Cathleen Voss Consulting

Having started my SEO journey in 2005—a time when link-buying on Mommy Blogs was not just best practice, but transformative for client rankings—I’ve seen firsthand what a revolution looks like in this industry. Today, the rise of AI in SEO is the biggest disruption since the glory days of paid links and reciprocal schemes. Just as I had to adapt when the link bubble burst with Google’s Penguin update, I’m once again recalibrating my strategies to thrive in a rapidly changing search landscape shaped by artificial intelligence.

From Link Building to the AI Surge: How the Game Keeps Evolving

Back in the mid-2000s, links were the currency of authority. Agencies (including the one I worked at) devoted enormous effort and budget to securing links wherever they could be bought or swapped—Mommy Blogs, directories, niche communities—because it worked. Rankings rose, traffic surged, and clients were happy.

But very quickly, this system was abused, sometimes beyond recognition. Google responded with sweeping updates (first nofollow, then Penguin), and overnight, many sites lost their standing—sometimes even their business. We learned the importance of earning links through quality and relationships rather than quick hacks. The lesson was clear: SEO is an ever-evolving discipline, where adaptability wins out over shortcuts. Yes- there are still bad actors gaming the system, but for the most part they fall to the bottom of the index.

Now, with AI powering everything from Google’s ranking algorithms to the way users search and consume content, we’re in the midst of another foundational shift. It’s not just a tool for efficiency; it’s reshaping the entire search experience—how queries are interpreted, how rankings are determined, and how quickly tactics become obsolete.

Paid Search, SERP Real Estate, and the New Reality

One of the defining changes in today’s SEO ecosystem is the growing dominance of paid search. Ads aren’t just at the top—they’re integrated throughout the SERP. And the rise of AI-generated summaries (like Google’s AI Overviews) often pushes organic results even further down the page. Recent data shows that the presence of these AI Overviews can lead to a significant drop in paid and organic click-through rates—sometimes by over 50%—as more users satisfy their intent without ever leaving the SERP.

For modern marketers, this means classic metrics like rankings or clicks are no longer the only signs of success. Instead, we must expand our focus to include brand visibility in AI-generated content, optimize for featured snippets, and develop new KPIs that measure impact in this blended search environment.

Human-first Content Strategy

I was fortunate enough to see Wil Reynolds speak at SMX Advanced in Boston this past June. He’s a thought leader I’ve been following for the last 4 years and I seeing him speak live did not disappoint. Hearing him speak so bluntly about the current state of Organic Search got me fired up. His energy is contagious, and if you’re a seasoned SEO, you’re probably outraged as well at the poor quality of Google Search results. Who wouldn’t turn to ChatGPT in a time when a simple informational query leads to pages of scrolling through paid ads, affiliate publisher content, and irrelevant websites to finally get to the answer you’re seeking?

One of his main messages is to design for humans- not bots. It sounds so easy, but it’s something us SEOs have to constantly remind ourselves- especially when pressured to only focus on keywords with high search volume. The best advice I give novice SEOs and marketers is to simply search in Google. Take a look at the results- do they make sense for the intent of your query? Does your business belong there? Do you have a chance of ranking among the top 1-3 websites you see there?

Adapting and Thriving: White-Hat Tactics for the AI Age

Surviving (and thriving) through the linking bubble taught me that smart SEO means playing the long game. The same principles apply with AI:

• Leverage AI for Insight, Not Shortcuts: Use AI to analyze trends, spot intent shifts, and scale content ideation, but always review with a critical, human eye. Quality, accuracy, and originality stand out.
  
• Focus on E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness are more important than ever, as AI increasingly surfaces content that demonstrates these qualities.
  
• Build for Human + Machine: I take pride in the SEO success I’ve achieved for major brands– all by leading with a human-first content strategy. Optimize for featured snippets by adding all relevant schema to your pages (hint- you can ask LLMs for help) and make sure your information is easy to summarize and cite.
  
• Balance Organic and Paid: Use paid search to amplify key campaigns, but invest in content that builds sustained, organic authority—especially for trusted, evergreen topics.
  
• Monitor and Adapt: Track not just rankings, but impressions, engagement, and how often your brand appears in AI overviews and answer boxes. SEO KPIs in 2025 look very different from those from 2005.
  

Conclusion

AI isn’t just another tool—it’s a paradigm shift, changing everything from how search engines rank results to how users interact with brands online. The lessons from the linking era still hold: fast wins fade, but white-hat tactics and strategic adaptation pave the way for success.

SEO is about being ready for—and embracing—revolution after revolution. If you can adapt while staying true to the fundamentals (and your core values as a Marketing professional), there’s more opportunity than ever in the AI-powered search landscape.