Semrush CMO Andrew Warden breaks down how AI search changes SEO and what marketers must do to stay visible across LLMs and traditional search.
More than two years ago, generative AI took the world by storm. Almost overnight, large language models (LLMs) and AI agents leapt from the lab into the hands of marketers, technologists, and everyday users. Tools that once felt a decade away suddenly rewired how people search, how they consume information, and how brands show up.
Eighteen months later, the shockwaves hit digital marketing with full force. And this time, it wasn’t just another Google algorithm update. Traffic didn’t decline gradually. For some, it evaporated. Clicks vaporized. Revenue plans cratered. Even the most seasoned SEO experts struggled to explain the sudden cliff. Entire business models wobbled, and some publicly traded companies saw significant losses in market cap.
While these initial shock waves have subsided, we’re still living and learning through this disruption – and more importantly – its opportunities. LLMs, generative AI, and the AI-powered systems that now intermediate discovery are not passing trends nor fads. They are additive to the traditional SEO landscape and represent a once-in-a-generation transformation of how online visibility works.
As the dust began to settle, marketers and analysts searched for a way to name the change. Predictably, dramatic claims arose: “SEO is finally dead!”
It made for great headlines, but it isn’t true. Despite the rise of ChatGPT and platforms like Perplexity, Google did not die – and neither did SEO. In fact, Google searches have increased 20% since ChatGPT’s launch, according to Datos and Sparktor. As of October 2025, 94.4% of all searches still happen on Google.
Instead, what changed was the scale and scope of visibility. People still search on Google, and they also ask ChatGPT, query Copilot, and rely on AI-driven recommendations across countless new surfaces. Visibility no longer lives in one channel. The playing field is multiplying.
In response, a new taxonomy emerged. First came generative engine optimization (GEO): the practice of guiding generative engines to include your brand in their answers. Then came answer engine optimization (AEO): the idea of creating content that AI engines cite directly when recommending products or services.
Both concepts captured a piece of the puzzle – but only a piece.
For brands to win in our new environment, they need to combine the power of traditional SEO – optimizing content for known engines and predictable algorithms – as well as AI Search, which optimizes for LLM interpretation. It’s the process of ensuring your brand is discoverable, credible, and accurately represented wherever AI systems answer questions, summarize, or recommend.
That means:
This isn’t the death of SEO. It’s its evolution into something larger, harder, and far more critical. Marketers must elevate their game and now consider online visibility as digital brand visibility.
For marketers navigating this convergence of SEO and AI, Semrush One, launched in October 2025, brings both worlds together – connecting traditional search optimization with AI visibility insights so brands can see, measure, and manage their presence wherever discovery happens.
Buckle up SEOs and digital marketers: you now have an expanded seat at the marketing table. Your role has been elevated from technical specialists to strategic advisors, not only for your own teams to grow, but across the whole of the marketing function. You are now uniquely positioned to consult virtually the entire marketing organization on how to improve visibility for the brand in the AI era.
That means:
SEO has always been about visibility. AI search raises the stakes. Our focus must shift from being seen to becoming a trusted resource, from a passing mention to an authoritative citation.
We are experiencing a transformation on par with the birth of search engines themselves. When Google was founded in 1998, companies that understood SEO rose to dominance. Today, the same will be true for those who master AI search.
The disruption AI is causing in our industry doesn’t displace the need for SEO. It expands it. It challenges us to think bigger, act bolder, and recognize that visibility has become the most complex, multidimensional challenge in marketing.
For ambitious marketers willing to adapt, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. And Semrush is leading, out in front, side-by-side, with today’s most cutting-edge marketers, with the tools and best practices to win.
