Busting the SEO myth: Is AI really disrupting SEO?
You can’t scroll through LinkedIn (or life) without bumping into AI. And yes, it’s changing how we live, work and search. There’s been a lot of noise about AI’s impact on SEO – headlines like ‘AI is killing traditional SEO!’ or ‘Your website will never rank again!’ And with it, new terms are emerging, like GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation).
There’s some truth to it. The way people search is evolving. But it’s not as dramatic as the headlines suggest.
Myth: SEO as you know it is completely changing.
Reality: AI is reshaping search, but it’s really just pushing us to follow best practice.
The catch? If your content isn’t clear, helpful and grounded in purpose, your brand might get left out entirely.
TL:DR
It may surprise you, but AI demands we’re actually more human in the way we write. Gone are the days (and so they should have been for the last 15 years) of keyword stuffing 2,000-word blog posts. Tools like Google’s Search Generative Experience and ChatGPT are holding us to account to be better search marketers by making our content more concise, conversational and easy to digest.
Here, we’ve unpacked how AI is changing SEO, why brands with purpose are built for it, and the smart shifts you can make today to stay ahead.
Structure content into questions and answers
Back in 1999 we were listening to Baby one more time, using MSN Messenger and beginning to use search engines. This was the time of the ‘Keyword Cowboys’ – marketers that grabbed as many keywords as possible and dumped them into their content. This was matched by users just typing keywords into a search engine. So it worked, for a moment.
Fast forward: now we know that people search full questions. AI is now supercharging this shift, as people have back-and-forth conversations with their AI, to deepen their query and understanding. You may have noticed Reddit is coming up more often at the top of Google search – because Reddit is focused on Q&A.
For example, don’t say:
‘How to optimise your donation form’
Instead, write it as a Q&A:
‘How can not-for-profits improve their online donation forms to increase conversions?
Keep the form short, mobile-friendly and clear. Show impact, offer preset amounts and make payment easy.’
Tip: Write like you’re helping a friend, not like you’re trying to game the Google algorithm.
Write for humans not search engines
Think about how you read a new webpage. If you hit a wall of dense text with no headings, you probably bounce. You want quick clarity on whether the page has the answer you need. AI behaves the same way. It’s trying to surface content that’s easy to understand and gives clear, helpful answers.
That means we’re being held to a higher standard. The basics still matter, but now they’re non-negotiable.
Use clear and structured headings. Only one H1 per page, then break things down with H2s and H3s.
Keep paragraphs short and scannable. Avoid long, adjective-heavy explanations.
Front-load your message. Don’t bury the lead. Answer the user’s question early.
Write conversationally. AI looks for natural language that mirrors how real people speak.
Focus on intent. Ask yourself, what is the user actually trying to find out?
These aren’t new rules, but AI is enforcing them.
For example, a charity should avoid saying:
‘Your generous contribution assists us in supporting under-resourced communities through a range of important services and long-term development initiatives that aim to improve quality of life.’
Instead, say:
‘Your donation helps people in need get clean water, food and long-term support to build a better life.’
Structure content to make it easy to skim read
There’s more you can do to structure your content for AI, as well as search engines, by thinking about how you can make each page more scannable.
Use lists to draw attention to content such as summaries or key points.
Create steps to talk through a process or instruction.
Develop tables help organise information visually, making it easier to scan for people and AI alike.
Make the most of internal linking to help AI look for related content. By hyperlinking to other relevant pages on your site, you raise the chance of your site being the authority on the topic for Google or AI to show.
Include transparent sourcing and data citations.
For example, an education brand should avoid saying:
‘Our Years 7–10 Science program provides comprehensive coverage of the national curriculum, offering students a range of engaging topics, interactive experiments and assessment tools to build a solid foundation for senior years.’
Instead, say:
‘What’s included in Years 7–10 Science?
Aligned to the Australian curriculum V9.0
Topics from biology to physics
Practicals, experiments and videos
Built-in assessment and reporting tools’
Optimise for featured snippets and zero-click results
With AI summaries and Google snippets becoming more common, not every user will click through to your page, but you still want your content to appear.
Write concise definitions and answer-style blurbs near the top of your content.
Use question-based subheadings and bullet points.
Add schema markup (FAQ, How-to) if possible.
This helps AI surface your content, even when your website is not the final destination.
Build trust with accessibility
Search engines reward brands that users trust and that perform well across devices. That means some of the more technical SEO principles are still relevant, and should be prioritised for review in your SEO to GEO plans.
Fast-loading pages. Use technical audit tools to assess your page load time and reasons for slow load, such as too much complicated code or oversized images.
Mobile-friendly UX. AI prioritises accessible, fast and easy-to-read content on mobile devices, because that’s where most people search.
Build your backlinks. Often a forgotten SEO strategy, backlinks are still important. Essentially, the more other credible sites link to you, the more credible your site is. So delivering great content, and a PR approach to encourage other sites to link to you, is key.
Use real world examples. AI values specificity, so ensure you feature real examples, case studies and voices from your supporters, customers and experts.
Tip: Tools like WAVE Web Accessibility and Google’s PageSpeed Insights can show you how to improve technically. Many fixes are low-effort and high-impact.
Is the SEO game completely changing?
Not exactly, but it is being held to a higher standard.
Search is becoming more human. The way we talk, read and ask questions is now shaping how content gets found, not just by people, but by AI too.
So no, SEO isn’t being replaced. But AI demands we write better content.
If your content is clear, conversational and genuinely helpful you’re already doing what AI is looking for. And the better your content works for people, the better it’ll work for search and AI.
That’s not a loss. That’s the evolution we needed.
Get in touch with Wonder Works if you need help driving customers to your website.
How to identify if you’re attracting the right users to your website.
Matching customer search to what your page content says.
Providing the the information your audience wants.
Improving your pages to optimise for SEO and AI.
