S
Suzanne Scacca
Guest
The Google search experience has changed a ton since 2024. From the Helpful Content Update which rocked the state of affiliate marketing to AI Overviews which have gutted click-through rates, we all need to figure out how to navigate this new search landscape.
Search engine optimization (SEO) has been a real mess the last year or so. Which leaves many who work in the digital space wondering:
Is SEO even worth it anymore?
It is. However, your approach to SEO going forward will need to shift. In this post, we’re going to look at the biggest changes impacting the Google search experience and then some tips to help you mold a more effective SEO strategy for the times.
Google has made two massive changes to the search algorithm and search experience in the last year. Let’s take a look at how they’ve impacted things for brands that relied on organic search to grow brand visibility and traffic:
In 2022, Google announced the helpful content update. In 2024, it went widespread when Google updated the core.
When the update was initially announced, Google gave a clear recommendation to digital pros on how to enable their content to still rank well:
Stop creating content for search engines. Create content with your audience in mind first and foremost.
In addition to suggesting that human-first content is the way to rank, it also advised people to delete any content that was not helpful, valuable or of top quality.
With the 2024 core update, Google took things a step further. It appeared to deboost webpages that contained low-quality, irrelevant and spammy content. The only problem is, it also seemed to specifically go after pages with affiliate links, all in the name of the “site reputation abuse” policy.
Here is what that policy entails:
While there are websites that do use this black-hat SEO technique to steal link juice from high-authority sites, those don’t appear to be the only sites impacted by the core update.
Massive brands like CNN, Forbes and Fortune saw their site traffic plummet. At the same time, they lost huge amounts of affiliate revenue. AdWeek reported that big publishers like these cumulatively lost about $7.5 million in traffic.
Of course, these companies have begun to recover as people like Charles Floate and Vince Nero of Buzzstream have discussed.
Brands like Forbes can afford to make sweeping changes in response to Google’s edicts, like ditching freelance writers for staff writers or restructuring their content repository. However, many small- to mid-sized companies are now stuck living in fear of what affiliate marketing may do to their online search reputation and visibility.
Not everyone uses affiliate marketing in ways that could get their sites marked as spammy or unhelpful. So the Helpful Content Update isn’t relevant to everyone. An update that has had a widespread effect is AI Mode.
At Google I/O 2025, Elizabeth Reid who is the Vice President and Head of Search, spoke about AI Mode:
During her keynote presentation, she explained that users have changed the way they search the last couple of years—by asking longer, harder and a greater amount of questions. AI Overviews, as she explains, are “the future of Google Search, a search that goes beyond information to intelligence.”
The problem with this is that AI Overviews now take up prime real estate on search results pages.
Here’s what it looks like when I search for what should i do if i bought a pair of pants and they’re too long:
By default, the AI Overview appears in a minimized state. However, because of how uniquely designed it is and its placement above all content (including relevant videos or sponsored ads), even in this state it steals a lot of attention.
Once the overview section is expanded or someone clicks to “Dive deeper in AI mode,” they’re basically served an entire explainer post right from within Google. Whereas the minified AI Overview took up about half of the above-the-fold area, the expanded version takes up the space of four AI Overviews (about two full scrolls down the page).
In SEO, we’ve always had to battle for that prime real estate. It’s not like Google made it a secret that it prioritized those who could afford to pay-to-play, its YouTube content or links from big companies.
But AI Overviews are now taking traffic away from everyone. A BrightEdge press release reported the following:
AI Overviews have created a zero-click search environment. In other words, consumers get all their questions answered at the very top of Google and never click on a single link.
According to 2024 data from SparkToro, 58.5% of searches done from the U.S. result in zero clicks. 37.1% of those searchers leave Google while the rest perform another query.
Now, 41.5% of people are still clicking on something in Google search. But get this: 28.5% of that traffic goes to a Google-related entity and 1% to a paid ad. At the end of the day, only 36% of Google traffic ever ends up visiting a website outside of Google’s reach.
