AI agents make SEO MORE important than ever
Some think once AI agents become commonplace, that will be the real end of SEO as a discipline. The reality is the opposite.
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With all the discussion about the death of SEO, which I absolutely don’t agree with, one might assume that once AI agents become commonplace, that will be the real end of SEO as a discipline. The reality is the opposite.
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Want to get discovered on AI search but don’t know how? Showing up on Google’s AI overview, ChatGPT, and Perplexity requires proactive effort with 3rd party publishers and online forums like Reddit and Quora.
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Knowing if you show up in AI search is not enough, and what others say about you on 3rd party sites is more important than what’s written on your own website. Noble’s software does the work for you, so you get mentioned in the sources that LLMs cite for buyers to discover you.
The key lies in understanding how these AI agents work. Unlike traditional search engines that independently crawl the vast expanse of the web, AI agents rely heavily on pre-indexed search results from established platforms like Google to compile their responses. This means that only well-optimized sites that already have strong visibility in search are eligible to be accessed by agents.
How agents work
AI agents are autonomous algorithms/programs designed to perform multi-pronged tasks based on user inputs, from booking travel to making purchases. Imagine a world where you give specific parameters to a travel booking agent, and it comes back with your trip booked. Or, you need to provide gifts for your colleagues, and you can delegate that task to an agent who makes those decisions and purchases for you.
What sets web AI agents apart from traditional search crawlers is their approach to information gathering and processing. Rather than indexing billions of pages directly, agents prioritize efficiency by pulling data from trusted, aggregated sources, whether it’s an Amazon search page, an API call of flight options, or, for this newsletter topic, a search page on Google (or Bing).
When an agent responds to a query like "find prices for the best cars for teens and then submit leads to dealers," it does not comprehensively scan every automotive website and then spit out a report. Instead, it references top-ranked search results and then builds the second and third levels of the prompt based on the search results.
If your site is not optimized to appear prominently (or even first) in search, it becomes effectively invisible to the agent acting on behalf of the human.
The implications are significant; if the technology world becomes an agent-first experience, not appearing in search results means you will lose access to most customers.
Agent search amplifies the value of SEO
The fundamental mechanics of AI agents, with reliance on search results rather than direct web crawling, intensify SEO's role in multiple ways.
Rankings cease to be a measure of SEO success alone, but they become the gatekeepers to access. AI agents draw information from only the top search results, effectively ignoring lower-ranked content.
The "zero-click" phenomenon, where users receive answers without visiting websites, has reduced direct traffic significantly in information verticals even as visibility in AI overviews increases. Aiming for an AI overview, which many are attempting to do to satisfy their AI-hungry leadership, will miss this mark. To earn a reference from AI agents, a website must achieve high search rankings through advanced SEO strategies.
One of those tactical strategies, which until now has had a negligible impact, is structured data. AI agents excel at processing structured data formats like schema markup, which search engines use to organize and rank content effectively. This structured approach enables agents to extract precise information such as pricing, reviews, or frequently asked questions with greater accuracy. Inaccurate or duplicate information will either result in the results being ignored because it would cause the agent to fail.
As agents scan for recognizable entities (people, brands, products), entity optimization through directory listings and schema implementation becomes essential for inclusion in AI responses.
Natural language, rather than keyword-driven SEO, is paramount
Users interact with AI agents using natural language, leading to longer, question-based search queries. Modern SEO should already be adapted by focusing on user intent and personalization, but this pivot has always been hard. Now it’s required.
Traditional keyword stuffing strategies are obsolete, and successful SEO demands authoritative content that addresses multi-step questions and complex user needs, since AI agents prioritize depth and context over superficial keyword matches.
Agents will be programmed to avoid AI hallucinations and misinformation, so they will rely on verified, top-ranked results to maintain response accuracy, making brand-building, as a sister function to SEO, a fundamental requirement rather than a nice-to-have feature.
Humans are required
AI tools can automate traditional SEO tasks, including keyword research and content planning. However, human input is more essential than ever to avoid pitfalls like thin AI-generated content that triggers search engine penalties, which will drop a site out of the search results that agents will need.
Humans will also understand the multiple ways agents will be deployed, whether on IOT devices, wearables, and of course, voice. A strategy for glasses will be different than one for a refrigerator.
Passive SEO is obsolete
An AI-first SEO world, particularly one driven by agents’ demands, requires SEO practitioners to possess strategic foresight, customer empathy, and technical expertise, layered on a deep understanding of how brands must appear in the dominant AI tools. You can’t just run a report on how you appear in AI results or agents and call it a success. You need to play an active role in driving revenue from this new world of SEO. Embrace this evolution, and your job is secure.
More than ever, SEO is not a traditional marketing tactic, but a fundamental business activity in a world driven by pull demand (vs push that is driven by advertising) for results that will come from both humans and agents. Continue focusing on core SEO best practices, and you are positioned to succeed in this new AI agent world.
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This is right on point. Data shows 95% of GenAI projects fail to deliver ROI, while only ~5% succeed by embedding AI into workflows and measuring business outcomes (proactivemgmt.com). That’s exactly why SEO is more important than ever: AI agents depend on structured, context-rich content to interpret and act. Without it, you’ll never reach the winning 5%.
curious about your thoughts on the future of AI agents. If, at some point, AI agents stop gathering info from only top-ranked sites..