AI SEO Is Here (And It’s Changing the Game for Everyone)
If you’re working in SEO, digital marketing, or content creation, you’ve probably heard the phrase “AI SEO” or “AIO” tossed around this year. But what does it actually mean for your day-to-day work, your site rankings, and your future in the search business? Grab your coffee (or your favorite focus beverage), because we’re about to take a deep human look at how AI is rewriting the search rulebook—not in some distant future, but right now.
Welcome to the AI Search Revolution
First, some context. Search is not what it was even 18 months ago. Today, 30–40% of all search activity is shifting to AI-driven engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. Google’s dominance? Slipping, as even its own Gemini AI integrates directly into traditional search results. If you still think SEO is just about Google’s algorithm, it’s time for a mindset shift.
This shift means that SEO professionals, marketers, and content creators aren’t just competing for blue links. Now, you’re also competing for visibility in AI summaries, chat answers, and cited sources. It’s a new era—AI SEO, or as some call it, AI Search Optimization (AISO or AIO), has arrived.
What’s Different About AI SEO?
The game has changed and is pretty much the same, just amplified, if your site is well SEO’d you could be non-existant to AI. Here’s what’s shaking up the search landscape:
- AI reads your page and evaluates the actual information, not just signals like keyword count or backlinks.
- Smaller sites and niche creators can finally compete (and sometimes outrank) the big brands, if their information is comprehensive and credible.
- Old SEO “tricks” like keyword stuffing, superficial meta tags, or expensive link schemes? They won’t cut it anymore.
- Your website’s role is changing. Traffic may drop as users get answers without clicking, but unless AI can “see” your site and extract your content, you won’t show up at all. The users that DO click through will potentially be higher quality.
That’s a lot to chew on, so let’s break it down with actionable steps.
10 AI SEO Tips
Here’s the good stuff straight from the AI Smart Lab session on Wednesday. Use these as your new SEO playbook:
1. AI Search Is Taking Over
Prepare for reality: By the end of this year, 30–40%+ of search traffic could be routed through AI-powered engines. Don’t just optimize for Google; think about how your content will be cited (or surfaced) in ChatGPT or Claude. Track your organic sources in GA4. (Yes, it can be wonky, but the data’s there.)
2. Quality > Signals
AI ranks genuine quality. Forget outdated signals like keyword density or backlink counts. Invest your time in making your page genuinely useful. AI models actually read your content and evaluate its informational value. Ask yourself: “If I were brand new to this topic, would I feel smarter or more confident after reading this page?”
*backlinks are still relevant as long as Google keeps their search dominence
3. Smaller Sites Have a Shot
AI is leveling the playing field. If your content is thorough and trustworthy, you no longer need to be a giant to win in the AI age. Niche voices often provide the depth that AI engines reward. Consider writing content for under-served verticals or hyper-specific questions.
4. Your Website Still Matters (A Lot)
Think that decreased traffic means the site itself is less important? Think again. If AI can’t extract information from your website, you’ll be completely invisible in AI summaries. That means every page needs to be:
- Complete and current
- Easy to crawl
- Structured for clarity
Missing or outdated information = you don’t exist to AI. Not dramatic, just true.
5. Create Human-Centric Content
AI rewards real expertise. Don’t hide the humans who write your content. Highlight the author’s credentials. Link to their bios or LinkedIn profiles. Add trust signals everywhere. If you currently publish blog posts by “The Marketing Team” or “Editor,” update them with a real name and supporting info.
Quick Task:
Pick your five top-performing posts and add full author bios (including domain expertise and external links). It’s a 10-minute job that can pay dividends. You can do bulk updates in WP.
6. Use Structured Summaries
Short, clear summaries at the top of each page (or post) help AI models grasp your core message. This isn’t just for users in a hurry; many LLMs (large language models) give extra weight to these summaries when “deciding” what your page is about.
Pro tip: Use 2-3 sentences. Cover what readers can expect, and why your page deserves to be seen.
