Website Optimization in the Age of AI: What Works in 2025

SEO is evolving at lightning speed. With AI Overviews, GEO, and AEO redefining the rules and transforming user behavior, the big question is: how do you keep your brand visible in search?

SEO isn’t dead. Its rules are just changing.

“SEO is dead.” It’s a phrase marketers have been hearing for years. It showed up with Panda, Penguin, the mobile index, and even Core Web Vitals. Now, in 2025, it’s back again—this time with the rise of AI Overviews and generative search.

The reality is different: SEO is very much alive, but it’s transforming. It’s no longer just about rankings on Google—it’s also about whether AI engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, or Perplexity will cite you. Out of this shift, a new discipline has emerged: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).

As Grégory Florin aptly puts it, SEO is like the base of an iceberg: without it, GEO wouldn’t exist at all. To put it simply, you can think of GEO as SEO on steroids.

Image source: AI/Grégory Florin

Key Terms Explained

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – the classic optimization for search engines (Google, Seznam). It covers website technical setup, content, UX, and authority. The goal is visibility in the SERP and driving relevant traffic.

• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) – optimization for generative AI search engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity). The goal is to ensure your content is seen as a trustworthy source and cited in AI-generated answers.

• AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization) – a broader approach to optimizing content for artificial intelligence in general. It’s not just about search, but about making content readable and usable across AI models and tools.

• AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) – an approach focused on delivering direct answers. Originally known from featured snippets and voice search, it’s becoming increasingly relevant in the era of generative AI.

• LLM (Large Language Models) – the backbone of today’s AI applications. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Perplexity use LLMs to understand queries and generate responses.

• AI Overviews – Google’s new feature combining search results with a generative AI summary. Users receive an instant overview directly in the SERP without needing to click through to a website.

Old vs. New SEO

How User Behavior Is Changing

Users no longer search the way they used to. While in Google they type short phrases like “travel insurance Austria,” in AI engines they phrase full questions: “What is the best travel insurance for Austria?” That’s a fundamental shift. It’s no longer just about keywords, but about meaning, intent, and the quality of the answer. Content therefore needs to be written in a way that both humans and machines can understand—structured, clear, and with a direct answer.

The data confirms this shift. According to Highervisibility (2025), Google’s share of overall search dropped from 73% to 66.9% in just six months, while ChatGPT already gained a 12.5% share. The Wall Street Journal (2025) reports that AI search now accounts for 5.6% of desktop traffic in the U.S.—double compared to last year.

From an SEO perspective, the key lies in how query types are handled:

• Navigational queries (e.g., “ČSOB travel insurance”) – still strong in Google, but AI can suggest alternative brands. That’s why brand building is essential.

• Informational queries (e.g., “What does travel insurance for Austria cover?”) – answered directly in AI overviews, leading to zero-click behavior. Here, topical authority and structured answers are crucial.

• Transactional queries (e.g., “cheapest travel insurance Austria online”) – still generate clicks and conversions in Google, but AI engines are already recommending specific products. This means e-shops and services must optimize for both SERP and AI simultaneously.

New Metrics: Traffic Isn’t Enough

Just a few years ago, SEO was measured mainly by organic traffic or Google rankings. Today, those metrics alone no longer cut it. User behavior is shifting, AI search is growing, and many queries end right within AI overviews—without a single click to a website.

This has two major consequences. Organic traffic is declining, but brand searches are on the rise. Users are actively looking up specific brands—and that’s critical for business. At the same time, a new KPI is emerging: visibility in AI engines. It’s no longer enough to rank in Google’s top 3—you also need to know whether ChatGPT, Gemini, or Google AI Overviews are citing your content.

And finally, it’s about brand authority. Link building is no longer just about “getting a link,” but about earning mentions in relevant media, quality PR, podcasts, and partnerships that establish credibility. The data backs this up.

Image source: Marketing Miner/Ungr

According to Ahrefs (2025), CTR on the top positions in the SERP has dropped by up to 34%. At the same time, Avinash Kaushik points out that AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) traffic achieves conversion rates 4× to 9× higher than regular Google organic. In one tested case, as much as 12% of all registrations (leads) came directly from the AEO channel (LinkedIn).

