A Semafor report says the world of search engine optimization (SEO) is undergoing a seismic shift as artificial intelligence moves from traditional keyword‑based ranking systems toward AI‑centric discovery and visibility strategies. Instead of designing websites around search engine algorithms that rank pages on keyword relevance and backlinks, companies must now optimise for AI agents and generative models that summarise content and answer user queries directly. This new approach — sometimes described as SEO 2.0 — reflects how AI is already changing the very mechanisms of online search and content visibility.
The article describes a growing ecosystem of startups helping brands adapt by running thousands of prompts daily to understand how AI models talk about clients’ brands and what language or content structures are most likely to get picked up by AI‑powered interfaces. In this new landscape, traditional SEO tactics like keyword stuffing or chasing page rankings are losing effectiveness, particularly as chatbots and AI assistants reduce clicks on standard search results and shift users toward zero‑click answers delivered right in the search interface.
This shift matters because AI‑mediated discovery changes traffic flows and can create what some critics call product “slop” — situations where AI models recommend brands based on pattern matching of language rather than actual product quality or relevance, making honest reviews and consumer choice harder to surface. In other words, AI tools can prioritise the “right words” over the best content, blurring lines between authentic expertise and marketing optimisation.
To succeed in this evolving environment, companies are encouraged to think beyond classic metrics and build content that both AI systems and humans find meaningful. This includes creating high‑authority, context‑rich information that AI agents are more likely to cite, structuring data for easier machine interpretation and emphasising brand visibility in AI‑generated summaries, rather than solely chasing clicks or page rankings. As search transforms into a blend of traditional indexing and generative answers, visibility will depend on how well content meets user intent and how AI engines perceive its authority and relevance.