The solution to these changes seems like it would be simple:
Focus on creating your own great content and products. In turn, this will get the attention of Google’s AI, which will then mention and link to your webpages in relevant search queries.
But this isn’t a realistic solution. SEO has never been simple or straightforward. Plus, Google often updates the algorithm, giving us vague recommendations on how to comply with what it deems to be a great web experience. Even when we do finally catch on to what needs to be done, Google switches up the game.
Unfortunately, we also don’t have a playbook for communicating with AI Overviews. Much like structured data/schema markup, the best we can do is make sure our pages are up to snuff content-wise and technically. Then hope Google takes notice.
So, how do we do SEO going forward? What’s more, is it even worth it?
Here are some tips that I believe will help all of us navigate the most recent version of the Google search experience:
Keep doing SEO the way you have been for commercial content.
It’s informational content that’s the hardest hit right now. Your tried-and-true SEO strategy should still work fine for commercial/ecommerce content.
That said, if you’re employing any sort of black-hat SEO (or even anything that seems to be in a gray area), stop doing it ASAP. It’s not fair to your users and you never know what Google will strike down in its next update.
Avoid rewriting what everyone else has said on the topic.
When creating informational content, try not to rehash what the top-ranking pages say on the topic. This is what AI does and this is what your competition does.
Have something unique and valuable to say—and write it for your target (human) audience.
Find other ways to monetize besides affiliate marketing.
There’s nothing wrong with including an affiliate link or two, especially when you wholeheartedly believe in the product or service you’re linking to.
The problem is when entire pages are built around links to other websites. Even if it’s for a legitimate purpose, Google has shown it doesn’t like this kind of user experience.
Instead, employ less disruptive and more transparent ways of making an income from your site and brand.
Simplify and shorten your content.
Putting AI’s faults aside, it’s hard to deny what a good job it does at delivering answers succinctly and thoroughly to users. From Amazon’s next-day deliveries to DoorDash bringing you dinner every night, AI fits right in with our culture of hyper-convenience.
I’d advise you to start looking at the pages that rank at the top of searches with AI Overviews these days and, more importantly, the ones that are mentioned within them. More and more I’m seeing that they’re much shorter than they have been in recent years. While 2,000 words used to be the norm, now I’m estimating it’s between 500 and 800 words.
Add high-quality visuals.
One thing AI Overviews can’t do is create custom, high-quality visuals. I’m not talking about stock imagery or filler content. I mean videos, GIFs and animations that support your words.
This will give your content an edge and a value that AI can’t compete with. And if it can’t compete with it, this may make the AI more likely to recommend your content as it provides a unique value.
Don’t depend solely on SEO anymore.
You should still do SEO. But entrusting it to bring you the organic (or paid) traffic it once did? That would be a mistake.
In addition to optimizing for Google search, actively distribute your content and advertise your brand on other channels:
Building a devoted following around your brand may also incentivize your audience to share your content.
To answer the question from the top of this post: “Is SEO dead?” No, SEO is not dead. But it would be a mistake to keep doing SEO the way we have in the past or to give it as much importance in our overall digital marketing strategy.
Google is cracking down on websites that publish what it deems to be unhelpful content. And AI Overviews are leeching attention away from organic search results. This is going to make it pretty difficult to depend on SEO as a reliable form of traffic and leads if you don’t make a change.
Knowing what we know about how Google sees the future of web search, there are plenty of changes you can make that will help. It starts with creating human-first content that’s for your specific audience. Then, adjust your optimization strategy so that you’re meeting your users wherever they are online, including Google search.
The future of SEO isn’t either/or, AI vs. human expertise. It’s figuring out how to leverage both for valuable content that readers can find.
Continue reading...
Search engine optimization (SEO) has been a real mess the last year or so. Which leaves many who work in the digital space wondering:
Is SEO even worth it anymore?
