Separating Reality from the Hype Around AI SEO
Over the past year, if you have been anywhere near the SEO industry, you have heard the noise. AI SEO this. AI SEO that. Every second pitch from an AI SEO agency suddenly promises visibility inside ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and whatever new AI engine launches next month.
Agencies that were selling the same SEO packages last year are now selling “AI SEO services” with a new label. Every conversation is loaded with fear. CXOs are told that if they do not adapt immediately, they will disappear from search. Some are even firing existing SEO teams because they were told AI SEO is “completely different.”
Let us call this what it is.
This is a classic industry pattern. Something new emerges. It is not fully understood. It is not precisely trackable. But it creates opportunity. And wherever there is uncertainty, there will always be agencies willing to upsell hope.
More than a year into this shift, after seeing many of our client websites perform well inside AI-driven search results, we can confidently say this:
AI SEO is not fundamentally different from traditional SEO.
What has changed is the choices you make and the priorities you set.
The Rise of AI SEO Hype
How Fear Became a Sales Strategy
When AI tools began surfacing answers directly instead of showing links, panic followed. Agencies rushed to reposition themselves as AI SEO experts. New terminology appeared almost overnight: LLM.txt files, AI-friendly schema, brand mention engineering, generative engine optimisation.
None of these ideas were clearly measurable. None had proven benchmarks. Yet they were sold aggressively.
This was made easier by one key fact: AI-mentions driven traffic is still extremely difficult to quantify. There is no Search Console for ChatGPT, no verified analytics layer for Gemini, and no reliable way to attribute leads directly to LLM exposure. Only Google Analytics Referral traffic data and some tools like SEMrush showing partially indexed mentions.
According to a 2024 study by SparkToro, referral traffic from AI chat tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity accounts for well under 1 percent of total website traffic for most sites, even for content-heavy publishers. The number is often even lower for service businesses and local companies.
This lack of transparency created the perfect environment for fear-based selling.
The Reality After One Year of AI SEO Execution
Now that we have execution data across real businesses, the picture is much clearer.
Websites that were already doing strong SEO continue to appear in AI-generated answers. Websites that relied on cosmetic changes or shortcuts did not suddenly gain visibility just because they implemented a new file or markup.
This aligns with external data as well. BrightEdge reported in late 2024 that over 53 percent of trackable website traffic still comes from traditional organic search, while generative AI tools contribute only a fractional share.
AI engines did not rewrite the rules.
They amplified the outcomes of good and bad SEO.
AI SEO Is a Strategic Choice, Not a Mandatory Shift
One of the biggest misconceptions is that AI SEO is something every business must immediately adopt.
That is not true.
You have three realistic strategic paths, each with clear trade-offs.
| AI SEO Approach | What It Really Means | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|
| AI-first SEO | Heavy informational content, reduced commercial focus | Publishers, SaaS, media brands |
| Hybrid SEO | Informational authority plus commercial pages | Most B2B and service businesses |
| Traditional SEO-first | Lead-driven, commercial intent | Local and SMB businesses |
What is often overlooked is that while LLM visibility looks impressive, it far less often translates into actual leads. Multiple industry experiments, including those shared by Ahrefs and Similarweb, show that AI-driven visits tend to sit at the very top of the funnel and rarely complete transactional actions.
For small businesses that depend on calls, forms, and bookings, this distinction matters.
What Actually Works in AI SEO
The Signals That Matter Across LLMs
After consistent observation, testing, and execution, certain patterns are undeniable. AI engines surface content that crosses a threshold of authority, clarity, and usefulness.
Not hacks. Not tricks.
Informational Content That Genuinely Solves Questions
AI systems are designed to answer questions. That makes informational content essential.
However, not all informational content performs equally. Content that ranks or gets referenced inside LLMs tends to be long-form, explanatory, and context-rich. It anticipates follow-up questions and explains the “why,” not just the “what.”
This aligns with findings from Google’s Helpful Content guidance, which emphasises depth, experience, and user satisfaction over keyword targeting.