Social Media and Video as Search Engines

SEO today is no longer just about Google. According to Metricool (2025), nearly 40% of Gen Z now use TikTok or Instagram instead of Google as their primary source of information—fundamentally changing how people search. YouTube has also remained a dominant platform, with over 2.7 billion monthly active users (June 2025), officially making it the world’s second-largest search engine.

Content format plays a crucial role. People no longer read long articles; they expect quick, clear answers in video formats—TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts. If a brand is missing from these channels, it practically doesn’t exist for part of the audience.

The takeaway is clear: the strategy of the future can’t be built on text alone. It has to be multi-format—a mix of articles, videos, and short-form social content. Those who master this transition will not only be easier to find by people, but also more likely to be cited by AI tools, which are already pulling information from diverse sources.

Image source: Metricool.com

Trends We Need to Watch

• Zero-click dominance. More and more often, users get their answers directly in the SERP or in an AI overview—leaving no reason to click through to a website.

• AI citation race. In the age of generative search, there’s a race to become the source AI chooses to cite. Only brands with strong authority, credibility, and well-structured content make it into the answers. If ChatGPT or Gemini don’t cite you, you practically don’t exist for users—even if you rank well on Google.

• E-E-A-T as a must. What used to be a recommendation is now a non-negotiable. As Search Engine Land (2025) confirms, AI engines and Google are much stricter in evaluating content quality, prioritizing texts with clear authorship, expert sources, and proven experience.

• Monitoring AI results. It’s no longer enough to know your SERP positions. We need new tools and reporting to track whether a brand shows up in AI Overviews, ChatGPT, or Gemini answers. Equally important is monitoring how the competition performs.

• Social SEO and video content. TikTok, YouTube, and Reels are no longer just entertainment platforms—they’re becoming the search engines of a new generation. According to Metricool (2025), more than 40% of young people now search for information primarily on social media. Without video content, a brand becomes invisible to part of its audience.

• Content Portfolio Strategy. As Avinash Kaushik reminds us, the future belongs to diversified content. Blog posts alone aren’t enough. A brand needs to be present across formats (text, video, podcasts, short-form content) and on multiple platforms simultaneously. And above all—publish more frequently, because users expect regular and up-to-date content.

Conclusion: Google Remains Key, but AI Won’t Wait

Even in 2025, Google is still the most widely used search engine. But optimizing for Google alone is no longer enough. The game has expanded: SEO + GEO + AEO + social + video + brand.

If you fall behind for a year or two, you may never catch up with the competition. Website optimization today means being present everywhere people search—on Google, in AI engines, and across social platforms.

Sources Used:

• Marketing Miner, Reshoper 2025 – analysis of the impact of AI Overviews on 6M keywords in the Czech Republic

• Ahrefs (2025) – data on CTR drop in the SERP for AI-related queries, up to 34%

• MAM.cz (33/2025) – interview with SEO specialists on the impact of AI Overviews

• Kevin Indig (Ahrefs Podcast, 2025) – AI citations and differences between Google and ChatGPT

• Chris Donnelly (LinkedIn, 2025) – Old SEO vs. New SEO framework

• Grégory Florin (LinkedIn, 2025) – the metaphor “SEO as the foundation of GEO”

• Avinash Kaushik (LinkedIn, 2025) – AEO strategy, conversion rates of AEO traffic

• Search Engine Land (2025) – E-E-A-T as a mandatory standard for both SEO and AI

• Metricool (2025) – over 40% of young users search primarily on TikTok or Instagram

• Future AI Sentiment Wave 3 (Tom’s Guide, 2025) – 55% of users in the U.S. and 62% in the U.K. prefer AI (ChatGPT, Gemini) over Google

• Wall Street Journal (2025) – AI search accounts for 5.6% of desktop traffic in the U.S., double compared to 2024

• The Guardian (2025) – AI Overviews caused up to an 89% drop in organic traffic for some publishers

• Wikipedia (2025) – description of the function and risks of Google AI Overviews

• SQ Magazine (2025) – 43% of U.S. teenagers use TikTok as their main search tool, Reels make up 41% of Instagram time

• Global Media Insight (2025) – YouTube statistics