‘SEO is dead’. It’s a tired, overused narrative pushed by those who either don’t understand how search works or have something else to sell. The reality? SEO hasn’t died—it’s evolved, writes Bring Digital Performance founder Matt Hodgson.
And those still clinging to outdated tactics are the ones getting left behind.
We’re witnessing not the demise of SEO but its transformation into something more significant: digital performance. It’s not just about rankings anymore—it’s about visibility across multiple touchpoints, ensuring your brand shows up in organic search, AI-driven search, voice search, and beyond.
Let’s set the record straight and examine how SEO got here, why the industry is still thriving, and what businesses must do to stay ahead.
SEO’s Wild West Days: The Black-Hat Era
In the early 2000s, SEO was like the Wild West—messy, chaotic, and full of people exploiting loopholes. Back then, ranking on Google was a matter of who could game the system the hardest. The most common (and ridiculous) tactics included:
Keyword Stuffing – Websites crammed the exact keywords onto pages repeatedly, making content borderline unreadable. (Think: “Best running shoes! Buy our running shoes! These running shoes are the best running shoes! Did we mention running shoes?”)
Cloaking – Showing one thing to search engines and something entirely different for users. Imagine clicking on a link for “Best Pizza in Melbourne” only to land on a dodgy site selling diet pills.
Spammy Backlinks – SEOs built massive networks of fake sites linking to each other, tricking Google into thinking they were authoritative.
This worked—until Google fought back. Updates like Panda, Penguin and Hummingbird cracked down on black-hat tactics, forcing SEOs to adapt. Those who relied on manipulation were wiped out, while those who focused on quality content and user experience thrived.
Fast forward to today, and the game has changed entirely.
AI, Search Evolution & the Death of SEO Fear-Mongering
The latest round of ‘SEO is dead’ panic comes from the rise of AI-driven search, like Google’s AI Overviews and platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. The argument goes:
“If AI is answering search queries directly, do people need to visit websites anymore?”
Here’s the truth: AI-driven search isn’t replacing SEO—it’s expanding it.
Google’s AI Overviews pull data into quick snippets, but those snippets need trusted sources. If your content isn’t structured correctly, search engines (and AI models) won’t see it. That’s where Digital Performance comes in—optimising content for the entire AI-driven ecosystem, not just for Google.
Let’s not forget Google’s renewed focus on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). If your site doesn’t demonstrate authority and credibility, it won’t rank, whether in traditional search or AI-generated results.
SEO isn’t dead. It’s just more complicated, more intelligent, and more integrated than ever before.
How to Win in the Digital Performance Era
Businesses must stop thinking of SEO as just “ranking on Google.” Instead, they should focus on Digital Performance, a multi-channel strategy that ensures visibility across all search and AI-driven platforms. Some of the things you want to focus on are:
Use Schema Markup to Get Picked Up by AI: Search engines (and AI models) rely on structured data to understand content. Schema markup helps AI determine who you are, what you do, and why you matter. Implementing it properly increases your chances of being featured in AI-generated results.
Optimise for Entities, Not Just Keywords: Google is shifting from keyword-based search to entity-based search. Search engines focus on real-world concepts (brands, people, places) rather than just matching words.
To rank well:
- Clearly define your brand’s key entities (e.g., CEO, services, locations)
- Use internal linking to strengthen entity connections
- Implement Google’s Knowledge Graph principles to enhance authority
Leverage High-Value Video Content
SEO isn’t just about text. Video plays a massive role in visibility. A well-crafted video can:
- Improve dwell time on your website (which Google loves)
- Be repurposed into blogs, social media posts, and even AI-generated summaries
- Show up in Google’s video search results, expanding your reach
Don’t Rely Solely on Google—Diversify Your Traffic Sources
The days of “Google or nothing” are over. Brands must be found everywhere—on search engines, AI-driven tools, YouTube, social platforms, and industry-specific directories. The more touchpoints you dominate, the stronger your digital presence.
Stop the Panic, Start the Strategy
‘SEO is dead’ is a lazy take. The reality is that SEO has evolved into something bigger and more sophisticated.
This is not the time to sit back and complain that AI is taking traffic away—it’s time to adapt. Businesses that embrace structured data, entity SEO, video content, and multi-channel visibility will dominate the future of search.
SEO isn’t dying. It’s just demanding that we play a more intelligent game.
Are you ready to step up?