It is. However, your approach to SEO going forward will need to shift. In this post, we’re going to look at the biggest changes impacting the Google search experience and then some tips to help you mold a more effective SEO strategy for the times.
The New Google Search Experience
Google has made two massive changes to the search algorithm and search experience in the last year. Let’s take a look at how they’ve impacted things for brands that relied on organic search to grow brand visibility and traffic:
Helpful Content Update
In 2022, Google announced the helpful content update. In 2024, it went widespread when Google updated the core.
When the update was initially announced, Google gave a clear recommendation to digital pros on how to enable their content to still rank well:
Stop creating content for search engines. Create content with your audience in mind first and foremost.
In addition to suggesting that human-first content is the way to rank, it also advised people to delete any content that was not helpful, valuable or of top quality.
With the 2024 core update, Google took things a step further. It appeared to deboost webpages that contained low-quality, irrelevant and spammy content. The only problem is, it also seemed to specifically go after pages with affiliate links, all in the name of the “site reputation abuse” policy.
Here is what that policy entails:
While there are websites that do use this black-hat SEO technique to steal link juice from high-authority sites, those don’t appear to be the only sites impacted by the core update.
Massive brands like CNN, Forbes and Fortune saw their site traffic plummet. At the same time, they lost huge amounts of affiliate revenue. AdWeek reported that big publishers like these cumulatively lost about $7.5 million in traffic.
Of course, these companies have begun to recover as people like Charles Floate and Vince Nero of Buzzstream have discussed.
Brands like Forbes can afford to make sweeping changes in response to Google’s edicts, like ditching freelance writers for staff writers or restructuring their content repository. However, many small- to mid-sized companies are now stuck living in fear of what affiliate marketing may do to their online search reputation and visibility.
AI Overviews
Not everyone uses affiliate marketing in ways that could get their sites marked as spammy or unhelpful. So the Helpful Content Update isn’t relevant to everyone. An update that has had a widespread effect is AI Mode.
At Google I/O 2025, Elizabeth Reid who is the Vice President and Head of Search, spoke about AI Mode:
During her keynote presentation, she explained that users have changed the way they search the last couple of years—by asking longer, harder and a greater amount of questions. AI Overviews, as she explains, are “the future of Google Search, a search that goes beyond information to intelligence.”
The problem with this is that AI Overviews now take up prime real estate on search results pages.
Here’s what it looks like when I search for what should i do if i bought a pair of pants and they’re too long:
By default, the AI Overview appears in a minimized state. However, because of how uniquely designed it is and its placement above all content (including relevant videos or sponsored ads), even in this state it steals a lot of attention.
Once the overview section is expanded or someone clicks to “Dive deeper in AI mode,” they’re basically served an entire explainer post right from within Google. Whereas the minified AI Overview took up about half of the above-the-fold area, the expanded version takes up the space of four AI Overviews (about two full scrolls down the page).
In SEO, we’ve always had to battle for that prime real estate. It’s not like Google made it a secret that it prioritized those who could afford to pay-to-play, its YouTube content or links from big companies.
But AI Overviews are now taking traffic away from everyone. A BrightEdge press release reported the following:
- AI Overviews sit at the top of at least 11% of all Google search queries (22% up from 2024).
- Search queries have grown longer and more complex in just the last year with a 49% growth rate.
- Search impressions have increased by 49%. However, the click-through rate is down by 30%.
AI Overviews have created a zero-click search environment. In other words, consumers get all their questions answered at the very top of Google and never click on a single link.
According to 2024 data from SparkToro, 58.5% of searches done from the U.S. result in zero clicks. 37.1% of those searchers leave Google while the rest perform another query.
Now, 41.5% of people are still clicking on something in Google search. But get this: 28.5% of that traffic goes to a Google-related entity and 1% to a paid ad. At the end of the day, only 36% of Google traffic ever ends up visiting a website outside of Google’s reach.
Is It Time for a New SEO Strategy?
