’t speak from experience. It doesn’t take a position. And as a result, it doesn’t build trust.
That means you have a clear and open lane, and it’s time to put the pedal to the metal.
How?
Write content that’s hard to replicate:
Your process for solving a complex problem
A firsthand lesson learned through failure
An interview with a subject matter expert
A strong opinion that challenges conventional thinking
A story that changed your business or shifted your client’s results
If the only way someone could have written it is you, you’re safe.
A Real-World Example
One of our clients, T3 Lining Supply, a nationwide B2B industrial supply company, saw blog traffic drop last fall. Their top-performing article (a “Top 5” industry overview) was losing impressions, along with several other articles that once ranked well.
We identified two major shifts:
Their articles dropped in search rankings, from spots 1–2 to positions 3–10.
Google displayed an AI Overview above all other organic results.
The ranking drop was easier to address. Instead of focusing on producing more original content, we began updating older posts that had lost ground. Within weeks, rankings began to recover.
However, the AI Overview problem was more complex.
As we’ve mentioned, AI-generated answers are still relatively new territory, but we found a way forward using the approach outlined above. Instead of chasing the formats that used to perform well, like listicles, how-tos, and general overviews, we pivoted hard toward differentiation.
We interviewed company leaders. We dug into their process, perspective, and client success stories. Then we built content around what only they could say.
That shift changed everything.
Soon, our revised articles began surfacing in AI-generated overviews. In some cases, those summaries pulled information exclusively from our content. The client reclaimed authority in search and began owning the conversation in their space.
Now, their articles show up in both traditional search results and AI Overviews. They’ve become a trusted source in the eyes of both search engines and potential customers.
That authority is growing their reach, driving leads, and solidifying them as the go-to in their industry.
Don’t Forget to Build Outside of Search
Search will remain a vital component of any marketing strategy. However, as SEO continues to evolve, you will want to also invest in and nurture other doors of entry for your audience:
Value-driven lead magnets can still be effective and can kickstart a variety of email marketing tactics
Engaging social content that starts conversations, not just broadcasts links. And don’t forget to engage in comments and DMs!
BOFU (Bottom-of-Funnel) sales-enablement content that closes deals, not just drives views
A robust video strategy that humanizes your brand and builds authority
Live webinars that deliver high value and invite interaction
Fortunately, if you’re already one of our clients, we do this stuff every day.
We help brands stop chasing clicks and start earning trust. Because when clicks disappear, relationships are the only thing that’s left.
Adapt or Get Left Behind
If you’re still publishing content merely to please the algorithm, you’ll soon be left behind.
The brands that will win are the ones that stop thinking like marketers and start thinking like publishers, partners, and educators.
When did your content last spark a conversation?
Would anyone miss it if you stopped publishing tomorrow?
If not, it’s time for a new plan.
Squeeze more from your marketing.
If you like this article, be sure to sign up for The Connection, our monthly email full of tips and insights (like the article you just read), sent to you monthly.
About the Author
Mark Henderson | Founder & Principal
Mark is a creative strategist with over 25 years of experience in the digital space. He’s passionate about helping organizations grow with story-driven content and design.