Lately, there’s been a wave of misinformation and half-baked truths flooding social media from SEO influencers twisting data to fit their narratives.

It’s the classic fearmongering and doomsaying where they claim SEO is dead or a new search feature/trend is not worth optimizing for.

While I’m knowledgeable enough to form critical opinions, I worry about those easily swayed by these influencers. So, I’ve decided to debunk these claims and highlight what you really need to focus on to win at search in 2025.

But first, here’s a sample of the false claims I’ve seen lately:

• SEO is dead because generative search will replace Google (laughs in Google’s monopoly).
• Generative Engine Optimization is a buzzword that doesn’t mean anything (which explains why search volume for the term has increased by over 50% in the past year, right?).
• If you optimize for SEO, you automatically optimize for generative search because they mean the same thing. (Ehn, not quite).
• LLMs are on course to replace Google Search as the preferred search experience this year or next (With a 4% market share and no monetization…I think not).

These claims are designed to push a false narrative, and the data behind them is cherry-picked to tell half a story.

Let’s set the record straight.

Google Search is doing just fine for an industry that’s supposedly dying. 

The numbers don’t lie. Google still dominates search, controls ad revenue, and continues to innovate with AI search features that make finding information faster than ever. 

But, of course, the fearmongers don’t talk about that. Let’s break it down.

Google owns the search market

Yes, AI search tools are growing fast, but influencers conveniently ignore the bigger picture. Google still controls over 90% of the global search market, and while it’s mostly navigational, it doesn’t make it irrelevant. It’s where users start their search journey, and that dominance isn’t crumbling anytime soon.

Want more numbers? I’ve got you:

• Google processed over 5 trillion searches in 2024, while ChatGPT handled 45 billion. That’s a 110,111% difference​.
• Google Search Grew 20% in 2024 and received 373x more searches than ChatGPT.
• According to Moz’s Senior Search Scientist, Tom Capper, ChatGPT’s traffic in the US and UK is still 2.5x lower than Bing—and Bing has barely made a dent in Google’s dominance​. 

Look in your GA4 analytics right now and check how much traffic and conversions you get from organic search compared to GEO. When you compare the numbers, there’s an ocean-sized gap, which means that while clicks are going down, organic search is still the primary traffic source for most websites.

If that’s what dying looks like, I’d love to see how y’all define success.

Google’s ad revenue: In the great words of MC Hammer, “Can’t touch this”

Google isn’t worried about AI search stealing traffic because most AI queries are informational, and Google makes money on commercial intent. If you’re looking for product reviews, shopping experiences, flight deals, or local services, you still go to Google for recommendations.

• In 2024, Google’s revenue was $348.16 billion, and advertising contributed 77.8%.
• Meanwhile, LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude haven’t figured out monetization and are burning cash fast​.
• According to Tom Capper, Amazon is the only real competitor for commercial searches but they are nowhere near Google’s numbers with $56.21 billion in ad revenue.

Until LLMs figure out monetization, they can’t go toe-to-toe with Google.

New AI features are making search better

A few years ago, I had to read three to five articles to get a comprehensive answer from Google search results. If I had a complex query, forget it. 

Today, Google handles math problems in search results, provides AI-generated answers to complex questions, and even allows follow-up queries with AI mode, making search more conversational.

Despite the growing popularity of AI search, most people still rely on Google as their primary source of information. 

I've long said that Google’s ultimate goal is to create a search experience where users don’t need to click through, and these AI search features reinforce this.

Everything Google does is geared towards keeping users on SERPs. So, instead of pulling users away, AI search features improve Google’s ability to deliver high-quality results faster. 

It’s great for users, and if we’re being honest, SEOs are the only ones mad about AI search because it’s cutting into clicks.

No, I’m saying, why choose when you can have both? 

SEO and GEO aren’t competing strategies; instead, they work together. You just need an integrated approach to win across both platforms.

When you think about it, most tactics for optimizing generative search are geared toward increasing brand visibility.

