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#  SEO in the age of AI: What does it mean for your business? 

Posted  21 Aug 2026 by Maria Anderson

## SEO in the age of AI: What does it mean for your business?

If you have noticed fewer people clicking through to your website from Google, you are not imagining it.

AI is changing how people search. Google AI Overviews and AI Mode can now answer many questions directly in its search results, while tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity are giving people another way to find information and research businesses.

It is understandable that business owners are asking whether SEO still works.

The short answer is yes.

SEO still matters. Your website still matters. But both are now part of a much bigger marketing picture.

Marketing has always evolved. The introduction of websites changed how businesses were found. Social media changed it again, and social media algorithms continue to change how businesses reach their audiences.

AI search is the next significant change.

## Does SEO still work now that AI is answering searches?

Yes, but the way people use search is changing.

Research from Pew Research Center provides some useful evidence. It analysed 68,879 Google searches made by 900 US adults. (Source: [Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))

When an AI summary appeared, people clicked a traditional Google search result in 8% of visits. When there was no AI summary, they clicked a search result in 15% of visits.

Only 1% of visits resulted in someone clicking a link contained within the AI summary itself.

That is a significant difference, but it does not mean every business has lost half its Google traffic. And it certainly does not mean half your customers have disappeared.

The type of search matters.

Someone asking, “What is the difference between an inverter and a split system air conditioner?” may get everything they need from an AI generated answer.

Someone searching “air conditioning installer Cleveland QLD” has a different intention. They need to find an actual business, check whether it services their area, decide whether they trust it and work out how to make contact.

This distinction is important when thinking about SEO in the age of AI.

The number of clicks matters, but the quality and intent behind those clicks matter too.

## Why is my website getting fewer clicks?

AI is particularly good at answering straightforward informational questions.

If someone wants a definition, a simple explanation or a summary of information that already exists across hundreds of websites, they may no longer need to click through to another page.

This changes the value of generic content.

For years, some SEO strategies relied heavily on producing large volumes of articles targeting different keywords. Much of that content said essentially the same thing as dozens of other websites.

Google's current guidance prioritises helpful, reliable, people first content. It warns against producing lots of content primarily to attract search visits or summarising what others have said without adding much value.

That doesn't mean businesses should stop creating content.

It means content needs to earn its place.

Real examples, customer questions, local knowledge, case studies, original experience and genuinely useful explanations give people a reason to keep reading.

And fewer low intent clicks are not necessarily bad for a business.

Website traffic is a marketing measure. It isn't the final business outcome.

The better questions are whether the right people are finding you, whether they trust what they find and whether your marketing is generating quality enquiries and customers.

How customers now find, assess and contact businesses across multiple channels. 

## What hasn't changed about SEO in the age of AI?

Quite a lot.

Google says its established SEO best practices remain relevant to its AI search features.

Your website still needs to be built properly. A professional looking brochure website isn't enough if Google cannot easily access, understand and navigate it.

A good SEO foundation includes a technically sound website, logical structure, useful content, appropriate internal links, a good user experience and accurate information about your business.

This is also why it is important not to confuse good SEO with simply putting keywords into articles.

Good SEO specialists work across a much broader range of activities.

Brisbane SEO specialist Janet Camilleri from [Front Page SEO](https://frontpageseo.com.au) describes this well when discussing the relationship between traditional SEO and newer approaches to AI search:

*“Good SEO supports good GEO, and vice versa.”*

Her approach includes onsite and offsite optimisation, keyword research and Google Business Profile, alongside adapting for changes in AI search.

The terminology might be changing. The foundations haven't suddenly disappeared.

## Does local SEO still work for local businesses?

Yes.

This is particularly important for trades and service businesses operating within a defined geographic area.

If someone needs an electrician, plumber, arborist or mechanic, they still need to find an actual business that services their location.

Google says local search results are primarily based on relevance, distance and prominence. Accurate Google Business Profile information remains important, as do reviews and other signals that help establish the prominence of a local business.

