Is SEO still relevant now that there are AI search engines?

Yes, SEO is still very much relevant. AI search engines do not replace your findability, they build on it: tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI Overview pull their answers largely from the same organic pages you rank with SEO. No strong SEO means you stay invisible in those AI answers as well.

So does AI change nothing about SEO?

It does. The center of gravity shifts from “ranking high on a keyword” toward “being the best, most citable answer”. AI models choose sources based on clarity, authority and how well your content answers a concrete question. That is exactly what GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is about: writing and structuring your content so an AI model cites you and names you.

In practice, SEO and GEO reinforce each other. The technical base, the internal links and the content depth that SEO always demanded are now also the levers to land in AI answers. So you do not do “SEO or GEO”, but SEO as the foundation with GEO on top.

How do you stay findable in both Google and AI?

A few priorities that pay off in both worlds:

• Answer real questions directly. Start every page with a clear answer of two to three sentences. That is exactly the snippet an AI Overview picks up.
• Build demonstrable authority. Your own data, cases and clear expertise make you a source models dare to cite, not only rank.
• Structure your content. Logical headings, short paragraphs and clear definitions make your content easier to interpret for both search engines and language models.
• Measure what matters. Visibility in AI answers does not always translate into classic clicks, so look beyond positions alone.

What does this mean for B2B?

For B2B companies, this is opportunity rather than threat. Your audience is small and your decision-makers use AI tools to orient themselves quickly before they shortlist a supplier. If you are named in that orienting answer, you are in the race before the first conversation. At Customer Impact we therefore do not steer on vain visibility numbers, but on findability that genuinely delivers qualified enquiries and revenue, in Google and in AI. Want to know where you stand today? Request a no-obligation analysis via the SEO service.