This is an oversimplification, but here’s what works:

• Brand mentions across the web
• Positive brand sentiment
• Brand association with key topics
• Brand mentions in strategic places (training datasets and LLM-favored sites)

Do you see the problem?

SEO is not enough to achieve this goal, and therein lies the biggest gap between SEO and GEO. For too long, SEO has sat in a silo when it should be part of an integrated brand strategy that increases visibility on all platforms where your audience spends time.

A holistic strategy should include:

• SEO for discoverability
• Digital PR for credibility
• Influencer marketing for trust
• Affiliate marketing for demand
• Social media to stay top of mind

Everything working in unison to support one goal: Brand.

Yes! And I’ve got the data to prove it.

Brand affinity drives search demand and clicks

A new survey by Page One Power found that 59% of searchers click on brands they recognize in search results​. Another study from SparkToro revealed that over 44% of Google searches are brand-related​.

Put those two insights together, and the message is clear: brand awareness drives clicks. Users who see a familiar brand in search results are more likely to click it. 

Search doesn’t start on Google. It begins in the user’s mind, where you must rank first to build affinity. We need to expand the goal of SEO beyond search ranking to include an even bigger goal of becoming THE brand people actively seek out.

The Helpful Content Update (HCU) was about brand demand

For months, SEOs speculated about what Google’s Helpful Content Update was really targeting. Was it thin content, AI spam, or parasite SEO? 

The answer turned out to be something much bigger: Brand Authority.

Tom Capper’s research on the HCU revealed that it wasn’t just about having high Domain Authority but the ratio between DA and Brand Authority. Sites with strong link profiles but weak brand presence struggled, suggesting that Google is penalizing perceived manipulation and rewarding real brand demand.

LLMs use brand signals in training data and output

Large language models learn by identifying patterns across vast amounts of text. When high-authority sources consistently mention a brand in connection with specific topics, the model begins to associate that brand with authority and relevance.

High-quality mentions from trusted sources help models form clearer associations between brands and topics.

We've been focusing on the wrong thing. Instead of debating the death of SEO or the importance of GEO, we should be focused on brand as the future of search.

If you want to future-proof your search strategy, here’s how to build an integrated digital strategy: 

1. Own your topics in SERPs

You can't appear in generative search if you don't rank consistently for traditional SERPs. Generative engines often pull summaries, citations, and context from the same top-ranking pages on search engines. If your content isn’t already ranking for key topics, it’s less likely to be featured in AI results.

Owning your topics signals authority to search engines and LLMs, and that’s the first step to earning visibility across both.

If you want a comprehensive guide, I covered this topic in a webinar, but for now, here are some tips to implement:

Do keyword research to identify your topics: 

Use Moz Keyword Explorer to find your seed keyword and discover high-impact cluster topics.

Use Keyword Suggestions By Topic to cluster keywords and quickly organize your content strategy. This will avoid cannibalization and ensure you create only as much content as needed.

Conduct competitor analysis to understand positioning and strategy:

Moz Competitive Research helps you analyze which topics drive traffic and revenue for your competitors, highlighting keyword gaps you can exploit.

Other tips for owning your topic:

• Create best-in-class content: Rather than publishing fluff that contributes to the problem of “sameness,” platform subject matter experts with unique insights to help you own the conversation.
• Earn backlinks and mentions from reputable sites: Get links from trusted sources to build credibility and increase your chances of featuring in Google SERPs.
• Optimize for SERP features: Target People Also Ask (PAA), featured snippets, and AI overviews to increase search visibility.
• Dominate search intent at all user journey stages: Don’t just focus on BOFU content because it’s more likely to convert. Cover every phase, including awareness, consideration, and decision-making.
• Expand beyond Google: AI and search engines increasingly favor multi-format content. Optimize for YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok alongside traditional search.

2. Get featured on high-authority sites

LLMs and Google favor content from high-authority publishers in their training data and results. If these sites mention your brand, your chances of appearing in AI-generated answers increase.

One of the best ways to earn these mentions is by getting featured in reviews from reputable publishers.

