As artificial intelligence continues to revolutionize industries, businesses relying on SEO as a marketing channel are being forced to adjust their strategies. The future of SEO prioritizes user experience, meaning professionals must learn to quickly adapt in order to stay ahead. Here are the key SEO trends to watch in the next 12-24 months.
1. AI Summaries Will Dominate SERPs
AI Summaries, previously known as Search Generated Experiences (SGE), are transforming how Google presents search results. For many queries, Google now displays AI-generated responses at the top of its search engine results page (SERP), summarizing information from multiple sources into an easy-to-digest answer.
Interest in AI summaries has surged, with searches for “AI overview” increasing 99 times over the past five years. As AI summaries become mainstream, users will increasingly turn to search engines for information without needing to click on individual websites, which will change how publishers, SEO professionals, and content creators approach optimization.
A key concern is whether AI summaries will reduce click-through rates (CTR). Backlinko’s analysis shows that the top-ranking results typically receive an average CTR of 27.6%, with the top three results receiving over half of all clicks. As AI summaries rise in popularity, some experts predict that organic click-through rates could drop by up to 64% in affected queries. However, businesses can adjust by focusing on getting their content featured in AI-generated summaries, rather than solely targeting traditional blue links.
Similar concerns arose with mobile search, where initial fears of reduced clicks eventually gave way to an overall increase in search volume. Similarly, when Google introduced Featured Snippets, publishers initially feared that it would reduce clicks, but the impact was minimal. In the long run, the shift to AI summaries may not harm website traffic and SEO performance as much as anticipated.
2. LLMs Continue to Capture Google’s Market Share
More consumers are turning to alternatives to Google for faster, more direct answers to their queries. In fact, Google’s market share dipped below 90% for the first time in 2024, a historic shift that highlights the rise of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, and Claude.
Interest in LLMs has grown by 4,850% over the past five years, and these models offer several advantages over traditional search engines:
Conversational Interactions: Users can ask natural language questions and receive coherent, contextually relevant responses.
Direct Answers: Users get immediate, comprehensive answers without needing to sift through multiple websites.
Multitasking: Many LLMs perform tasks beyond information retrieval, such as writing, coding, and analysis.
The growth of LLMs reflects a shift in consumer behavior, with platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity AI gaining traction due to their ability to provide quick, direct answers. Google, in response, has integrated AI summaries into its search, but LLMs are expected to dominate search traffic over the next three years.
3. Search Engines Will Reward User-Generated Content
Brands are increasingly relying on user-generated content (UGC) to drive organic traffic and boost sales. Over the past five years, interest in “user-generated content” has grown by 575%, and it is reshaping how brands interact with their audiences. UGC has become an important SEO trend that businesses must leverage.
Reddit and Quora, for example, have seen substantial increases in organic search traffic, growing by over 600% and 379% respectively since mid-2023. These platforms are benefiting from the rise of AI-generated content, as users seek genuine, peer-driven insights and advice.
Brands can optimize their SEO strategy by engaging with communities on platforms like Reddit and Quora. For instance, the ChatGPT subreddit generates approximately 480,000 monthly visits, proving that user-generated content can be a valuable driver of organic search traffic. This trend is expected to continue into 2025 and beyond.
4. AI Tools Will Transform SEO Workflows
The use of AI tools in SEO is now mainstream, with 86% of SEO professionals incorporating AI into their workflows. Interest in “AI SEO” has surged by 1,900% over the past five years. SEO professionals are seeing tangible improvements in performance, with 83% of companies reporting better SEO results since adopting AI.
AI tools allow professionals to automate tasks like keyword research, data analysis, and content creation, saving significant time. For example, AI-assisted platforms like Perplexity help teams quickly compile data for articles and generate keyword lists for new topics. Additionally, AI tools can act as SEO advisors, helping marketers stay ahead of trends and identify opportunities.
Research by Semrush found that AI-generated content performs nearly as well as human-written content in Google rankings, with both types of content appearing in the top 10 results about 57% of the time. While AI-generated content alone might not fully dominate search rankings, when combined with human expertise, it can be highly effective in SEO.
5. Publishers Will Need EEAT and Brand Signals More Than Ever
Google’s ongoing algorithm updates emphasize two key factors for ranking: EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) and brand signals. Over the past five years, searches for “EEAT” have increased by 344%, reflecting the growing importance of these factors as search engines and AI models become more sophisticated.
EEAT ensures that high-quality, reliable sources are prioritized in search results, and strong brand signals help establish authority and trust with both users and search engines. Brian Dean notes that websites with high organic traffic but weak brand signals are most affected by Google’s updates. This highlights the importance of building a strong brand presence beyond traditional search, particularly on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
For SEO, this means that brands must invest in building their authority across multiple platforms to improve their SERP ranking. Google’s AI summaries will reward brands with strong trust signals, including those built from real-world interactions, such as attending live events or producing high-quality content that aligns with EEAT principles.
Conclusion
The future of SEO is undeniably shaped by AI and machine learning, but EEAT and user experience will remain critical in determining which content ranks highest. As AI-generated content, LLMs, and user-generated content continue to rise in influence, SEO professionals will need to adapt their strategies to balance technological advancements with human expertise. The next few years will see SEO strategies evolve toward a blend of AI efficiency and human creativity, with brands that embrace both being best positioned to succeed in the changing digital landscape.
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