With the recent rollout of Google’s AI Mode, users can now intentionally seek AI-generated answers through a more conversational interface. This feature builds on the earlier introduction of AI Overviews, which have become increasingly prominent, but are not yet universal in search results. Together, these changes mark a substantial evolution in how people interact with online content.
Many digital marketing voices have responded with bold claims that “SEO is dead.” While that may be overstated, one thing is certain: the traditional model of mass-producing keyword-optimized content is fading fast. It’s time for a smarter, more human-centered approach, one that focuses on clarity, originality, and brand expression.
In the last few years, content creation for business has been largely focused on generating attention and driving traffic by closely aligning with SEO strategies. The basic formula has been simple: identify search questions connected to your target audience, then answer them in the form of articles, blog posts, and more. I’ve often described this as baiting a fishing line and dropping it into the water. Creating more content and answering more questions was akin to putting more lines in, increasing the odds of catching a fish.
But the increasing presence of AI Overviews and now AI Mode, has accelerated questions about the validity and effectiveness of this approach. The erosion of this method’s impact had already begun. The internet had become flooded with repetitive, formulaic, and arguably junky content. This problem exploded with the widespread use of AI tools that could quickly generate keyword-targeted posts and articles.
As a result, content creation became increasingly focused on satisfying algorithmic requirements, not human readers. What emerged was a self-perpetuating loop: businesses seeking visibility fed into a growing mountain of undifferentiated content using the very tools that would ultimately undermine the system itself. AI made content creation easy and automatic, and the existing search ecosystem rewarded this approach. Human-driven content focused on opinion, nuance, and actual readability was drowned in noise, making it harder to discover and justify. Thus, the “factory” model of content production became the norm.
Now, with users opting into AI Mode and AI Overviews increasingly appearing atop results, the fish are no longer biting at the lines in the water, they are being scooped up before they ever reach them.
So what comes next?
Even before these shifts, many marketers were already trying to future-proof their strategies, asking how they might optimize content for inclusion in AI-generated summaries. But this approach sounds awfully familiar; tailoring content to serve a system, not a human. The algorithm is simply being swapped for something more complex. More “human-like” in some ways, but still fundamentally an algorithmic system.
Instead of defaulting to the same behavior, we need to recognize the difference in core purpose. Both traditional search engines and large language models (LLMs) aim to provide the best answer to a query. Search algorithms scan, index, and rank the best available answers based on a range of signals. In contrast, LLMs synthesize and generate a new answer based on that source material, often without providing a link to the original content.
The goal of search engines was to evaluate and rank the best information. The goal of LLMs is to generate an answer that is useful, relevant, and human in tone. These models don’t just look at facts or keywords, they respond to nuance, phrasing, and intent. Yes, search engines tried to do this too, but they lacked the linguistic subtlety and adaptability of generative AI.
That shift changes everything.
Yes, making adjustments to better position content in this new era of AI-driven search is necessary. Scannability, authoritativeness, and other ranking factors still apply. This is not a call to revolt against the new system. Rather, this shift should be embraced as an opportunity to return to the fundamentals of marketing, namely, what makes your business different.
Branding has always mattered. Now, it can be applied with greater impact inside your content as a true driver of visibility. Develop content that speaks directly to your audience, offering facts, stories, and insights that are unique to your business and its voice. Corporate blogs should evolve into meaningful collections of useful, brand-reflective content, earning the right to be called “resources” or “resource centers.”
In other words, mass-produced, shallow content can and should be replaced by targeted, inherently valuable, and nuanced material that provides more than just a match for a specific search query. Invest in content efforts that create long-term value, rather than relying on automated mass production that prioritizes algorithms over humans.
Remember, AI-generated overview responses are based on the content that already exists. These models are designed to continually improve their emulation of real human responses. That means businesses who produce thoughtful, unique, well-structured content stand a better chance of being cited in these overviews.
Even more importantly, it opens the door to a new feedback loop, one in which originality, perspective, and humanity are rewarded. AI tools, which once contributed to content overload, should now be used to enhance the expression of distinct human thinking, not drown it out in templated noise. The true promise of AI, to amplify human creativity, has yet to be fully realized.
And maybe, just maybe, the promise of the internet’s early days, to democratize knowledge, amplify new voices, and reward quality, can make a return.
Summary
- AI Overviews and AI Mode Are Reshaping Search
Google’s AI Overviews are becoming more common, and the release of AI Mode (May 2025) allows users to opt into conversational, AI-generated results. This marks a shift away from traditional link-based search interactions.
→ Source: Google Search Blog, May 2025 - Formulaic SEO Content Is Losing Power
Mass keyword-targeted content built for algorithms is losing effectiveness. Businesses must now differentiate through originality, relevance, and real human value. - Brand and Voice Are Rising in Importance
Content that reflects a business’s unique perspective, story, and expertise will be more likely to surface and resonate—especially as AI tools seek to emulate human answers more effectively.
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