For example, when I searched for lightweight marathon running shoes under $100, ChatGPT showed recommendations from Verywell Fit, a reputable review site. The top recommendation is an Asics running shoe. Remember this as we'll touch on it later on.

If I wanted more information on the specific product suggestions, I’d click the link, compare options, and visit the referral URL to make a purchase.

If a running shoe company were trying to get more brand mentions for this use case, it would make sense to get featured in these types of articles.

Digital PR is an effective way to secure placements in authoritative publications. Unlike traditional link-building that focuses on link acquisition, digital PR positions your brand as a valuable resource that high-authority sites want to reference.

3. Partner with influencers and affiliates

Affiliate marketing is a great way to increase brand awareness, earn social proof, and drive referral traffic to your product pages.

Tali Chester, Senior Affiliate Account Manager at All Inclusive Marketing Inc., shared some insights on how to get the most value from your affiliate and influencer program.

Prioritize:

• Niche influencers and content creators
• Educators who teach courses or provide tutorials and learning resources 
• Review & comparison sites
• Affiliate marketers with proven conversion

Aim for these topics:

• Review
• Vs
• Is x tool really worth the money?
• How to use x tool for x use case
• Bext x tool/software
• X alternatives to competitor name
• How to do x function for beginners
• I tried x tool for 30 days, and here’s what I found

For example, here’s a product review I found on Inc. when I was researching productivity hacks.

I loved this review because it resonated with me on a personal level as someone who has ADHD and struggles with distractions.

My neurospicy brain loves dot grids, so while it’s a turn-off for some people, it’s heaven on a piece of paper for me.

Do you see what’s happening? Sidekick Notepad has earned:

• Positive brand mention
• Association with their primary topic
• A backlink from Inc.
• Referral traffic
• Potential sales from conversion

4. Be omnichannel

Search is becoming fragmented, with users turning to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for trustworthy advice. Brand visibility isn’t limited to Google, as LLMs and search engines pull data from multiple sources. 

To stay top of mind, show up where your audience is. Diversify with videos, podcasts, webinars, and infographics, and find ways to repurpose and cross-promote content across channels.

At Moz, we do this by using our webinar program to create multi-format content. Let’s use Lily Ray’s AMA as an example.

I created a short clip from the webinar and posted it on YouTube, where it has nearly 2k views.

The repurposed blog post was one of our best-performing content in 2024 because it was timely and relevant advice from a respected thought leader.

Here’s another example of an AMA with Amanda Natividad, Tom Capper, and Dr Peter Meyers that I repurposed into:

• Short video clips
• Social media posts
• Quotes
• Blog post

The guests are happy to share the content on their social media because it makes them look good and its helpful advice for their audience.

Affiliate and influencer partnerships are another great way to maintain an omnichannel presence.

Mix up content to include:

• Webinars with partners who have an established program
• Email campaigns with popular newsletters your audience love
• Reviews and how-to content on YouTube
• Content partnerships with high-authority niche publications
• How-to content from influencers targeting new feature releases and specific use cases

5. Build products that foster apostles

Great products don’t need hype because they create their own. ​​

The best brand mentions come from having great products people use every day and want to talk about. Your customers naturally become influencers, write reviews, and share use cases you haven't considered. They advocate for you on forums like Reddit when people ask questions about your product. 

Remember that screenshot I shared about ChatGPT recommending running shoes from a niche publication? It turns out Asics has tons of positive brand mentions and associations with running shoes.

 For example, I searched for running shoes under $100, and the top subreddit on SERPs mentioned Asics as their current running shoes.

I scrolled down to read the answers, and I saw more mentions of Asics from people who use it. 

If I zoom out into the SERPs, most reviews mention Asics as an option for affordable running shoes that get the job done.
 

So, it’s not just one mention but a collection of brand signals pointing to this brand as a great product.

Suffice to say, it all comes back to brand.

SEO isn’t dying, and GEO isn’t nonsense. They both matter. The real issue is that traditional SEO tactics aren’t enough to optimize for the new platforms where your audience spends time. You need an integrated brand marketing strategy to future-proof online visibility, and that's what you need to focus on.