Search behavior is undergoing a seismic shift – the way people search and interact with digital content is evolving faster than ever. As AI technologies like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), voice assistants, and advanced natural language processing become mainstream, the rules of SEO are being rewritten, and traditional SEO methods just aren’t cutting it anymore.
Studies show that over the past few years, search is evolving rapidly: more users are turning to conversational queries, voice searches, and AI-powered tools like ChatGPT to get immediate, contextual answers. Approximately 84% of search queries on Google are influenced by AI-driven features like the Search Generative Experience (SGE) that enhance search results, indicating a significant shift in how search results are generated and presented. The growing significance of AI and emerging trends in shaping the future of search today:
- 34% of US residents use voice search at least once a week (Market.US)
- 40.7% of voice search answers are pulled from featured snippets (Backlinko)
- Featured snippets have the highest clickthrough rate (CTR) at 42.9% (First Page Sage)
- A 2024 survey by Applause revealed that 91% of respondents use chatbots for research purposes, with 81% expressing a preference for chatbots over traditional search engines for basic queries (Applause)
- Search results with videos drive 157% more organic traffic (Brightcove)
Brands cannot afford to ignore these shifts – failing to adapt risks being left behind in the evolving landscape of SEO & GEO. Embracing technological innovation, such as AI-driven solutions, is now essential to stay competitive.
The Rise of AI in SEO & GEO:
AI is now reshaping the way search engines work. With advanced tech like Google‘s BERT and MUM, search engines can grasp the intent behind our queries, interpreting not just the individual words but the overall context of the search. Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is shaking things up in a big way. Search is no longer just about finding links or focusing on broad keywords—it’s becoming a branding powerhouse.
AI now generates answers right on the results page, pushing businesses to step up their game by creating content that’s clear, answer-oriented, and designed to address what users are looking for across multiple phases of a user’s journey. With the rise of AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc. that deliver direct, conversational responses, the shift is towards Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). This shift turns search from lower-funnel marketing into a broader channel and tactic for building brand authority.
With the transformation that AI is bringing to the search landscape today, staying up-to-date and constantly adapting your SEO strategies are the need of the hour. In 2025, there are several key AI-driven trends emerging which would reshape the digital marketing landscape.
Topical Authority
In today’s search landscape, topical authority is a big deal. It’s not just about having good content; it’s about proving to search engines that you’re the go-to expert in your field. Think of it like building trust with both users and algorithms – when Google sees your site as authoritative on a topic, you’re more likely to rank higher for related searches.
This authority isn’t just important for traditional search rankings—it plays a crucial role in improving visibility across GEO, Voice Search, and Video SEO. Strong topical authority helps search engines surface your content in localized search results, optimize it for voice queries that rely on direct and authoritative answers, and increase its chances of appearing in video-related searches.
This is where the E-E-A-T framework comes into play: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. At a high level, it’s Google’s way of figuring out if your content is credible and useful. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Experience: Do you have first-hand knowledge? Are you sharing real, actionable insights? Things like case studies, personal stories and practical examples
- Expertise: Is your content created by someone with actual skills or credentials in the field? Think certifications, professional experience, and industry recognition
- Authoritativeness: Are others referencing your content as a reliable source? Think backlinks, citations, and mentions.
- Trustworthiness: Is your site secure, transparent, and consistent in providing accurate information? Think of criteria like URLs, privacy policies, and regularly updated content.
For search engines powered by AI to be able to understand the depth and relevance of your content, you need to build Topical Authority. By incorporating the E-E-A-T strategy, and pairing it with AI-driven insights, you’re setting your brand up as a thought leader that search engines can’t ignore.
Zero-Click Searches
You might have noticed that when you search for something on the internet, you get the answer directly on the search engine results page (SERP). The need for you to scroll through multiple pages and click into websites to answer your question is minimized. A study from SparkToro states that nearly 60% of searches now end without a click to another website, or what we call a ‘zero-click search’. This shift is with the help of multiple AI technologies within search that are rising today, such as those powering featured snippets, knowledge panels, and direct answers. For example, if you search for the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the SERP results would have, at the very top, a knowledge panel with the result as “12 February 1809”.
