Someone declares SEO dead every year or so. It's become a tradition, like fruitcake nobody asked for. This time the reason is AI: if Google and ChatGPT answer the question themselves, why would anyone click on your website?
It's a fair question, so here's a straight answer, based on what Google actually says rather than what gets clicks on social media.
Why do people say SEO is dead?
Because searching looks different now. Google shows AI Overviews on some searches, it has an AI Mode for questions that need more digging, and plenty of people now ask ChatGPT for recommendations instead of scrolling a list of links.
If you picture SEO as "get to number one in a list of ten blue links", that picture is out of date. But that was never the whole job. SEO has always been about making your business easy for search engines to find, understand and trust, so the right people choose you.
That job hasn't gone anywhere. The places you can show up have just multiplied.
What does Google say about AI Overviews and SEO?
Google has a page for exactly this question: AI features and your website. Here's what it says, in plain English.
SEO still applies
Google says The best practices for SEO remain relevant for AI features in Google Search (such as AI Overviews and AI Mode).
That's about as clear as Google gets.
There's no secret AI trick
Google also says There are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, nor other special optimizations necessary.
So be wary of anyone selling a special AI hack. There isn't one to sell.
Your page has to be in Google first
To be shown as a supporting link in these AI features, Google says a page must be indexed and eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet. In other words, if normal SEO hasn't got your page into Google, the AI features can't use it either.
AI answers can run several searches at once
Google says AI Overviews and AI Mode may use a "query fan-out" technique, issuing multiple related searches across subtopics and data sources. Each of those is a search your pages could be a good answer to.
The clicks are still there
Google says that when people click from search results pages with AI Overviews, these clicks are higher quality
. That's Google's claim about its own product, so take it as such, but it fits what we'd expect: someone who clicks after reading a summary is usually further along in deciding.
What about ChatGPT?
ChatGPT isn't Google, and we're not going to pretend to know exactly how it picks the businesses it names. Be wary of anyone who claims they do.
What we can say is what we see when we ask it for a plumber or a family lawyer: it names real businesses. In our experience, the ones it names tend to have the basics done well. A clear website, consistent details across the web, plenty of genuine reviews and mentions on trusted sites.
That's the same list SEO has always worked on. Getting named in AI answers is what our AI SEO service focuses on, and it sits on top of normal SEO, not instead of it.
What actually is dead
Some SEO really is dead, and good riddance. If an agency is still selling you these, the agency is the thing that's out of date.
Keyword stuffing
Cramming the same phrase into every sentence, or into hidden tags, doesn't work. Google's SEO Starter Guide says Google Search doesn't use the keywords meta tag.
It asks for content that is helpful, reliable and people-first instead.
Buying links
Google's spam policies list buying or selling links for ranking purposes as link spam. Links still matter. Bought ones are a liability.
Mass-produced pages
The same spam policies call out scaled content abuse, which includes using generative AI tools to generate many pages without adding value for users. Hundreds of robot-written pages help nobody, least of all you.
Google says sites that break these policies may rank lower or not appear in results at all. That's the real risk in 2026: not that SEO stopped working, but that bad SEO actively hurts.
What does SEO look like now?
The job is the same. The scoreboard is bigger. For a local business, SEO now means showing up in three places at once:
- The map pack, driven largely by your Google Business Profile and reviews.
- The normal results, driven by your website: its technical health and pages that genuinely answer what people search.
- AI answers, from Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode to tools like ChatGPT.
The good news is that the same work lifts all three. A clear, helpful website, a complete profile, genuine reviews and mentions on real websites. Nothing on that list is new, which is rather the point.
Why local businesses still need SEO
If you serve a local area, a big part of your search presence is the map pack, and AI hasn't changed what drives that. Google's help page on local ranking says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity.
Google also says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, and that businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up. Your Google Business Profile, your reviews and your reputation around the web are still the core of it. That's local SEO, and it's very much alive.
Is SEO still worth it?
For most local businesses, yes. People still search when they need a plumber, a lawyer or a dentist, whether they type it into Google or ask an AI tool. The businesses those searches find are the ones that have done the work.
Work it out on your own numbers. Here's an example with made-up figures: if a new customer is worth $660 in profit to you and you spend $2,000 a month on SEO, it pays for itself at about three extra customers a month.
A few honest caveats:
- It's not instant. Google says some changes can take several months to show. More on that in how long SEO takes.
- Cheap SEO usually isn't worth it. Done properly, most small businesses pay $1,500 to $3,000 a month. Under $1,500 a month is a red flag, because something important isn't getting done. The detail is in how much SEO costs in Australia.
- Nobody can guarantee results. Google decides who ranks, and AI tools decide what they say.
If you want one team covering Google, Maps and AI answers together, that's what our SEO services do.
FAQ
Is SEO dead because of AI?
No. Google says the best practices for SEO remain relevant for its AI features, including AI Overviews and AI Mode. AI changed where people see results, not what makes a business worth showing.
Do I need special optimisation for Google's AI Overviews?
Google says there are no additional requirements or special optimisations needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Your page does need to be indexed and eligible to show in Search with a snippet.
Is SEO worth it for a small business?
For most local businesses, yes, if it's done properly and judged over months. Work out what a new customer is worth to you and compare it with the monthly cost.
Will ChatGPT replace Google search?
Nobody can say for certain. What we see is that AI tools tend to name businesses with strong websites, consistent details and genuine reviews, which is the same work SEO does.
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