Is SEO Dead? Why Optimisation Still Matters in the Age of AI

Every few years, someone declares “SEO is dead.” But at Innermedia, we know the truth: optimisation has never been more alive.

The language around search may be changing — with terms like AI Optimisation, Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) now entering the conversation – but the goal remains the same: helping people and technology find you.

SEO by Any Other Name

The term Search Engine Optimisation was coined in the 1990s, when websites simply needed to show up in Yahoo or Google. Since then, the digital world has evolved beyond recognition – and so has SEO.

Today, we’re no longer just optimising for search engines. We’re optimising for AI systems, voice assistants, and generative engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.

So, should we still call it SEO? At Innermedia, we say yes – but with an expanded definition. SEO isn’t just about rankings anymore. It’s about visibility across every discovery platform, from Google results to AI summaries and conversational responses.

Optimisation Is Still the Beating Heart of Digital Marketing

Whatever name we give it, the principle of optimisation hasn’t changed. Businesses still need to:

• Be discoverable – making sure your brand appears wherever your audience is searching.

• Be credible – demonstrating trustworthiness, expertise, and authority through content and structure.

• Be chosen – positioning your brand as the most logical and reliable answer in an increasingly AI-driven web.

That’s what SEO has always been about — and why it’s still the foundation of effective digital marketing.

How Innermedia Is Evolving SEO for the AI Era

We’ve seen this shift coming for years, and we’re already helping clients stay ahead through smarter, AI-ready optimisation.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

✅ Blending traditional SEO with AI strategies
We combine proven SEO practices with Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)
to make sure your brand stands out in both search and generative responses.

✅ Creating AI-friendly website structures
Our website design team builds sites that are clean, semantic, and easy for both users and AI systems to understand.

✅ Building authority and trust
Through content marketing, digital PR, and link-building, we establish your brand as an authoritative source – one that AI systems can trust to quote and reference.

✅ Focusing on clarity, consistency, and credibility
These three principles remain the foundation of everything we do. The clearer and more consistent your message, the more likely AI (and people) will recognise your expertise.

What This Means for Your Business

The question isn’t “Is SEO dead?” — it’s “How is SEO evolving?”

Search may look different in 2025, but the need to optimise hasn’t gone anywhere. Brands that stop refining their digital presence risk being invisible in a world where AI decides what users see first.

So whether we call it SEO, GEO, AEO, AI Optimisation, or something entirely new, one truth remains: Optimisation still matters.

And at Innermedia, we’ll make sure your brand stays visible, trusted, and one step ahead — whatever the next wave of technology brings.