So local SEO still matters.

We have seen this in our own work with [Brisbane arborist City Tree Services](https://sustainablemarketing.com.au/projects-portfolio/digital-marketing-for-tradies-case-study-city-tree-services).

Our work included marketing strategy, brand positioning, website strategy and Google Business optimisation. The results included improved digital visibility and increased enquiries, with subsequent business growth supporting the recruitment of a General Manager.

It wasn't one activity working in isolation. It was the different parts of the marketing working together.

## How do I get my business found in AI search?

There isn't one switch you can turn on to make AI recommend your business.

Google says there are no additional technical requirements for appearing in its AI Overviews or AI Mode beyond its existing search requirements.

There are, however, sensible ways to make your content easier for people and search systems to understand.

Clear expert authorship and bios help establish who is behind the information. Question based headings and FAQs make common customer questions easy to identify. Concise answers help readers find what they need quickly. Good website structure and structured data can help search engines understand the information on a page.

These things are worth doing, but they are pieces of a much bigger puzzle.

Your wider online presence matters too.

## What does E E A T actually mean?

Google uses the term E E A T when discussing content quality.

It stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.

Google says trust is the most important of these. It also makes clear that E E A T is not a single ranking factor or score.

In plain English, I think there is a much easier way for businesses to look at it:

*Can potential customers and search systems find enough evidence to trust what your business says?*

That evidence can include genuine experience, useful original content, clear authorship, reviews, testimonials, real projects, relevant credentials and consistent information about your business.

[K&G Automotive, a European car service and repair business,](https://sustainablemarketing.com.au/projects-portfolio/automotive-digital-marketing-case-study-k-g-automotive) is a useful example. Our long term work with the business has included marketing strategy, its website, SEO, Google Business optimisation, AI search optimisation, social media and content marketing.

The outcomes include improved AI search visibility and increased online authority.

Again, there isn't one activity doing all the work.

## Why do strong marketing foundations matter even more now?

This is where I think the conversation needs to become bigger than SEO.

Before worrying about the latest AI search tactic, a business needs to be able to answer some fairly fundamental questions.

Who are your best customers? Why should they choose you? What do you want to be known for? What are your key messages? How should your business communicate? What evidence supports what you say? What is your marketing trying to achieve?

And can customers, Google and AI clearly understand your business online?

These are marketing foundations.

They include your ideal customer profile, [brand positioning](https://sustainablemarketing.com.au/services/branding-services), key messages, brand voice, [marketing strategy](https://sustainablemarketing.com.au/services/marketing-strategy-services-brisbane), evidence and a properly built website with sound SEO foundations.

AI doesn't fix weak foundations. If anything, it makes them easier to see. I've written previously about [why better AI starts with stronger marketing foundations](https://sustainablemarketing.com.au/blog/ai-marketing-foundations), and the same principle applies to search.

## Your website is important, but it isn't the whole customer journey

For years, businesses have been encouraged to think about digital marketing as a way to drive people back to their website.

That still matters, but it is only part of the puzzle now.

Customers want to communicate with businesses in the channel that suits them.

Someone might discover your business through Google, see your name mentioned in an AI answer, read your Google reviews, visit your website, look at your Facebook or Instagram page and then phone you.

Another person might send an Instagram message without ever completing a website enquiry form.

For a business customer, the journey might involve Google, your website, LinkedIn, an email, a referral, a networking conversation and finally a phone call.

This doesn't mean every business needs to be everywhere.

It means you need to understand where your ideal customers spend their time, maintain a credible and consistent presence across the channels that matter, and make it easy for people to communicate with you in the way they prefer.

[Take our two minute Marketing Foundation Scorecard to see what's holding your marketing back.](https://maria-rvua1o3g.scoreapp.com) 

The marketing foundations that help businesses adapt as search, AI and digital channels continue to evolve. 

## So, should businesses still invest in SEO?

Yes, when SEO is part of a sound marketing strategy.

