AI SEO Is Good to Have, Not a Necessity

Why Intent-Driven SEO Still Matters More for Lead Generation

Over the past year, AI SEO has gone from being a niche concept to a mainstream upsell. Agencies now pitch visibility inside LLMs as if it is the next inevitable growth channel for every business. For CXOs and founders, the fear of missing out is real.

But when you strip away the hype and look at how businesses actually generate leads, one truth becomes hard to ignore.

AI SEO is good to have. It is not a necessity.

At least not for businesses that depend on predictable, measurable lead generation.

Where AI SEO Gets Its Signals From

One of the most misunderstood aspects of AI SEO is this:

LLMs do not operate in isolation.

From what we have observed in real-world execution, LLMs seem to rely heavily on the same underlying signals that power traditional search engines, including rankings, backlinks, and brand authority. This is an experience-based observation drawn from patterns across multiple client websites, rather than a claim about how any single AI system is architected internally.

Most generative AI tools derive their understanding of authority, relevance, and trust from signals that already exist across the web. These signals are largely shaped by leading search engines such as Google and Bing.

In simpler terms, AI systems are not inventing a new web. They are interpreting the existing one.

That means:

• Websites ranking well on Google and Bing are more likely to be referenced
• Brands with strong backlink profiles are more likely to be mentioned
• Content that already performs well in traditional search has a higher probability of surfacing in AI-generated answers

This is why businesses that already do strong SEO often see AI visibility without explicitly pursuing an AI SEO strategy.

Local SEO: Where AI SEO Falls Short Today

Local businesses provide the clearest example of why intent-driven SEO still matters more than AI SEO.

Consider searches like:

• plumber near me
• dentist in Mississauga
• HVAC repair Toronto
• immigration consultant Brampton
• personal injury lawyer Scarborough

These searches are driven by urgency, proximity, and trust. Users want options, reviews, phone numbers, and availability. They are not looking for a summarised answer from an AI model.

Even if an LLM mentions a business name, the user still goes to Google Maps, checks reviews, compares providers, and evaluates credibility.

Local SEO relies heavily on:

• Google Business Profile optimisation
• Location-based service pages
• Reviews and ratings
• NAP consistency
• Local citations and backlinks

AI SEO does not replace any of this.

For low-competition local businesses, traditional SEO still offers a very real opportunity to rank, generate calls, and build momentum without massive budgets.

Low-Competition Businesses Still Have a Chance

This is an important point often lost in AI SEO conversations.

For many local and niche businesses, competition is not global. It is limited to a city, suburb, or service category. In these cases, intent-driven SEO allows businesses to:

• Choose specific commercial keywords
• Start with one service and one location
• Track keyword rankings clearly
• Measure traffic growth
• Attribute enquiries directly to SEO efforts

You can start small, test, and scale.

That level of control does not exist with AI SEO today.

The Myth of a Short-Term AI SEO Strategy

There is currently no short-term AI SEO strategy that works reliably, regardless of how well-written your content is.

To meaningfully influence AI visibility, businesses need:

• Widespread brand mentions
• Sustained digital PR
• High-authority backlinks
• Presence across trusted third-party publications
• Consistent signals of authority across the web

This requires significant and ongoing investment, often running into thousands of dollars per month.

For large brands and publishers, this may be viable. For most small and mid-sized businesses, it is not.

This is where AI SEO pitches often become misleading. They understate the cost and overstate the speed of results.

Intent-Driven SEO Offers Control and Precision

Intent-driven SEO works because it allows businesses to operate with clarity.

With intent-based SEO, you can:

• Select commercial and transactional keywords
• Understand demand and competition upfront
• Track rankings with precision
• Measure organic traffic growth
• Attribute leads and enquiries clearly
• Forecast ROI over time

Results may not be instant, but progress is visible and measurable.

That matters to businesses operating on real budgets and real timelines.

AI SEO vs Intent-Driven SEO

A Practical Business Comparison

This comparison alone explains why AI SEO should be a supporting layer, not the foundation.

AI SEO Is a Byproduct of Doing SEO Right

Another reality worth stating clearly is this:

If you are doing SEO correctly, AI visibility tends to follow naturally.

Strong technical SEO, high-quality content, local authority, backlinks, and brand mentions all feed into the same ecosystem that AI tools reference.

AI SEO is not something you switch on independently. It is an outcome of consistency, authority, and relevance built over time.

An Insight From Vaibhav Kandpal, Founder, Lead Experts

“AI SEO sounds exciting, but there is no shortcut. In practice, AI systems pick up signals from the same sources that drive Google and Bing rankings. For small and local businesses, intent-driven SEO still offers control, predictability, and measurable ROI. AI visibility follows when the fundamentals are strong, not the other way around.”

— Vaibhav Kandpal, Founder, Lead Experts

This is exactly why we advise clients to focus on SEO strategies they can sustain for at least a year, rather than chasing trends that demand disproportionate investment.

So Where Should Businesses Focus Right Now

For most businesses, especially local and service-driven ones, the priority remains unchanged:

• Build strong local SEO foundations
• Target high-intent keywords first
• Create conversion-focused landing pages
• Use content to support buyer decisions
• Invest in backlinks and authority gradually
• Treat AI SEO as a secondary benefit

Skipping these steps in favour of AI-first strategies often leads to frustration rather than growth.

Final Thoughts: Control Beats Curiosity

AI SEO is interesting. It is evolving. It will matter more in the future.

But today, for businesses that need leads, calls, and enquiries, intent-driven SEO still wins.

It offers control, measurability, and a clear path to ROI. AI SEO does not.

AI SEO is good to have.

Intent-driven SEO is necessary.

And until user behaviour changes at scale, that reality is not going anywhere.