How AI and SEO are changing search (And how smart businesses are benefiting)

Consumer search behaviour is changing rapidly, especially over the last 12 months or so.

Subtly, people are slowly shying away from traditional searching on Google, which is freaking many businesses out and affecting click-through rates.

And this is not one of those wicked Google updates that have stirred the pot, no, this is much bigger and a seismic shift in the digital landscape that’s going to affect every business, no question about it.

Understanding this significant shift is crucial for your business’s future success. So what’s this big shift?

It’s called artificial intelligence, and it’s about to get real nasty for businesses with the growth of Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Gemini – so buckle up and get ready for a rocky ride! These new platforms are now able to understand content in a way that a human can. For SEO Sydney Experts like us, it’s massive as it’s changing the way your web copy gets read, indexed, and ultimately ranked. Or even worse, dumped by Google and AI platforms.

So let’s dive in and see what’s really going on, breaking it all down into an easy-to-understand format so you’re not panicking or rushing out and throwing 50 blogs on your website.

What’s so distinct about AI-powered search?

In the good old days of SEO, ranking a website and driving traffic were mechanical and formulaic. All you had to do was write 1000 words, add the right amount of keywords, get some decent backlinks, ensure your site was mobile-friendly and indexable, add some images, and presto, you’re in business.

Well, you can kiss those days goodbye!

Today, the major search engine players, such as Google and ChatGPT, read content in a different manner, where they’re not scanning for specific content and keywords. They are examining the way the page content is structured, how one paragraph connects to the next, and whether the page effectively solves a problem or answers a question posed by a search query.

Let’s break it down further:

• They can recognise wider topic subjects and subtopics, not just isolated keywords related to a page.
• They connect related concepts, like “surfboards” and “surf reporting”
• They rank and promote pages that are well-organised, nicely designed, easy to navigate, and offer unique and valuable information without any plagiarism.

Simply put, search engines read a page in the same way a human would, not just picking up on random keywords. It’s more about providing quality, in-depth copy that follows a structured flow, rather than adhering to the technical SEO must-dos that previously worked. This should inspire you to create content that is both informative and engaging.

Why AI search is critical for your content strategy.

The AI revolution isn’t about a few minor tweaks in your SEO strategy. No sir! It’s a game-changing shift in how we search moving forward. When your content isn’t formatted in a way AI can easily understand, you’ll start to see a slip in rankings, traffic and business.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Your online visibility decreases. If your content is disorganised, jumbled, overuses spammy keywords, or is just uninformative, AI won’t push this copy. After all, if it’s poorly written and doesn’t solve any questions, why should they promote it? In turn, fewer people will come to your site, fewer call, and you know the rest – it’s a downhill slide.
• Leads slow down. Organic traffic remains king, offering a better ROI than paid ads, but if this traffic slows down, you’ll notice it quickly.
• You become untrustworthy. Light content, keyword stuffing (which was popular years ago), and spewing content with no value are something AI can quickly see, and so can users who land on your web page. If readers like what they see, you can bet AI will as well. Remember that AI is emulating human search behaviour. — If your content feels fake and uninformative, AI will ditch it!

The key takeaway that you really need to get your head around! Ensure your copy tells a compelling story and is both informative and engaging. Conduct a complete website audit of all your content and ask yourself this question: Is this something I find interesting, useful and easy to read? And, most importantly, do I feel confident using this business?

How to make your content AI (and human) friendly.

I’m not trying to scare you and tell you to ring up your SEO agency and ditch them. No, there are still the same SEO fundamentals to follow. What has evolved is the way search engines view and rank content. Here’s what I suggest to help you rank in 2025 and beyond.

Also read: SEO in 2025: tips from the experts.

1. Make your content easy to follow

AI favours structured content, and so does your audience.

Use clear headings with the correct H1, H2 and H3 headings. The H1 should be the main on-page topic, and follow this with more information about the page using your H2S and H3S.

Break the copy up into clear, concise, and easy-to-digest paragraphs. If you start to see the content rambling and repetitive, rein it in. Think of each page as a quick sales pitch. If you read it and start to switch off, wanting to exit, consider what your readers will do. If your content is easy to scan, read, and understand, AI will also be, which is now the primary goal.

Also Read: Content Optimisation: All you need to know.

2. Create topic clusters that connect

AI is now so advanced that it can analyse the way content connects and fits together, which is where topic clusters become vital for increasing visibility on Google AI Overviews. So let’s start with: what are topic clusters? According to SEMrush, a topic cluster is a group of interconnected, thematically related pages on a website. For example, if you were writing about ‘buyers agents in Sydney’, you would have a whole bunch of other pages that relate to this main page that your audience may search for, like: property prices in Sydney in 2025, or how much should I pay a Sydney buyers agent? You then link these subpages back to the main page naturally with internal linking. By creating content clusters in this manner, you inform search engines that you’re an authority on this topic, while also providing your readers with a wealth of helpful information, which they love, and which AI also appreciates. Another super-vital reason for these topic clusters is that you are demonstrating Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) in your field, which is now one of the most important ranking factors.

SEO Sydney Experts Tip: Don’t randomly publish blogs with no forward thinking or planning. Develop an initial blog strategy that aligns with topic clusters, solidifying your business as a trusted source of vital information and a go-to destination online for expert advice.

3. Don’t waffle, be specific

I’ve been guilty of this in the past, writing thousands of words, thinking this is the best way to rank on Google and build more website authority. I don’t remember where this Google conspiracy theory originated, but nowadays it’s more about quality over quantity. Answer specific questions succinctly related to your page topic without waffling on and on and on! Ask yourself this one important question: are they left clueless after reading your content, or have you answered their question? The goal is to be the best, most useful answer online for that topic, not just the longest one.

4. Remember your existing content

Don’t panic about AI and rush to write dozens of new blogs and news articles, because one of your biggest assets is that your current blogs or service/product pages are already indexed and sitting on your website. These blogs would already be bringing in traffic and already have an AI presence, so all you need to do is:

• Can the blog’s structure and design be enhanced to improve the user experience?
• Are the statistics, information, phone numbers, staff, products, or examples still accurate and up to date?
• Are there enough call-to-actions and places to buy or inquire?
• Is anything missing that could help make these old pages more current?

Check if these pages are driving web traffic using Google Analytics and examine ways to enhance the content and design. Then, reassess and monitor the results on AI Overviews and other AI platforms.

5. Let AI be your wingman

We regularly use AI at SEO Sydney Experts, especially ChatGPT, for research and creating topic outlines for blogs. There may be a negative stigma associated with the use of AI, particularly for SEO agencies. Clients may suspect that you’re taking shortcuts and cheating. However, like with all new technologies, change comes with some pushback; however, over time, people will begin to accept AI and expect its usage. However, the trick here is to let it be your wingman to help you create more informative content, but never plagiarise and publish it directly. Use it as a prop and that’s it! Think of AI as your assistant, where you have control and the final say, and no more – well, at least for now.

Final thoughts?

What’s next now that AI can read your content?

AI is reading everything! It’s not simply scanning your blogs, pages or bios – you name it, if you publish it online, AI is reading it. And if your content is not on target and delivers brilliant quality, unique messages, then it will be overlooked and ignored. So, if you’re still writing web copy like it’s 2007 with keyword stuffing, long-waffling, rambling text, then don’t expect any AI interest. The business winners in 2025 and beyond are those that are NOT producing mass content but those that are writing content that goes beyond the mass online noise and clutter online and stands out as a source of quality information. Treat AI as a warning and get on board. It’s not the death knell of SEO, it’s just an evolution.