Is SEO the new "dial-up"?

Last week, I found myself staring at a spreadsheet containing over 2,000 meticulously crafted meta descriptions I'd written over the past year. With a deep breath and a slight smirk, I hit delete.

Two years ago, this moment would have felt like career suicide. Now? It feels like finally tossing those AOL CDs I'd been hanging onto "just in case."

I swear I'm not having a professional meltdown – I'm adapting to a seismic shift in how people find information online. As Google integrates AI into its search results and users increasingly turn to ChatGPT for answers, traditional SEO is starting to feel like a relic from a simpler time.

Honestly, I kinda hate writing meta descriptions.

The Numbers Don't Lie (But They're Getting Harder to Read)

According to Similarweb, Google still processes 84.7 billion visits per month. But here's where it gets interesting: internal data from major publishers shows that up to 30% of queries that once led to their sites are now being answered directly by AI interfaces, never leading to a click-through.

The New Search Landscape

The transformation is happening faster than anyone predicted. Last week, Google announced major changes to its search infrastructure for 2025, heavily emphasizing AI-driven results.

Core SEO fundamentals like technical optimization, quality backlinks, and authoritative content remain crucial – but they're being augmented by new ranking factors:

• Content that demonstrates genuine expertise (E-E-A-T) alongside technical optimization

• User experience metrics like Core Web Vitals and page speed

• Multi-format content optimization (text, video, images) for diverse search appearances

• Enhanced focus on user intent and search journey mapping

Why This Isn't SEO's Funeral (More Like Its Evolution)

Remember when "mobile-first" seemed like a death sentence for desktop-optimized sites? The reality wasn't nearly as apocalyptic as predicted. The same pattern is emerging with AI and search.

SEO is becoming LLMO. We’ve seen it ourselves already. We have 15% of our traffic coming from LLM’s. We’ve been sourced in the Perplexity blog. It’s already happening. And most companies I speak to don’t realise it. And aren’t doing anything about it either.

The Playbook for 2025 and Beyond

The new search landscape requires a more sophisticated approach. Here's how smart marketers are adapting their strategies:

1. Become a Primary Source

• Conduct original research and surveys

• Share unique case studies with real metrics

• Document firsthand experiments and results

• Interview industry experts for exclusive insights

• Create proprietary data visualizations

2. Master Conversational Content

• Structure articles around natural questions (People Also Asked)

• Include clear, direct answers near the top

• Create content that flows like a real conversation

• Build content clusters that answer related questions (just released this in Penfriend)

3. Own Your Expertise Angle

• Develop unique frameworks and methodologies

• Share behind-the-scenes processes

• Document your failures and learnings

• Build public databases in your niche

• Create decision-making tools and templates

4. Optimize for Multiple Formats

• Transform key insights into infographics

• Create short-form video summaries

• Develop interactive calculators or tools

• Design shareable slides and presentations

• Record audio versions of written content

5. Focus on User Experience Signals

• Improve Core Web Vitals scores

• Reduce friction in content consumption

• Create clear content hierarchies

• Design mobile-first experiences

• Build intuitive site navigation

6. Leverage AI Strategically

• Use AI for content research and outlining (we do this for you in Penfriend)

• Generate and test multiple headlines (we do this one too, just sayin’)

• Create content variations for different platforms

• Automate routine optimization tasks

• Monitor AI-driven search trends

7. Build Authentic Authority

• Showcase team expertise and credentials

• Document methodologies and processes

• Maintain consistent publishing schedules

• Engage with industry conversations

• Create verification systems for claims

The key is to think beyond traditional SEO metrics and focus on creating value that both search engines and users can't ignore. Remember: in the AI era, being the best answer means being the most helpful, not just the most optimized.

The Human Element Remains Key

Here's the most important insight: AI isn't replacing SEO professionals – it's empowering us to focus on higher-value work. The marketers who thrive will be those who use AI as a tool while doubling down on uniquely human abilities like strategic thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence. It’s the main reason we released Echo a few weeks back with Penfriend.

As I finished clearing out those meta descriptions, I realized something: for the first time in years, I'm spending more time thinking about what our audience needs than what Google wants. It feels like getting back to marketing's roots.

The death of SEO has been predicted countless times – when social media exploded, when mobile transformed the web, and now as AI reshapes search. But each time, it hasn't died – it's evolved. The key isn't to fight the change but to ride the wave.

And hey, at least I finally found a good reason to throw out those AOL CDs.

🤖Tim
I still remember the sound of dial-up internet (and now I professionally explains things to robots)