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AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity dominate headlines, but not every audience is ready for them.
Many small businesses still rely on Google for answers, and their customers do too. Before shifting resources away from SEO, it’s vital to understand how your market actually searches. If your users are still typing queries into Google, your visibility there is the foundation that feeds into AI results.
James has SEOLeverage’s Gert Mellak back to discuss in depth.
Table of contents:
1. SEO is the base, AI is the layer
2. Dealing with volatility in AI overviews
3. Zero-click searches and the role of branding
4. Spreading visibility across platforms
5. The danger of wrong bets and sunk costs
6. Staying flexible and adjusting fast
7. Lessons for business owners
SEO is the base, AI is the layer
The conversation often gets framed as “AI or SEO,” but it is really about how the two work together, says Gert.
AI engines pull much of their information from search indexes, so if you are strong in SEO you are more likely to be featured in AI responses.
Abandoning SEO completely puts your brand at risk in both spaces. A smarter approach is to keep SEO as the base and add AI optimization as an extra layer.
Dealing with volatility in AI overviews
Google’s AI overview and other AI features change constantly. One week sources may be cited, the next week they may not be. This makes it difficult to predict where your content will appear.
The key is to focus on strong fundamentals: structured content, context-rich articles, and clear branding that improves your chances of being included no matter how the platforms evolve.
Zero-click searches and the role of branding
More people are getting their answers directly inside AI or search results without ever clicking through. That means traffic to websites is harder to secure.
Instead of treating this as a loss, Gert recommends treating it as a branding opportunity. Even if users do not click, being visible in the results keeps your brand in front of them and builds familiarity that can pay off later.
Spreading visibility across platforms
Google is not the only place where decisions get made. Reddit, forums, and listicle-style articles are now heavily referenced by AI systems.
If your brand is absent from these spaces, you miss valuable opportunities to be surfaced by both humans and machines. Getting included in these conversations expands your reach beyond your own website.
The danger of wrong bets and sunk costs
Chasing hype without data can be expensive. Dropping SEO entirely in favor of AI could cost hundreds of thousands in lost visibility and missed opportunities. At the same time, clinging to old assets that no longer work is a trap. Pruning low-performing content and focusing on the pieces that matter most is often a faster way to improve results.
Staying flexible and adjusting fast
One of the strongest themes in this discussion is agility. Markets change too quickly for rigid twelve-month strategies.
Gert and James agree the best approach is to reassess regularly, identify the 20 percent of activities that will drive 80 percent of results, and implement them immediately.
Short feedback loops keep your strategy relevant while still building toward long-term goals.
Lessons for business owners
The big takeaway is not to fall for the hype that SEO is dead. AI is powerful, but it still leans on the work you have done in search. Strong content, clear brand signals, and consistent visibility across platforms set you up for success in both worlds.
Keep SEO as your foundation, layer AI efforts on top, and adapt quickly as the landscape shifts.
No tricks, no hacks. Just traffic that buys – SEOLeverage.com
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