If you're still playing by the old SEO rulebook, you may already be invisible. Google's rapid shift to AI-driven search experiences is turning the entire digital visibility game on its head. For industrial marketers, it's no longer just about keywords and backlinks ... it's about building authoritative brand presence across every digital touchpoint.
Legacy SEO Is Being Deprecated ... Literally
Michael King's punchy declaration at SMX Advanced still echoes in my mind: "SEO isn't dead; it's deprecated." That one word ... deprecated ... is telling. It means SEO, as we knew it, is no longer the primary standard. It's being phased out. As Google leans deeper into AI-driven answers, fewer users are clicking through to the traditional open web.
Here's a data gut-punch..
Of 1,000 U.S. Google searches, only 360 lead to actual clicks on open-web content. That means nearly two-thirds of searches result in either zero clicks or lead users deeper into Google-owned properties like YouTube, Maps, or Images.
Think about that next time you obsess over your Google ranking ... because it might not matter the way it once did.
AI Overviews ... and the Death of the Click
Google’s recent rebrand of its Search Generative Experience (SGE) to AI Overviews is more than a name change ... it's the next phase of its mission to give users instant answers. That mission has been clear since Craig Silverstein, Google’s first employee, talked about building the "Star Trek computer" ... a system that answers your question directly, without a list of links.
As AI Overviews become default, organic impressions may technically rise ... but the real click-throughs? They're disappearing. Appearing in Position 1 doesn't carry the value it once did if Google’s AI provides your answer upfront and sends users on their way without a visit to your site.
The Great Decoupling: Impressions Are Up, Clicks Are Down
Let me break it down for the industrial marketer:
You're getting credit for impressions without clicks. And if you're in B2B, where the sales journey is complex and long, that could wreck your attribution model. Google’s Martin Splitt puts it bluntly ... conversions might happen much later without any direct trace to your original search presence.
In the real world ... that means you’ll have a harder time proving your SEO spend is delivering tangible ROI.
Enter: GEO, AEO, and the New Search Lexicon
SEO is mutating into unfamiliar forms. You're going to hear more acronyms like:
- GEO: Generative Engine Optimization
- AEO: Answer Engine Optimization
I have written about this strategy for years. "They Ask, You Answer" by Marcus Sheridan The B2B's that listened, have already set themselves up to win in an AEO world.
- SEO (Reimagined): Search Everywhere Optimization
This shift reflects the new reality: Users aren’t just Googling. They're asking questions on LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit ... and now directly inside AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini. Your brand must show up in all of those places.
So if your strategy still revolves solely around optimizing for Google’s blue links, you’re not just behind ... you’re invisible.
What This Means for Industrial Marketers
Let’s be real ... most industrial marketers are already late to the content game. Add in a tectonic shift like this, and the consequences get steeper. If your brand isn’t already recognized as a trusted authority in your niche, AI Overviews will have no reason to cite you.
This new era isn't about keyword stuffing or chasing position 1. It's about:
- Creating notable, trustworthy content that earns mentions across the digital ecosystem.
- Expanding your presence across all search surfaces ... not just Google.
- Owning your category by becoming the go-to resource that AI pulls from.
In the past, SEO was about manipulating algorithms. Today ... it's about creating undeniable digital authority.
Clicks Still Matter ... Just Not the Way You Think
Many tech elites will tell you clicks don’t matter anymore. I say, bull. If you’re a publisher or a mid-sized industrial brand that relies on thought leadership to generate leads, clicks pay the bills.
Sure, not every visit leads to a sale. But clicks still represent interest, discovery, and engagement ... and they support the open web. As Cyrus Shepherd said, “Clicks helped support creation ... and ensured no single entity controlled the flow of information.”
In a world where AI scrapes the open web for answers without giving traffic in return, the click becomes even more precious.
Stop Playing Google’s Game ... Start Playing Your Own
The industrial sector has always lagged behind in digital innovation. But now there’s no choice. You need to:
- Invest in brand storytelling that extends across multiple platforms.
- Become a recognized voice in your vertical through earned media, thought leadership, and social presence.
- Create content that AI wants to cite, not just humans want to read.
This is no longer about gaming search engines ... it’s about winning the attention and trust of your market across a fractured, AI-driven digital landscape.
Legacy SEO Still Works ... But It’s on Life Support
Don't get me wrong ... keep doing what works. Technical SEO, metadata, site speed ... all that still matters and gives you a competitive edge. But the return on investment is dropping, especially for content-dependent websites.
The future belongs to those who recognize that search is no longer deterministic. It’s probabilistic, driven by AI models trained to deliver synthesized answers instead of lists of pages.
And that means industrial marketers must think differently. The question isn’t "How do I rank for this keyword?" ... it's "How do I become the authority that gets cited for our industrial expertise no matter where or how the question is asked?"
Final Thoughts
Legacy SEO isn’t dead ... it’s just lost its monopoly. For industrial marketers, that’s both a challenge and an opportunity.
Now’s the time to pivot from old-school SEO tactics to a bold strategy focused on visibility, trust, and digital authority.
Because one thing’s for sure: Google search traffic is not coming back.
Want to know more, go to What We Do or Contact Me in the menu above. Or give me a call at 269-375-0349
