Every few years, our industry finds a shiny new phrase to chase. The latest? “AI SEO,” “GEO,” and other acronym-heavy creations that sound futuristic but say very little. I’ve been around long enough to know this cycle well. It happened with “SocialSEO,” “Web 2.0 Marketing,” and “Inbound Optimization.” The names change, but the game doesn’t. It’s all still digital marketing.
Digital marketing has always been about understanding audiences, creating useful content, and promoting it through the right channels. That’s true whether you’re using AI tools, analytics software, or a whiteboard and a good idea. Technology evolves. The fundamentals don’t.
Before SEO Had a Name
I’ve been in this business since the 1990s — before SEO was even called SEO. Back then, we were just trying to make websites show up when people searched for things. The same people who were optimizing titles and writing relevant content back then are still doing it now. The difference is, we’ve all added more sophisticated tools to the mix. But the process hasn’t fundamentally changed. You research, write, optimize, measure, and improve. That’s SEO. Always has been.
The people who don’t last are the ones chasing buzzwords — the ones who reinvent themselves every year based on what’s trending on LinkedIn. Meanwhile, the real pros quietly keep delivering results, one client at a time.
Social Bookmarking and Guest Posts: Nothing New Here
Remember “social bookmarking”? For a few years, it was treated like the next big hack for rankings. Everyone rushed to get links from Digg, Delicious, and StumbleUpon. Then algorithms changed, and suddenly the tactic was declared dead. But what was social bookmarking really about? Getting your content in front of audiences who cared. That’s timeless marketing. Reddit, X, and LinkedIn are today’s versions of those same communities.
The same thing happened with “guest posts.” The phrase became tainted when SEOs started abusing it for links. But the practice itself is older than the internet. Long before anyone said “guest post,” experts were writing bylined articles in newspapers and magazines to build authority. It wasn’t spam — it was credibility. When SEOs turned it into a shortcut for backlinks, it lost its integrity. But used correctly, it’s still one of the best ways to establish expertise and visibility.
Why “AI SEO” Hurts the Industry
Here’s the problem with buzzwords like “AI SEO.” They confuse clients. They make people think there’s some secret new version of SEO they’re missing out on. Suddenly, a client reads about an “AI SEO expert” online who says the key is to prompt ChatGPT in a certain way — and now your client is upset because you’re not doing it. You get emails asking, “Why aren’t we optimizing for ChatGPT?” or “Why aren’t we ranking in Perplexity?”
In reality, if you’re doing SEO correctly — optimizing for search intent, writing valuable content, building authority, and maintaining technical health — you’re already doing what’s needed. The same fundamentals that help you rank in Google will help AI engines pull your site as a trusted source. You’re already optimizing for AI search by doing solid SEO. The difference is, you’re not calling it “AI SEO” and charging extra for the buzzword.
And let’s keep this in perspective: Google still holds over 80 percent of search market share. AI search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity together represent less than 5 percent. Clients deserve to know that. Educating them about where the real audience is — and how the strategies overlap — prevents confusion and misplaced priorities.
AI Tools Help, But They Don’t Replace Strategy
I use AI tools every day. They help with research, ideation, and analysis. But they don’t replace human understanding, strategy, or creativity. They assist with the work; they don’t redefine it. Calling that “AI SEO” is like calling spellcheck “AI writing.” It’s an overstatement that misleads clients and waters down real expertise.
True SEO and digital marketing require experience, context, and adaptability — things no tool can replicate. The best marketers use AI smartly, as part of the process, not as the process.
The Future: Mentions, Not Links
Here’s where things are really headed. For years, link building was the holy grail of SEO. But as algorithms and AI systems evolve, “mentions” are becoming the new currency. I call it “mention building.”
AI engines don’t just count links — they read context. They recognize entities, names, and relationships. That means if your brand or your name is mentioned across trusted sources, it strengthens your authority. In a way, we’re moving back toward old-school branding. Get talked about. Get cited. Get referenced. Whether that’s in a publication, a podcast, or a YouTube video, the more your brand is mentioned in relevant places, the more authority you’ll build — with both people and algorithms.
That’s not a trick or a hack. It’s marketing maturity. And it’s something that’s been working since long before search engines existed.
Let’s Call It What It Is
Digital marketing includes Paid Search, Paid Social, Organic Social, SEO, Content Marketing, and Branding. AI supports those efforts — it doesn’t redefine them. The real professionals understand that. The rest will keep chasing the next acronym, hoping for an easier way. But the truth hasn’t changed in 30 years: the work matters more than the buzzwords.
So, the next time someone tries to sell you on “AI SEO,” remember — it’s still just SEO, with smarter tools. The shiny object will fade, but the fundamentals always stick around.