The rise of AI-powered search is shaking up the SEO game – but does that mean traditional search is dead?
In the first episode of Connecting the dots, we tackled the future of SEO with two experts at the forefront of digital marketing:
Kristina Bergwall, SEO Lead at Precis, who brings over 13 years of experience in search strategy across B2B and B2C, with a deep understanding of how AI is reshaping search visibility.
Lucy Perrott, Head of Growth at Bannerflow, where she oversees earned, owned and paid media, product marketing and growth strategies for a fast-growing creative management platform that helps brands scale and automate their ad production.
Guiding the conversation was Simone Engbo Hansen, Global Content Lead at Precis and a content strategist with extensive SEO expertise.
Spoiler: There’s no need to panic. But there is a need to adapt.
Key takeaways
1. SEO isn’t dead – it’s evolving
Classic SEO still works, but answer engine optimisation (AEO) is emerging as a new battleground. AI-driven search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity are already driving traffic to sites – just in a different way than Google.
2. Brand authority > keyword stuffing
AI search models don’t just rank pages based on backlinks – they reference trusted sources. That means mentions in high-authority places (think: industry reports, expert roundups and review sites like G2) might become even more valuable than keyword density.
3. Think conversational, not just transactional
AI searches lean towards research-driven queries rather than direct product searches. To win, brands need to create content that guides, informs and solves problems – not just rank for high-volume terms.
4. SEO teams need to break out of silos
Success in an AI-driven search era isn’t just an SEO problem. Digital PR, brand strategy and content marketing all play a role in building the credibility and visibility that AI models latch onto.
5. Testing and iteration are key
The future of search is still in flux. Brands that experiment, measure and adapt will be ahead of the curve – while those who wait risk getting left behind.
Final verdict?
SEO isn’t dying – it’s just branching out. And for brands that are strategic, agile and data-driven, this shift is an opportunity, not a threat.
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