Don't abandon SEO because AI has arrived. And don't judge whether your marketing is working simply by counting website visits.

Look at the quality of the traffic and enquiries you are generating. Look at where customers are finding you. Look at how your website, Google Business Profile, reviews, content, social media and other marketing channels work together.

Then keep adapting.

AI is changing how people search and reducing some website clicks, but that doesn't make SEO less important. It makes strong SEO and marketing foundations more important because businesses now need to be found, understood and trusted across more than one channel.

That is another evolution in marketing.

And, as marketers and businesses have always done, we need to evolve with it.

**Start with the foundations.**

At Sustainable Marketing Services, we help businesses clarify their ideal customers, positioning, key messages, evidence, marketing strategy and digital foundations so their marketing works as a connected system. [Our Marketing Growth Plan](https://sustainablemarketing.com.au/services/marketing-growth-plan-brisbane) is one way to bring those foundations together into a clear, practical roadmap.

[Explore the Marketing Growth Plan](https://sustainablemarketing.com.au/services/marketing-growth-plan-brisbane)

## **Frequently asked questions**

Yes. Google's current guidance says established SEO best practices remain relevant to its AI search features. What is changing is how people search and how often they need to click through to a website for an answer.

It can. Pew Research Center found that users were less likely to click traditional Google search results when an AI summary appeared. The effect varies according to the type of search, so businesses should look at traffic quality, enquiries and conversions rather than website visits alone.

Start with strong SEO and marketing foundations. Make sure your website is technically sound, your business and expertise are clearly explained, your content answers real customer questions and your wider online presence provides consistent evidence about who you are and what you do. Clear expert bios, FAQs, concise answers and structured content can also help make information easier for people and search systems to understand.

Yes. Local SEO remains particularly important for businesses serving defined geographic areas. Your Google Business Profile, accurate business information, reviews, local relevance, website and other local signals can all help customers find and assess your business.

E E A T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. It is part of Google's guidance for assessing content quality, rather than a single ranking score. For businesses, a useful way to think about it is whether customers and search systems can find credible evidence supporting what you say.

Yes. Your website remains an important source of information and credibility and provides a digital asset your business controls. However, it is no longer the only place customers discover, assess or contact a business. Your website needs to work alongside Google Business Profile, reviews, social media and the other channels your ideal customers use.

You don't need to abandon traditional SEO and start again. Google says its established SEO practices continue to apply to its AI search features. It is sensible to make content clear and easy to understand, use question based headings where appropriate, provide concise answers, demonstrate real expertise and evidence, include clear authorship and use appropriate structured data.

##  Not sure if your marketing foundations are ready for the way search is changing? 

Find out where to focus first.

The free 2-minute Marketing Foundations Scorecard assesses your marketing across Strategy, Leadership, Execution and Optimisation and helps you identify where attention is needed.

Get Your Score

[Get Your Score here](https://maria-rvua1o3g.scoreapp.com/) 

About the Author

[**Maria Anderson**](https://sustainablemarketing.com.au/maria-anderson-brisbane-marketing-consultant) **is the Founder and Managing Director of Sustainable Marketing Services, where she helps growth-focused businesses make sustainable growth achievable through clear strategy, structured marketing systems, and practical leadership.**

With more than 25 years' experience in marketing, Maria specialises in turning fragmented marketing into a connected, measurable system that gives business owners confidence in where to focus, what to prioritise, and how to grow sustainably.

A Certified Practising Marketer (Australian Marketing Institute), Maria holds a Bachelor of Business (Marketing and Public Relations) together with Diplomas in Sustainability and Financial Services. She combines strategic thinking with practical implementation, helping businesses simplify marketing, strengthen their positioning, and achieve measurable long-term growth.

Maria is also the creator of the Sustainable Growth System—a strategy-led approach that connects strategy, leadership, execution, and optimisation into one practical marketing framework. She believes great marketing should never feel overwhelming. It should be clear, manageable, measurable, and achievable.