Navigating SEO as Search Evolves with AI
This article was published on April 2, 2026
Categorized in: Digital Marketing, SEO, AI Marketing
Search is changing, but not in the way people have expected. SEO still matters because search engines are still a viable way that people use to gather information. Sure, AI has been intervening on this, but SEO is still a factor. We can’t necessarily control whether someone chooses to read the AI answers over reading our websites, though, but we still need to be positioned in AI results.
AI has caused some changes, and you’ve probably already witnessed many of them. Search queries are getting longer. Search results and answers are being returned faster. In many cases, users are making decisions based on summarized information pulled directly into the results.
All of this has raised the bar on SEO, and it means we still need to account for it in our digital marketing strategies.
Here’s more information about how SEO is evolving with AI SEO:
Search Behavior Goes Beyond Keywords
Keywords are no longer the driver of search, but they are still a factor. Think of this new era as an expansion of the old keyword-driven method. Keywords still exist, but they’re being wrapped into longer, more natural queries that reflect how people actually think and ask questions.
This changes how you approach targeting. Instead of building content around a single term, you need to understand the full intent behind a search. What is the user trying to figure out? What would they ask next if they didn’t get a complete answer the first time?
If your content only scratches the surface, it becomes easy for AI-generated summaries to bypass you. But when your content fully addresses a topic thoroughly, it will increase the likelihood of you being returned in both AI and the search engines. AI needs to be both.
Change the Way You Build Your Content
The way you build content needs to match how it’s being consumed. It’s no longer enough to publish standalone blog posts targeting individual keywords. Your content needs to work together to support a broader topic. This is where structure becomes important.
You should be creating core pages that cover a subject at a high level, supported by additional content that goes deeper into specific questions or areas. Content that is easy to read, well-organized, and direct is more likely to be understood. It is also a good idea to summarize the content at the top of the article in a separate section. This helps both AI and search engines better understand your content.
Your Visibility Extends Beyond Your Website
Although SEO is still a factor, we need to widen our understanding of what visibility means as it pertains to our websites. AI-driven results pull from multiple sources, your broader digital presence plays a larger role in how your content is surfaced. This means that we have to be visible in the “public internet”, which means that we need to be found in multiple places outside of our websites.
If your brand is showing up consistently across these different platforms, it reinforces your credibility. These signals help support your visibility not just in traditional search results, but also in AI-generated answers.
SEO is still a key part of how people find information, even as AI continues to change how that information is delivered. Making a few small changes will help you navigate this era with success.
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About the Author: Brick Marketing President, Nick Stamoulis
Nick Stamoulis is President of Brick Marketing and has over 25 years of digital marketing experience. He works directly with clients on strategy and implementation, helping solve complex marketing, lead generation and sales challenges. Nick Stamoulis is a strategist and expert with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), AI SEO or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), content marketing, social media, pay per click advertising, and conversion improvement. Nick Stamoulis has worked with over 500 companies in many industries and also provides digital marketing consulting and Fractional CMO solutions, helping companies improve performance and achieve desired outcomes.