Thin, generic blogs rarely get surfaced by AI tools, and even when they do, they contribute negligible business value.
Real Value That Differentiates You From Competitors
AI engines do not want ten identical answers. They aim to provide the most helpful one.
This is where many AI SEO strategies fall apart.
Content that gains traction inside LLMs typically demonstrates real experience, original insight, and practical understanding. This mirrors what has always worked in SEO, but AI engines are less forgiving of low-quality repetition.
If your content does not stand out on Google, it is unlikely to stand out in AI-generated answers either.
Authority Is Reinforced Through Citations and References
AI systems rely heavily on corroboration. Content referenced by multiple trusted sources is more likely to be included or summarised.
This is consistent with findings from OpenAI documentation, which notes that models rely on “patterns from trusted, widely referenced sources” rather than isolated claims.
Backlinks, mentions, and citations therefore remain foundational signals, even in AI SEO.
Structured Data Helps Context, Not Guarantees
Structured data and schema are often oversold. In reality, they help systems understand relationships between entities and content sections.
They do not guarantee AI visibility.
Schema clarifies context. It does not replace authority or content quality.
Brand Mentions and Backlinks Still Matter
Despite the hype, brand mentions and backlinks remain among the strongest trust indicators.
AI engines surface brands that are recognised across the web. This mirrors traditional SEO logic and reinforces why foundational SEO work remains critical.
Traditional SEO vs AI SEO
What Changed and What Did Not
| Factor | Traditional SEO | AI SEO |
|---|---|---|
| Informational depth | Important | Essential |
| Commercial pages | Primary | Secondary |
| Backlinks | Ranking signal | Trust signal |
| Brand mentions | Helpful | Highly influential |
| Structured data | Supportive | Contextual |
| Authority | Valuable | Mandatory |
AI SEO did not replace SEO.
It raised the minimum quality bar.
Content Intent Is the Real Strategic Decision
AI SEO naturally pushes content toward informational intent. That is not always aligned with lead generation.
For this reason, many businesses benefit from a hybrid approach:
- Commercial pages drive leads
- Informational pages build authority
- AI visibility grows passively
This keeps revenue predictable while still participating in AI discovery.
An Insight From Vaibhav Kandpal, Founder, Lead Experts
“In our experience, mentions in LLM-generated results typically represent only about one to two percent of what our clients are already ranking for organically on Google and Bing. We validated this through experiments across more than fifty websites. The pattern is consistent. If your SEO foundation is strong, you will be mentioned in AI-generated responses automatically. The extent of that visibility can be enhanced with deeper informational content, but whether that additional effort is worth it must be a mutual decision between the business and the agency.”
— Vaibhav Kandpal, Founder, Lead Experts
This aligns closely with third-party observations from SparkToro and Ahrefs, both of which highlight that AI-driven visibility currently complements search rather than replaces it.
The AI SEO Snake Oil Problem
If an AI SEO agency promises guaranteed ChatGPT rankings, first-position AI answers, or precise AI traffic attribution, that should raise immediate concern.
AI visibility today is probabilistic, indirect, and not reliably measurable. That does not make it useless. It makes it unsuitable for exaggerated promises.
Good agencies explain limitations. Bad agencies exploit uncertainty.
The Hard Truth Most Businesses Need to Hear
If you are already doing strong SEO, there is no reason to panic about AI SEO.
But here is the harder question:
Are you certain your SEO is strong to begin with?
AI did not break SEO.
It exposed weak SEO.
Final Thoughts
AI SEO is not magic. It is not separate. It is not a shortcut.
It is traditional SEO fundamentals with greater emphasis on informational value, authority, and trust. Businesses that chase AI SEO out of fear often lose focus. Businesses that strengthen their foundations gain visibility everywhere.
Do not fall for AI SEO snake oil. Ask questions. Demand clarity. Make informed decisions.
If your SEO is right, AI visibility will follow.
