The search landscape has evolved radically over the last twenty-five years since Google first started. That change though, has been a gradual process, a slow evolution over time from ten blue links to the varied set of results we see today.
Yet, change is coming, big change, and that change, driven by AI, is going to be revolutionary and far quicker than anything we have seen before.
In this article we take a look at the relatively small impact of AI on search today and what is coming down the pipe in 2025 and beyond.
Most importantly, we look at how this impacts you as a marketer and provide you with some SEO tips for 2025 and what you should be doing now to prepare for the change.
AI Google Search – Where we are now
We are already seeing Google integrate AI into search.
At the moment, this takes the form of a simple AI Overview at the top of the page, but we see these becoming more useful with time, often removing the need to visit a third-party site.
Currently, these are most visible for more basic queries with informational intent – i.e. any question you ask Google.
These AI overviews, much like an answer from ChatGPT can be helpful for search users.
Yet, these AI overviews often satisfy the user query and don’t result in a click or any serious exposure or traffic for sites that have previously benefited from them with either a listing, click, or snippet.
How will AI impact SEO?
The honest answer is we do not really know.
However, there are a few likely SEO scenarios from what we do know that make a lot of sense to start considering now.
1. Growing impressions with diminishing clicks
SEO efforts will raise impressions (the times you show up) but overall clicks will decrease.
