By Neeraj Sancheti

Not long ago, SEO was a straightforward game: find the right keywords, publish optimised content, build backlinks, and climb the ranks. Land in the top three, and the traffic rolled in. Simple. Celebratory.

AI has rewritten the rules. Search behaviour has changed. The Internet is flooded with AI-written content. Traditional SEO strategy is failing big time with organic traffic down by 15-25% as per a recent survey by Bain. Most CMOs are still grappling with how to adapt their SEO strategies to today’s fragmented search behaviour.

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Google still commands a little less than 90% of global search traffic. But it’s no longer the only gatekeeper. ChatGPT is clocking nearly 122.6 Mn daily active users as of May 2025, and it’s growing every month. Other platforms like Gemini, Perplexity and Claude are catching up fast.

Meanwhile, Google’s AI overviews, a feature that answers directly on the search result page, is eating up search traffic. According to SEMRush, 13.14% of all search queries triggered AI overviews as of March 2025, twice of what it was in January. More than 88% of queries that serve AI overviews are informational in nature. Informational queries, once considered SEO gold, are now a nightmare for CMOs because of its Zero-click behaviour on AI overviews.

Fragmentation of search is coupled with a massive surge in AI-generated content. As per Forbes Advisor, 42% of businesses are generating long-form content using AI tools. AI that is capable of paraphrasing the same content for different users. Google confirms that repackaged, paraphrased content that says the same thing in slightly different words will not help in ranking. Google has only one true north: the end user. If the content doesn’t offer relevance, originality, or depth, it won’t just be ignored, it will be penalised.

AI doesn’t scroll your website like a human, it breaks it down, scans for patterns, and picks up only what’s clear and well-organized. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google’s AI Overviews don’t care if you’ve crammed in keywords or used fancy code.

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Here is what they immensely value:

1. Structured authority

LLMs value clarity, that means:

  • Clean HTML with proper heading hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
  • Schema markup for all major content types (FAQs, How-To, Articles)
  • E-E-A-T signals: visible author credentials, trust indicators, and contact information
  • Entity definition and topical context within the first 100 words
  • Structured evidence for every claim

Every page should function as an AI-readable knowledge unit.

2. Entity ownership

If you don’t define your domain, AI will assign it to someone else.

  • Identify and own the 10–15 core entities in your niche
  • Create comprehensive pages around each, not just keyword-stuffed blurbs
  • Use consistent, intentional terminology across all content
  • Build relationships between concepts and link them with descriptive anchors

The goal: when AI thinks of your niche, it thinks of your brand.

3. Knowledge architecture

Content without structure is noise. To build trust:

  • Use hub pages (2,500+ words) to frame the big picture
  • Link to spoke pages that explore subtopics in depth
  • Maintain consistent vocabulary throughout to reinforce expertise
  • Use internal linking to form clear knowledge paths
  • Layer in FAQ schema to make common questions AI-accessible

This is how you help LLMs map your domain expertise, so they reference you when it counts.

4. Citation magnets

Language models only quote what’s quotable. Build assets that demand citation:

  • Proprietary research with unique data points
  • Named frameworks, original methods, and clear step-by-steps
  • Industry benchmarks, side-by-side comparisons, and case studies
  • Expert commentary with named authors and visible credentials

Structure each insight so it’s easy to lift, reference, and reuse. That’s how you earn mentions in AI-generated responses.

Gen AI is a work in progress, and will be this way for next few years. While AI speeds things up, it’s the human touch: original, authoritative, and intentional; that will build trust. SEO success in the AI-era hinges not on volume, but on value. SEO is now contextual and situational. It is no longer linear. Neither should your SEO strategy. Embrace Slow Marketing that prioritizes intent over impressions; value over volume; and recognition over rankings. Build trust. Build your own niche. Value authenticity. Be everywhere.

That’s the strategy you need for new search behaviors and AI-driven content creation.

The author is founder & CEO, Kreativ Street