SEO isn’t what it used to be. In 2025, businesses are facing a massive shake-up: it’s no longer enough to rank on Google, you now have to be visible — and cited — in AI assistants like Gemini, Copilot, or ChatGPT.
An article from El País Profesional calls this new paradigm “AI SEO” (or GEO SEO), a hybrid strategy that mixes classic search optimization with the race to be recognized in generative AI environments.
What’s Changing, and Why It Matters
- Conversational AIs are already pulling in huge numbers: Gemini with over a million monthly queries, Copilot and Perplexity in the hundreds of thousands.
- Users don’t always click through websites anymore — they ask a question, get a direct answer, and stop there. That means less site traffic, more dependency on AI summaries and citations.
- For brands, the challenge has shifted: it’s not just about keywords or backlinks anymore, it’s about digital authority. Clear, reliable, error-free content that AI models decide is worth citing.
How Companies Are Responding
- El País Profesional itself is pushing sponsored content with the goal of being picked up and cited by AI engines, leveraging its domain authority to win visibility both in Google and in AI.
- The buzzword is “GEO SEO”: mixing traditional tactics with a new layer — fixing errors, refining keywords, structuring content in ways that AI can “read” and cite.
What Didn’t Get Said (But Should Be Noted)
- Metrics are fuzzy
Nobody’s cracked the code yet on how to measure success in AI search. Is being cited by Gemini more valuable than by ChatGPT? How do you track conversions from an AI answer? Right now, it’s a lot of guesswork. - Third-party dependency risk
Brands are at the mercy of how AI engines decide to cite content. One change in algorithms or training sources could wipe out months of effort. - Quality is king, again
Fluff doesn’t cut it. AI SEO rewards clarity, structure, authority, and genuine usefulness. The days of keyword-stuffed filler content are numbered. - Ethics and copyright issues
As lawsuits like Encyclopedia Britannica vs Perplexity show, how AI cites or fails to cite sources isn’t just academic. It’s a legal and reputational landmine.
My Take
I’ll be honest, this feels like a turning point. For small and mid-sized brands, it’s overwhelming — new tactics, new standards, new uncertainty. But whoever invests early in authority and credibility will be way ahead once conversational search becomes the norm.
Personally, I think AI SEO will separate the brands that focus on trust and real value from those still chasing shortcuts.
In Short
This isn’t about choosing between old-school SEO or new AI strategies. It’s about merging them. SEO is no longer “getting Google to notice you” — it’s “getting AI to read you, trust you, and cite you.”
If you’re adapting, good. If you’re not, well, don’t be surprised if you vanish from the conversation.
