Is SEO Dead? The Future of SEO
Is SEO Dead?
Is SEO dead? OK, let’s cut to the chase. No, SEO is not dead. Every time this topic comes up, we do have a little chuckle to ourselves; SEO has “died” many times throughout the history of the internet. Its fatality has been debated numerous times since KIJO’s inception 11 years ago! And, because of this, we’ve come to a pretty confident conclusion – SEO will never die.
But, it evolves. And right now, in 2025, it’s evolving rapidly and the way we approach it is changing fast.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) remains a cornerstone of digital marketing strategy, even in the face of AI tools, evolving algorithms, and shifting user behaviour. Whilst some headlines may claim that “SEO is dead”, the truth is far more nuanced.
We’re KIJO and we’re specialists in website design based in London. For us, SEO is not dying, it’s evolving. But, what does this mean for marketing professionals in the UK? And, how can you stay ahead?
Let’s explore the future of SEO, what’s changing, and why it still matters.
Is SEO Still Relevant?
Absolutely. In fact, SEO is more relevant than ever… Just not in the way it was ten years ago.
Sure, in 2024 ChatGPT received an estimated 37.5 million searches each day. But, Google received an estimated 14 billion. ChatGPT is certainly building relevance, but you do the math…
That said, the days of keyword stuffing are definitely behind us. Link farms, and low-value content climbing the rankings are done for too. Google’s algorithm updates – from BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers – Google’s natural language processing model) to Helpful Content – have already redefined what good SEO looks like.
Today, successful SEO is about:
- E-E-A-T
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness – all elements of content that Google prioritises now. - User intent
Really understanding what people actually want when they search. - High-quality, helpful content
Google’s more sophisticated. It’s not just about ticking keyword boxes anymore, but genuinely answering user queries. - Technical optimisation
Core Web Vitals, mobile responsiveness, structured data all matter for SEO now. - Content experience
How content is consumed is a factor. This includes page design, interactivity, and readability.
If your strategy is still stuck in 2015, then yes, for you, SEO is dead. But, for forward-thinking marketing managers? It’s very much alive. (And kicking.)
Related Read: Unlock Higher Rankings and More Traffic with a Professional SEO Audit
Will SEO Be Replaced by AI?
It’s a fair question, especially with tools like ChatGPT, SGE* (Search Generative Experience), and AI-powered search assistants gaining traction.
*SGE is that top-of-the-page feature in Google Search that uses generative AI to gather the results and provide an AI-generated answer to queries and overviews.
The short answer though? No, we don’t think AI will replace SEO, but we do think it will reshape it. Yes, ChatGPT.com is visited approximately 5.24 billion times each month which is significant and will no doubt climb. But, it still has a long way to go to catch up with Google. The search engine receives around 96.55 billion visits per month!
However, AI’s strong climb in the market is, of course, impacting SEO. Here’s how AI is influencing the future of SEO so far:
1. Smarter Search Engines
Google’s introduction of AI into search (via SGE) means results are becoming more conversational, context-aware, and tailored. This raises the bar for content creators; your pages need to be genuinely helpful and well-structured to be cited in the AI-generated summaries.
2. AI-Powered Content Creation
AI can assist in drafting content, researching keywords, and even analysing competitors. But, it can’t fully replace human insight, storytelling, or nuanced strategy. In fact, search engines are already detecting and deprioritising low-value, AI-generated spam.
In addition, Google Analyst, Gary Illyes, recently confirmed that AI content is fine as long as the quality is high and has been verified by a human for accuracy. He added that “human created” isn’t precisely the right way to describe the search engine’s AI content policy; a more accurate description would be “human curated.”
3. Voice and Visual Search
As AI enhances search interfaces (via voice, image recognition, etc.), SEO obviously needs to adapt. This means using things like alt text (properly!), schema markup, and natural language to remain accessible across these new formats.
4. Personalisation
AI is making search experiences more tailored. That means marketers need to optimise for micro-moments, local intent, and user behaviour, rather than just search volume.
Related Read: The Importance of NAP Consistency
At KIJO, we don’t feel that AI is replacing SEO but we do think it’s raising the standards. And for marketing managers who are ready to embrace the change, this actually presents a huge opportunity!
The Future of SEO: What’s Changing?
The future of SEO is a strategic one. Here’s where we think we’re heading:
1. Experience-Led Content Wins
Search engines want to rank content that demonstrates expertise and delivers a great user experience. Interactive content, smart UX, and multimedia elements will all play a bigger role.
2. Search Results Will Look Different
With SGE and AI summaries, the traditional “10 blue links” may become less dominant. Marketers will want to be targeting SGE visibility in order to be cited and promoted in Google’s generated AI response at the top of the results page.
3. Local and Hyper-Personalised SEO
Google is investing more in local signals and personalised results. Optimising for “near me” searches, reviews, and Google Business Profiles will continue to grow in importance.
Related Read: The Importance of NAP Consistency
4. Topic Clusters Over Keywords
It’s not about targeting keywords anymore; it’s about building authority around themes and topics. That means well-structured content hubs and internal linking should be more of a priority for maximum, consistent visibility.
5. Human-Led SEO Strategy
AI can crunch data, sure. But it’s marketers who understand brand tone, audience intent, and the heart of strategic storytelling. Take comfort that that human touch will always be irreplaceable and invaluable.
Related Read: 9 Brand Copywriting Tips for High-End Businesses
Why Marketers Shouldn’t Panic
If you’re a marketing manager hearing “SEO is dead” in every third LinkedIn post, don’t worry. That narrative tends to come from either:
- Those clinging to outdated tactics, or
- Those promoting shiny new alternatives
The truth is: SEO is evolving. And the smartest marketers? They’re simply evolving with it!
What matters now is:
- Staying up to date with marketing and algorithm changes (psst, sign up to our newsletter The KIJO Klique which contains daily news like this!)
- Focusing on user-first, genuinely helpful content
- Adapting your content for multi-format search experiences
- Using AI as a tool to support, not make, your content
- Balancing short-term wins with long-term authority building
So, Is SEO Dead?
So, what do you think? We hope you agree with us that SEO isn’t dead. It’s shifted, and it’s shifting.
Search engine algorithms are becoming more human, more intuitive, and more demanding of quality. But, with the right strategy, you can still drive organic traffic, brand authority, and long-term business growth.
The future of SEO is going to be undeniably dynamic, AI-enhanced, and user-first. Let’s not lie to ourselves. But, if you can keep pace, we’re confident that it will remain one of your most powerful digital tools!
Related Read: Unlock Higher Rankings and More Traffic with a Professional SEO Audit
Need Help Navigating the Future of SEO?
At KIJO, we combine cutting-edge SEO strategy with elegant, high-performance web design. We’ve helped many UK businesses rank, engage, and convert.
So, if you’re keen to future-proof your SEO strategy, get in touch!And hey, why not also sign up to The KIJO Klique? It’s our newsletter tailored for busy marketers which delivers major and insightful marketing updates to your inbox, every day!
