Why SEO Still Matters (Even in the Age of AI)
Every few years (and even every few days lately), marketing gets a new “this changes everything” moment. It’s in those moments where we suddenly feel like we have to drop everything, learn new programs, and fire up three new social media accounts. Right now, that major thing is AI, and it really is changing everything. From ChatGPT and Gemini to AI-generated search results and content, it’s easy to wonder whether traditional SEO still matters.
Our team at Marketers of Design is breaking down the new (and developing) relationship between traditional SEO and modern AI platforms.
Spoiler: it does. More than ever.
And Another Spoiler: No. You can’t just start writing all of your content with ChatGPT.
The Myth: “SEO is Dead”
Whenever new tech comes along, someone declares the death of SEO. It feels like SEO is always the first marketing buzzword to walk the plank. But SEO has actually never changed much and remains the most consistent form of organic traffic and brand engagement for many companies. SEO is about helping the right people find the right information at the right time. That mission hasn’t changed. What has changed is how search engines (and now AI tools) interpret and serve that information.
AI is making search more conversational, contextual, and intent-driven. That actually makes the fundamentals of SEO (relevance, structure & clarity) even more valuable.
AI Still Needs Signals
Even when users don’t click a link, AI tools like Google’s SGE or ChatGPT rely on the web’s underlying data to generate answers. That means the quality of your website, its metadata, internal linking, and topical authority directly influence what AI can “see” and cite.
In other words: if your content isn’t optimized, AI can’t find it.
If AI can’t find it, your brand doesn’t exist in the new search landscape.
SEO is Now Content Strategy
Good SEO in 2025 isn’t about keyword density, it’s about semantic depth. You’re optimizing for meaning and value, not just search terms. At MOD, we actually love this shift. AI rewards content that reads naturally, answers layered questions, and demonstrates authority. That’s where strategy matters: structuring your site around themes, intent, and expertise.
SEO has become the connective tissue between your content, your brand narrative, and how AI (and people) interpret your relevance.
Develop Long-Term Brand Equity
Social media can deliver quick hits. Paid ads can spike traffic. But SEO builds compounding visibility. This allows your website and content to turn into a digital asset that grows in value over time. In a world where AI tools increasingly curate the internet, you want your brand to be the one they pull from.
That only happens if your site is optimized, credible, and consistently publishing high-quality content. Emphasis on “consistently”.
The Takeaway
AI isn’t replacing SEO, even though a lot of us in the marketing space were worried for a bit. It’s actually redefining what great SEO looks like, and we’re here for that.
Think of it as moving from search engine optimization to semantic experience optimization. You’re still optimizing, but now it’s for a smarter, more conversational web.
So while everyone’s chasing the next shiny AI tool, the brands that will win long-term are still investing in the fundamentals: strategy, structure, and storytelling. Because no matter how smart the algorithms get, clarity and credibility never go out of style.