Last updated on
Throughout every wave of technological change, there has been a recurring prediction: the end of SEO and search engines.
Although many experts have been quick to announce the demise of SEO, it has proven remarkably resilient. This article will explore how SEO continues to evolve and why it remains crucial.
Rather than merely citing statistics about how most online purchases start with a search or how the majority of online sessions involve searching, there is a deeper argument to be made.
To truly understand the importance of SEO and search, we must first delve into user intent (why people search) and examine how search engines have evolved.
Articles claiming that “SEO is dead” often appear whenever changes in search technology make information more accessible to consumers. We’ve seen this pattern with the introduction of featured snippets, instant answers, and now with the rise of AI.
These “death of SEO” articles also tend to surface whenever new social media platforms emerge, such as Meta, TikTok, and X. However, the reality is that overall web searches on search engines have continued to grow annually for over a decade.
Search isn’t declining, and new social networks or technologies like AI aren’t diminishing its relevance. Instead, they are encouraging people to search more, making search an integral part of our daily online activities.
SEO is often misunderstood as merely building links or manipulating search engines with spammy tactics. While such strategies might offer short-term gains, they aren’t sustainable for a legitimate business or brand. Long-term SEO success requires a focus beyond just keywords and tricks.
Back in 2009, Bill Gates famously stated, “the future of search is verbs.” This quote captures the essence of why people search: they are looking to accomplish something or perform a task.
It’s crucial to consider this search intent when analyzing SEO and search behaviors. Not all users are looking for websites. In the early days of search, providing links to websites was the best available solution.
Nowadays, however, search engines and AI have improved at directly answering common questions.
For example, when users search for [how old is Taylor Swift] or [when is the NHL trade deadline?], they simply want an immediate answer. They don’t want to navigate through a website, deal with cookie consent notices, close pop-ups, decline newsletter subscriptions, stop auto-play video ads, and scroll past irrelevant content to find the information.
If your idea of SEO was creating thin, ad-laden pages to answer basic questions, then yes, that approach is obsolete. However, SEO has evolved far beyond that.
When people claim that search and SEO are dying, they’re often referring to simple fact-based searches. However, there’s a thriving aspect of search focused on action—what users want to do, or “the verbs.”
This shift highlights the growing importance of SEO, as it now goes beyond the words users type and delves into real marketing.
SEO professionals can help businesses understand user intents and personas. A skilled SEO expert can not only identify what users are searching for but also uncover the underlying reasons behind their searches. This insight enables marketers to create content that truly meets users’ needs.
Just as search engines have evolved, so has SEO. The era of focusing on keyword density and meta tags is over. Modern search engines use a semantic model with vectors to understand meaning. Marketers should adapt by aligning their strategies with a deeper understanding of user intent.
We often imagine the consumer journey as a straightforward funnel, but the reality is much more complex. Today’s consumer journey resembles a crazy straw with numerous twists, loops, and turns.
Consumers are searching more frequently across various devices, platforms, networks, apps, and websites. This diverse user behavior makes the role of an experienced SEO professional more critical than ever.
It’s no longer just about having the right keywords on a page or understanding user intent. We also need to grasp where users are acting on these intents across different channels and touchpoints.
Even though many platforms and frameworks claim to be SEO-friendly, technical SEO challenges and opportunities are still plentiful.
Most popular website frameworks today aren’t inherently optimized for SEO and often need customization and adjustments to achieve optimal results.
There’s no universal solution, and it’s uncertain if one will ever exist.
A skilled SEO professional can help ensure that there are no confusing duplicate pages, that the important pages are easily understood by search engines, and that any redesign or re-platforming efforts won’t negatively impact your existing traffic.
While users may explore different platforms or utilize apps and AI, these interactions still involve a form of search. It’s essential to ensure that our brands and products are visible in these spaces.
Whether a user is typing into a search bar, speaking to a device, asking an AI, using their camera, or even interacting with a smart pin, they are still trying to accomplish a task. As long as users have goals to achieve, SEO professionals will be there to guide and influence them.
Original news from SearchEngineJournal
