SEO is not dying, it's just returning to its marketing roots. While many companies might still be considering cutting their SEO budgets because Google and AI search are delivering fewer clicks, others have already understood that it simply needs to be rethought in a new and interdisciplinary way.
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Don't draw false conclusions from reduced click numbers
The panic about the current approx. 34% click loss after the introduction of Google AI Overviews in the USA is understandable on the one hand. On the other hand, it is based on KPIs that are too short-sighted. (=key performance indicator)KPIs we have been used to in recent years.
Those who link SEO success only to clicks now sees falling numbers and thinks: "SEO no longer works." However, that's like a company giving up its billboard advertising because people don't run into the store immediately after seeing their billboard.
The organic search channel remains just as important as before,only the measurement fell short.
Repetition creates trust: The Mere Exposure Effect
SEO can now become even more valuable as a marketing channel than before if you manage to get cited or linked as source. The space in the search results is now very limited, which offers more visibility for the cited people/brands/products. And the more often you, your brand or your product are cited, the more you benefit from the Mere Exposure Effect. In few words, it describes how repeated confrontation with a name generates trust in the long term. And people tend to look for brands that they already trust.
What happens if you stop doing SEO now?
You give your competitors valuable market share. A company cutting its SEO budget now would make room for others. The competitors, understanding that visibility in search engines builds brand awareness, would take over your position.
Imagine this: While you're thinking "SEO doesn't bring any more clicks", your competitors are working to ensure that their brand or name is visible for every relevant search query. Customers see the name, associate it with expertise and think of it when they are ready to buy. This also works without clicks.
What have other marketing disciplines been doing for a long time that SEO is now also learning?
Other marketing disciplines have always understood that brand awareness is the key to success.
Take social media as an example: Experienced social media managers first invest in awareness campaigns before they even think about launching conversion campaigns. Why? Because they know that trust and recognition are the basis of every successful brand. They communicate in the brand of voice and tone of voice of the brand and actively plan storytelling that explains the brand.
Meta even offers special solutions, called Brand Lift Studies, for large companies. Brand Lift Studies This is how they can track brand awareness. Companies would not make huge investments if brand awareness would not be relevant.
The PR department has also understood how important a consistant external communication is.
Why do marketing teams often fail to work together?
The biggest problem lies in the silo mentality of the various marketing disciplines, which has also been fueled by the often strict separation in larger companies.
I personally have worked with many large corporations during my career and can confirm that it was often not possible to reach marketing managers from other disciplines. Sometimes, for example, the SEO team didn't even know who was responsible for social media or paid ads within the company.
That's why it happens that SEOs work on website optimization while social media managers run parallel awareness campaigns without coordinating their efforts. And so on.
This separation leads to inconsistent brand communication, wasted budgets and missed synergies. If your SEO team pushes different topics than your social media team, you lose valuable amplification effects.
How can you combine SEO and other marketing channels without becoming overwhelmed?
Here's the dilemma: you understand that SEO is still essential and that you should think about other marketing channels at the same time. But each channel means extra work. As a solopreneur or small team, you can quickly feel overwhelmed.
The possible solution lies in smart automation combined with a well thought-out strategy:
- You don't have to be on all social media channels and cover all formats. Understand where your target group is and what makes sense in terms of marketing.
- Think holistically, act with automation:Develop your content pieces once and have them automatically adapted for different channels. A good blog post (=SEO) can serve your website, social media and newsletter at the same time. The magic word here is "content repurposing".
SEO matched with other channels is the future of marketing
The future belongs to combined marketing approaches with smart automation.
Instead of thinking in marketing channels, think in terms of customer journeys.
Instead of manually optimizing every touchpoint, you automate recurring processes and focus on strategic decisions.
With AI and marketing automation tools, you can already do this today:
- Automatically adapt content for different channels
- Determine optimal posting times
- Monitor brand mentions
- Create personalized customer journeys
- and much more
The combination of an interdisciplinary understanding of marketing and intelligent automation gives you the opportunity to act like a large company, only faster and more efficiently, without the large team.
FAQ
Is SEO really still important when AI search engines no longer show links?
Yes, even more important. SEO has never been there for just clicks, but for visibility and brand awareness. If you stop now, you leave valuable space to competitors.
How do I measure brand awareness as a small company?
Track direct brand search queries, social media mentions, returning website visitors and conduct regular customer surveys. Some tracking tools need to be purchased separately, but you can already do a lot with free tools like Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics.
Which marketing channels should I link together?
Start with SEO, social media and email marketing. These three channels complement each other perfectly and can be easily automated. SEO is always the foundation, because a website is like your brand home where all other marketing channels refer to.
How do I manage all marketing channels as a solopreneur without being overwhelmed?
Through intelligent automation. For example, plan your content once across channels and have it automatically adapted for different platforms.
When should I invest in marketing automation?
Immediately when you realize that manual marketing is becoming too time-consuming. Even small automations save time and ensure more consistent brand communication.
Ready for more time with more customers?
As an online marketing consultant, I help sole traders and SMEs to link their marketing processes intelligently and, if necessary, to automate them. Book a consultation with me to find out what your personal strategy looks like.
Book a consultation appointment now