It’s the question we’re all asking ourselves: Is AI going to kill SEO and SEM or will it enhance them? I always say that anyone who puts the words SEO and SEM in the same sentence doesn’t know much about digital marketing. But I hope you understand that, since they are quite common keywords in searches, I’ll allow myself to use both in the title to attract more traffic. We’ll deal with qualifying you later ;-). Thanks to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing), companies have traditionally managed to position themselves in search engines , attract traffic and convert visitors into customers. However, with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and the evolution of searches, there are more and more voices asking whether these strategies have become obsolete or, on the contrary, are more relevant than ever.
In our opinion, we are living through an unprecedented disruption . Google, with its constant updates, and the rise of new platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity , are changing the rules of the game. But that doesn’t mean SEO and SEM are dead; it means we need to evolve faster than ever.
AI will kill SEO and SEM or SEO and SEM will be driven by AI
The way we search for information has changed dramatically in recent years. And especially now with the emergence of ChatGpt and our new, almost improved DeepSeek. Before, users would type keywords into Google and browse through the top 10 results. Now, with advances in AI, the search model is based more on user intent and hyper-personalized responses .
New AI tools not only organize information better, they also allow us to predict what the user needs even before they search for it. But… is this something new? Not at all. This has always been possible through SEO analysis by a renowned the best seo company. In fact, I remember that 10 or 15 years ago I was already told that “Google already knows when to offer you pizza before you search for ‘pizzerias near here’.”
Yet we are faced with a significant challenge: how can brands remain visible in an environment where search engines offer fewer and fewer options and more direct answers?
SEO remains the winning bet in the medium and long term
Despite the changes, data shows that SEO remains a crucial source of traffic . A report by Eskimoz reveals that the banking sector in Spain generated more than 290 million organic visits in a single year. This figure is no coincidence: banks have been able to adapt their positioning strategies, optimizing their content to answer specific user questions. For now, it seems that the rumor that “AI will kill SEO” is not true.
But it’s not just the banking sector. Industries such as e-commerce, fashion and tourism are taking advantage of SEO to attract customers. Even niche sectors, such as specialist padel stores , have seen significant growth thanks to a well-defined content strategy.
The key to success in White Label SEO services today is based on three fundamental elements:
- Understanding user intent: It is not enough to rank for keywords, you have to understand what the user is really looking for and offer them the best possible answer.
- AI Optimization: Google and other search engines prioritize structured and well-organized content. AI helps to better classify information, so sites must be optimized for these new algorithms.
- Online authority and reputation: Having positive reviews, quality backlinks and relevant content remains essential to climbing positions in search results.
And SEM? Digital advertising is undergoing a transformation
SEM , or paid advertising on search engines, is also undergoing a transformation. Marius mentions a key aspect: the emergence of new forms of bidding based on AI .
Traditionally, Google Ads has dominated this field, but platforms like Perplexity AI are introducing paid models where advertisers can bid to appear in AI-generated answers. This is a radical change , as previously ads competed within a ranking of results, but now they can be inserted directly into the answers that AI provides to users .
The challenge here is twofold:
- Less organic visibility: If search engines limit the number of visible results (such as some AI responses that only show 2 or 3 options), businesses will have to pay more to ensure they are in those prime positions.
- More personalization: AI makes it possible to display hyper-targeted ads based on the user’s profile and history. This improves conversion, but also raises ethical challenges: to what extent is it legitimate for an algorithm to decide which options to show and which to hide?
The future of digital positioning: adaptation or extinction
There is no doubt that SEO and SEM have changed, but they are not dead. Artificial intelligence has transformed the way we search for information, forcing brands to rethink their strategies to remain relevant. If before the key was to appear in the first results of Google, now the challenge is even greater: to be the only answer that an AI-based search engine decides to show.
The rules of the game have changed, and those who do not understand the new dynamics of digital marketing will be left out of the competition.Companies that know how to adapt to this new reality will be the ones that dominate the digital market in the coming years. It is not about choosing between SEO services or SEM, but rather integrating both strategies into an ecosystem where visibility is no longer just played out on Google, but also on marketplaces, social networks and AI-powered platforms.
The future of online positioning is not a mystery, but a challenge that is already underway. Adapt or become extinct, that is the question. If someone asks you again if AI is going to kill SEO and SEM, share this article with them.