This shifts the game – search is becoming more about branding than just clicks. Showing up in zero-click results boosts brand visibility and authority. But, optimizing for these features isn’t as simple as regular SEO; it’s a whole new challenge with ever-changing algorithms. While you can’t guarantee a spot in these zero-click features, focusing on high-quality content that directly answers user questions can increase your chances of being featured.
Voice Search
Need to know what’s the weather forecast for the day? Simply say, “Hey Siri, what’s the weather like today?”. Or if you want to find the best vacuum cleaners, you’d simply ask “Hey Alexa, can you show me the best vacuum cleaners in the US?”. By 2025, it’s estimated that over half of all searches will be voice-based. With this shift, voice search is pushing the boundaries of traditional SEO and paving the way for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).
With the rise of voice search these past few years, many brands are actively working to ensure their content is designed to be able to generate relevant content to these queries so that AI assistants can simply pull it up. This is essential since more and more queries are becoming direct & conversational. Take Domino’s, for instance. By optimizing their content for voice search, they’ve ensured that AI assistants can simply pull it up. For example, it can allow users to order pizza simply by saying, “Alexa, order a pizza from Domino’s”. In this way, voice search optimization is about not only being found but enabling seamless, actionable interactions through voice commands.
So how does this work? Natural Language Processing (NLP). It allows AI to understand and process human language in a much deeper way than just relying on keywords. NLP can pick up on the intent, context, and little details in how we speak. This shift in technology means that businesses need to think about their content differently. It’s not just about stuffing keywords; it’s about optimizing content to respond to real-life, natural phrases and questions that users may ask. As voice search continues to grow, the brands that are ahead of the curve will be the ones that are found first.
Video SEO
Video content isn’t just a trend—it’s the future of online engagement. Did you know that video content also has a 41% higher CTR than text-only pages? Whether it’s short-form clips on TikTok, how-to tutorials on YouTube, or brand stories on Instagram Reels, video is everywhere.
With the rise of video, AI is getting so much smarter at recognizing and ranking video content. It’s not just about the title or the description; it now digs much deeper into the actual content. For example, Google and YouTube use AI to scan video files for relevant keywords, context, and even visual content through image recognition. This would mean that AI can actually detect what’s happening in the video without solely relying on metadata. As a result, brands not only need to ensure their content is SEO optimized within the titles, metatags, descriptions, etc. but also content within actual videos such as spoken keywords & phrases, on-screen text & graphics, etc. need to be optimized effectively.
The better AI can understand your video, the more likely it is to get seen – and that’s a huge win for GEO. In this fast-paced, video-driven world, your content has to work smarter, not harder.
Visual Search
Ever used Google Lens to snap a picture and instantly find what you’re looking for? That’s the magic of visual search, and it’s changing how people discover content online. Visual search has made life so much easier – you could simply hold your phone up to a foreign menu and Google Lens would translate it for you. Or if you see a pair of shoes you liked, you could simply take a picture of them and find multiple sellers and the best deals from the Google search results. Pretty cool, right? The need to spell out your requirement is eliminated with the help of visual search.
So, what does this mean for SEO & GEO? Visual search is all about immediacy and relevance. When someone uses a tool like Google Lens, they’re looking for answers right now. This makes visual search a prime opportunity for brands to get discovered in a whole new way. Now, here’s where optimization comes in. To show up in visual search results, your content needs to be image-friendly. You should ensure that images have alt tags and schema markup for search engines to be able to pick them. Overall, all images should be high quality, and have consistent visuals that can make your images readable.
If your content isn’t optimized for this yet, you’re missing out on a massive opportunity to engage customers in a way that’s quicker and more intuitive than ever.
We can help!
The dynamics of SEO are evolving faster than ever, and AI is leading the charge. From voice and visual search to zero-click results and video SEO, the rules of the game are being rewritten. The key to thriving in this new era? Agility and adaptation. Businesses that stay flexible and embrace AI-driven strategies will not only keep up, but also stand out.
So, where does your brand stand in all of this? Are you keeping pace with the changing landscape, or are there opportunities you’re missing? That’s where we come in. At Transparent, we’ve developed a comprehensive maturity model to help you assess exactly where your brand stacks up and what specific, concrete steps you can take to get ahead.
Ready to future-proof your SEO & GEO strategy? Call us now, and we can make it happen!
Aayushi Gandhi, Analyst