The solution to these changes seems like it would be simple:
Focus on creating your own great content and products. In turn, this will get the attention of Google’s AI, which will then mention and link to your webpages in relevant search queries.
But this isn’t a realistic solution. SEO has never been simple or straightforward. Plus, Google often updates the algorithm, giving us vague recommendations on how to comply with what it deems to be a great web experience. Even when we do finally catch on to what needs to be done, Google switches up the game.
Unfortunately, we also don’t have a playbook for communicating with AI Overviews. Much like structured data/schema markup, the best we can do is make sure our pages are up to snuff content-wise and technically. Then hope Google takes notice.
SEO Tips for 2025 and Onward
So, how do we do SEO going forward? What’s more, is it even worth it?
Here are some tips that I believe will help all of us navigate the most recent version of the Google search experience:
Keep doing SEO the way you have been for commercial content.
It’s informational content that’s the hardest hit right now. Your tried-and-true SEO strategy should still work fine for commercial/ecommerce content.
That said, if you’re employing any sort of black-hat SEO (or even anything that seems to be in a gray area), stop doing it ASAP. It’s not fair to your users and you never know what Google will strike down in its next update.
Avoid rewriting what everyone else has said on the topic.
When creating informational content, try not to rehash what the top-ranking pages say on the topic. This is what AI does and this is what your competition does.
Have something unique and valuable to say—and write it for your target (human) audience.
Find other ways to monetize besides affiliate marketing.
There’s nothing wrong with including an affiliate link or two, especially when you wholeheartedly believe in the product or service you’re linking to.
The problem is when entire pages are built around links to other websites. Even if it’s for a legitimate purpose, Google has shown it doesn’t like this kind of user experience.
Instead, employ less disruptive and more transparent ways of making an income from your site and brand.
Simplify and shorten your content.
Putting AI’s faults aside, it’s hard to deny what a good job it does at delivering answers succinctly and thoroughly to users. From Amazon’s next-day deliveries to DoorDash bringing you dinner every night, AI fits right in with our culture of hyper-convenience.
I’d advise you to start looking at the pages that rank at the top of searches with AI Overviews these days and, more importantly, the ones that are mentioned within them. More and more I’m seeing that they’re much shorter than they have been in recent years. While 2,000 words used to be the norm, now I’m estimating it’s between 500 and 800 words.
Add high-quality visuals.
One thing AI Overviews can’t do is create custom, high-quality visuals. I’m not talking about stock imagery or filler content. I mean videos, GIFs and animations that support your words.
This will give your content an edge and a value that AI can’t compete with. And if it can’t compete with it, this may make the AI more likely to recommend your content as it provides a unique value.
Don’t depend solely on SEO anymore.
You should still do SEO. But entrusting it to bring you the organic (or paid) traffic it once did? That would be a mistake.
In addition to optimizing for Google search, actively distribute your content and advertise your brand on other channels:
- Start a weekly or monthly newsletter.
- Share content on social media platforms.
- Publish content on platforms with built-in audiences like Medium and Substack.
- List your business in relevant industry directories.
- Create content for Google (e.g., YouTube, Google Business).
Building a devoted following around your brand may also incentivize your audience to share your content.
Wrapping Up
To answer the question from the top of this post: “Is SEO dead?” No, SEO is not dead. But it would be a mistake to keep doing SEO the way we have in the past or to give it as much importance in our overall digital marketing strategy.
Google is cracking down on websites that publish what it deems to be unhelpful content. And AI Overviews are leeching attention away from organic search results. This is going to make it pretty difficult to depend on SEO as a reliable form of traffic and leads if you don’t make a change.
Knowing what we know about how Google sees the future of web search, there are plenty of changes you can make that will help. It starts with creating human-first content that’s for your specific audience. Then, adjust your optimization strategy so that you’re meeting your users wherever they are online, including Google search.
The SEO Impact of AI-Driven Content
The future of SEO isn’t either/or, AI vs. human expertise. It’s figuring out how to leverage both for valuable content that readers can find.
Continue reading...