7. Deep + Readable Content Wins
Think “short-to-deep”: Start with a punchy summary and a clear CTA, then layer on details and supporting data as readers scroll. Imagine your page as a choose-your-own-adventure. Some visitors just want the highlights; others want the full story.
- Start shallow (summary, CTA)
- Go mid-depth (main insights, examples)
- Then deep-dive (FAQ, sources, granular analysis)
8. Revive Schema & Structured Data
That old SEO favorite, schema markup. It’s critical for AI SEO. Proper schema and structured data make your content “discoverable” (and understandable) by AI bots. Don’t skip this—even if you once dismissed it as too technical or unnecessary.
Want an action step? Add Person schema to your author pages and Article schema to your main posts. Most CMSs have plugins for this.
9. Leverage Evergreen & Granular Content
“Own your niche.” Create evergreen resources that answer ultra-specific queries. For example, instead of “AI tools,” aim for “AI tools for regulatory compliance in healthcare.” When AI engines latch onto your page as a definitive source, you’ll enjoy consistent AI-driven citations.
True story:
A modest blog post about Canva, written 3 years ago, suddenly started appearing in AI-sourced traffic for ultra-specific design queries. Why? Its granular focus made it uniquely valuable as LLM fodder.
10. Build Internal Linking & Topic Clusters
Help AI understand your site’s structure by building out pillar pages and topic clusters. Interlink related posts under each pillar. Categorize with intent. Not only does this clarify your authority for humans, but it also gives AI clear “paths” to surface your best information.
Try this exercise: List your top 3 business topics. Now, map 5-7 supporting blog posts for each, linking back to the main pillar. This builds expertise in the eyes of both AI and humans.
Understanding How AI Reads Your Content
Traditional SEO signals still matter to some extent, but they’re no longer enough. Here’s what’s different about AI-driven ranking:
- Natural language understanding: AI models digest your content much like a (superhuman) reader. They pay more attention to clarity, structure, and depth.
- Authority assignment: AI cares about who is speaking. Verified, consistent author profiles matter. Domain-level authority is built through actual expertise, not just site age or backlinks.
- Contextual comprehension: AI thrives on how information fits together (e.g., summaries, context, supporting details), not just repeated keywords.
- Granularity and specificity: The more closely your content matches a unique query, the more likely it is to be surfaced.
Schema and Structure (Don’t Skip This)
Structured data is making a comeback. Schema markup can feel like the spinach of SEO (hard to love, but hugely good for you). With AI, it’s now essential. If you’re on WordPress, use Yoast or Rank Math to automate Article and Person schema. If you’re going custom, a few lines of code will go a long way.
Evergreen and Granular Content in Practice
People don’t need another general overview of “AI in business.” But “AI use cases for small dental practices” or “Top AI-powered plugins for local newsrooms”? The more specific, the more likely you are to land those long-tail AI search wins.
AI SEO in the Real World
Take a look at your own Google Analytics (GA4). It doesn’t always make things clear, but you can see how much traffic is coming from ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI sources. Drill down by channel, and look for surprises. Small sites are quietly racking up double or triple the AI-sourced traffic they saw just a year ago.
Up-to-the-minute content, human voices, detailed how-tos, and even old schema tricks now count for more than surface-level keyword research. You no longer have to outspend, just out-inform and out-clarify.
Going Further in the AI SEO Era
It’s no longer enough to follow checklists. Anyone can ask ChatGPT for “10 Local SEO Tips” and drop generic content online. AI SEO favors those who dig deep, cite real expertise, and genuinely help their readers solve problems.
Your next steps?
- Audit old content for missing authorship, weak summaries, and thin schema.
- Pick one niche and write the best, deepest piece of content in your vertical.
- Clean up your site structure so humans and AI can find their way around.
- Start tracking which sources (direct, search, AI) are actually sending you traffic in GA4.
The bottom line? AI SEO isn’t a threat. It’s an opportunity to do better by your readers, your brand, and your own expertise. If you treat searchers like people—not just clicks or tokens on an algorithmic board—your content will keep showing up, no matter who (or what) is doing the searching.