If you’ve been wondering whether AI will replace traditional search marketing, you’re not alone. On Thursday, Nov. 13, business leaders and marketing professionals gathered at The Robey in Chicago for our latest Marketing Disrupted event, The SEO Reset: Winning in the Age of AI. Over drinks and networking, attendees dug into one of the most pressing questions facing digital marketers today: how do we adapt our SEO strategies when AI is fundamentally changing how people search?
Ginna Ryan, 1905 New Media’s Regional Director in Chicago, and Kaysha Hanock, our Director of Digital Marketing, led the discussion. With more than 20 years of search marketing expertise, Kaysha explained the shifts happening right now in search behavior and laid out a roadmap for staying visible as AI reshapes the landscape. The message was clear: SEO isn’t dead, but last year’s playbook no longer works.
5 TRENDS FOR SEO IN THE AGE OF AI
#1: Google Will Not Be Replaced by AI
Search behavior is evolving differently across generations. Gen Z relies heavily on TikTok and Instagram for discovery, while Millennials blend Google with YouTube, social platforms and Reddit. Gen X and Baby Boomers continue to use Google as their primary search tool, with Facebook playing a role for Gen X users specifically
Despite the growing popularity of ChatGPT and other large language models, Google still dominates search volume. Google’s AI Overviews are expected to appear on most searches by year-end, representing Google’s evolution rather than its replacement. What works for Google generally works for AI-powered tools, with some adjustments, so maintaining a diversified presence across platforms while keeping Google at the center of your search strategy will continue to be the winning approach.
#2: Google AI Results Will Increase the Number of Zero-Click Searches
AI-generated summaries at the top of search results mean fewer people will click through to websites for informational content. Users can now learn, compare and select vendors within a single session, and the discovery-to-decision journey can happen without ever visiting your site. This shift significantly compresses the buyer journey.
However, the traffic you do receive from AI-driven searches tends to be significantly more qualified, translating to higher conversion rates. Metrics like AI visibility, citations, impressions and engagement will become more important alongside traditional analytics. Google Search Console will help identify where impressions are rising but click-through rates remain low, signaling opportunities to appear in AI summaries and still capture clicks for high-intent searches.
#3: SEO Best Practices Should Remain a Focus
The technical foundations of SEO continue to matter. Schema and structured data, site speed, clean architecture, internal and external linking, sitemaps and robots.txt files all remain critical to your visibility. AI optimization for SEO builds on these technical essentials rather than replacing them.
Search queries are becoming longer and more conversational, with users now entering queries of eight to 15 words that read like natural questions. Longer queries are more likely to trigger AI Overviews, so delivering key information and clear calls to action early on the page will have an advantage in this new landscape.
#4: Content Is Still Your Number One Asset
Your website is the only piece of digital real estate you actually own. Pillar pages covering broad topics comprehensively, paired with related subtopic content addressing specific questions, will continue to perform well. Explicit question headings followed by concise, direct answers help both traditional search engines and AI tools understand and accurately cite content.
Video content deserves special attention. Users consume an average of 17 hours of video every week. Platform-specific formats for TikTok and Instagram, longer-form content for YouTube and proper transcripts with schema markup will all play a role in visibility. For more on this approach, check out our guide to AI video optimization strategies.
#5: Schema Markup Will Become Increasingly Important
As AI tools become more sophisticated at reading and interpreting web content, structured data plays an essential role in helping both search engines and large language models understand what your pages offer. Schema markup remains a foundational element of technical SEO that supports visibility in both traditional search results and AI-generated overviews.
Win in the Age of AI with 1905 New Media
The search landscape is evolving, but the opportunity to build visibility and drive growth remains strong for brands that adapt their strategies effectively. AI is changing how consumers discover and evaluate businesses, but the fundamentals of effective marketing — clear messaging, valuable content and solid technical execution — still drive results.
If you’re ready to reset your SEO strategy for how people search today, 1905 New Media can help. We bring decades of search marketing expertise and a practical understanding of how AI is transforming search behavior and buyer journeys. Whether you need a comprehensive SEO audit, a content strategy overhaul or help implementing technical improvements, we’ll build a customized plan that delivers measurable results.
Let’s win in the age of AI together. Contact us today to get started.
