Every few years, the same headline reappears: “SEO is dead.” It occurred in the late 1990s when search algorithms first emerged, in the 2000s with the introduction of PageRank, again when social media gained popularity, and every time Google released a significant update. Most recently, AI Overviews and new core updates have brought the claim back into conversation.
And yet, SEO remains. Not only is it still here, but it’s thriving as well. The global market for SEO services and software continues to grow, with industry reports predicting steady expansion in the years ahead. Businesses continue to invest in search because it still delivers one of the strongest results in digital marketing.
So why do people keep declaring its death? Because SEO doesn’t stand still. It changes shape.
Evolution of the SEO
The SEO of today is not the same as the SEO of 2015. Gone are the days of keyword stuffing and manipulative link building. Search engines have become increasingly intelligent, thanks to advancements in AI and natural language processing. At the same time, user behavior has shifted: people search differently, expect faster answers, and encounter AI-generated summaries instead of traditional blue links.
This has led some to panic. AI overviews, for example, now appear above regular search results and often provide direct answers. Studies from the industry show that organic clicks have decreased on queries where these AI snippets appear. But while the way traffic flows is changing, the role of SEO hasn’t disappeared; it has simply expanded.
What Still Works
The fundamentals of SEO remain the same: understand what people are looking for, create genuinely helpful content, and make sure it’s easy to find. What has shifted is the context in which that content appears.
AI systems, such as Google’s Overviews, still rely on indexed web pages. Voice assistants still need structured content to provide answers. All of this means visibility continues to matter, even if the search looks different than it once did.
The Real Lesson: Conclusion
SEO isn’t dead. What’s dead is the old way of approaching it: lazy, outdated tactics that no longer align with how people search. Marketers and businesses that embrace change, test new formats, and continue to prioritize high-quality content are the ones who benefit every time the search landscape evolves.
In other words, it’s not a funeral. It’s a transformation. And those willing to adapt will find SEO is not just alive, but more relevant than ever.
