Technical SEO is a crucial aspect of website optimisation, ensuring that your site is accessible, fast, and optimised for both search engines and users.

Search is changing - and fast.

In Episode 4 of our SEO Series Masterclass, we explored how AI is disrupting traditional search behaviours, reshaping how users find information, and challenging marketers to evolve their SEO strategies.

Here are five key takeaways from the session to help you navigate this shift and stay ahead:

1. Search is Fragmenting—And AI is the Catalyst

AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are giving users new ways to search, bypassing traditional engines entirely. Google’s own rollout of AI Overviews (AIOs) and AI Mode shows the company is reinventing itself to compete with conversational search experiences.

The result? A more complex, fragmented search ecosystem where the classic “10 blue links” are no longer the only game in town.

2. Visibility

Zero-click searches are on the rise as AI-powered answers deliver information directly on the search results page, often at the expense of organic clicks. While visibility remains important, it doesn’t always translate into traffic. That means SEOs must start measuring success differently, factoring in impressions, brand presence, and share of voice across AI-driven SERP features.

3. Content Needs to Be AI-Ready

AI Overviews and Large Language Models (LLMs) rely on high-quality, trusted sources to generate their responses. That raises the stakes for your content. It needs to be:

• Authoritative and trustworthy (aligned with Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines),

• Structured and optimised (with schema markup and clear formatting),

• And broad enough in coverage to establish relevance across multiple related queries.

If your content isn’t discoverable by AI, you risk being invisible in future search results.

4. Authority is More Important Than Ever

Generative AI tools are trained on huge swathes of web content, and your brand needs to be part of that mix. Digital PR, authoritative citations, and consistent brand mentions all contribute to how frequently and confidently an LLM will surface your business in an AI-generated response.

This is SEO beyond the link - it's about digital footprint, credibility, and trustworthiness in the AI age.

5. SEO Is Evolving - But the Fundamentals Still Matter

Yes, the landscape is shifting. But technical SEO, on-page optimization, content quality, and site performance are still foundational. What’s changing is how and where that effort shows up: in AI-generated summaries, voice search, visual elements, and conversational results.

SEO is no longer just about climbing rankings - it's about being present wherever your audience searches, whether that’s through traditional engines or emerging AI tools.

Final Thought: AI Isn’t Killing SEO - It’s Upgrading It

Far from making SEO obsolete, AI is expanding the field. It’s pushing marketers to create better content, think more strategically, and optimize for new types of user interaction. It’s also creating new opportunities to stand out - if you’re willing to adapt.

Now’s the time to ask: Is your SEO strategy ready for AI?