In recent years, the way we access information has undergone a radical change.
Google's hegemony is beginning to be challenged by new formats for searching and discovering content: generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, and social search engines, such as searches made directly on TikTok, Reddit, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram.
These changes are not just a matter of channel preference, they have a direct impact on the way organic traffic is distributed, on traditional SEO models and on the effectiveness of the inbound marketing, content marketing and digital marketing strategies that have been consolidated over the last 15 years.
In this article, we'll understand how each of these three models (ChatGPT, Google and Social Search) impacts on SEO strategy and content production.
We'll analyze data, present techniques for adapting old content to the new reality and suggest daily practices to keep your strategy up-to-date, efficient and focused on user behavior.
What you'll see in today's post:
- ChatGPT and the growth of conversational searches;
- Google Search and the new generation of SERPs with AI;
- Social Search: when discovery begins in the networks;
- How to update old content for the new SEO;
- Best practices for staying competitive;
- Future paths: search is becoming more and more of an experience.
Enjoy your reading!
ChatGPT and the growth of conversational search
Why has ChatGPT become a content discovery channel?
The OpenAI language model, present in tools such as Bing Chat, DuckDuckGo AI and Microsoft's Copilot, has already established itself as the main starting point for millions of users on the Internet.
And the data proves it: according to a survey published by Voronoi, ChatGPT passed the 5 billion monthly visits mark in April 2025, reaching the position of 5th most accessed website in the world.
Among the ten most visited sites, it was the only one to show growth in the period, surpassing even X (formerly Twitter), showing how generative AI is definitely redesigning the way we search for and interact with information online.
The main factors behind this massive uptake include:
- Instant responses and no need to navigate through links.
- Context and personalization according to conversation history.
- Increasing accessibility through integrations between browsers, apps and personal assistants.
ChatGPT is no longer just a text generator, but a search engine. And more than that: an answer tool.
What changes for traditional SEO?
When the answer comes directly from AI, the click to the source site may not happen, which is part of the phenomenon of zero-click searches, which, according to a survey published in July 2024 by Swipe Insight and Intelligency Group, represent around 60% of Google searches.
According to this data, 59.7% of users do not click on any external links after searching, remaining on the results page or interacting only with products and services from Google's own ecosystem, since they have already found the answer they wanted
With AI responding directly, the challenge now is for your content to be referenced by the model in order to be included in the response generated. This requires:
- Authoritative content with a consistent semantic structure.
- Frequent updates.
- Presence in domains with high E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).
How to adapt your content to be visible in generative AI
Below is a strategic summary of how to prepare your content for the era of conversational search:
|
Action |
Description |
|
Question and answer structure |
Use formats such as FAQ, subheadings in H2 with real questions |
|
Semantic markup (Schema.org) |
Indicate type of content, author, reading time, etc. |
|
Constant updating |
Feed your blog with regular revisions and visible dates |
|
Qualified backlinks |
Being cited in authoritative sources increases the chance of being trained in AI |
|
Original and authorial content |
Avoid copying or rewriting what is already indexed |
Table 01: Recommended techniques to strengthen the presence of content in the search environment with artificial intelligence, improving ranking and visibility.
SEE ALSO:
Google Search and the new generation of SERPs with AI
Search Generative Experience (SGE): what it is and why it matters
Google is testing a new search experience based on generative AI: SGE.
With it, the first "answer" the user sees is no longer a list of links, but an AI-generated block (AI-Powered Overview), with a summary of the answer, citing some sources.
This change has profound impacts:
- Reduced click-through rate on the first 10 links.
- Greater brand weight and authority to be referenced.
- Relevance of structured content, with good semantic markup and E-E-A-T.
What to do to stay visible on Google with AI
Good practices are still valid, but they now carry even more weight. Therefore:
- Produce content that clearly answers the question asked, in a direct and scannable way.
- Use headings that are consistent with the most frequently asked questions (People Also Ask).
- Diversify formats: web stories, short videos, interactive widgets.
- Implement structured data and tagging for FAQs, reviews, articles and products.
Social Search: when discovery starts on the networks
The new search behavior on social networks
A survey carried out by Adobe in March 2024 revealed that 64% of Generation Z youngsters have already replaced Google with TikTok as their search tool.
This increasingly consolidated behavioral change is not limited to restaurant tips, but is expanding to fashion, technology, tutorials, educational content and many other segments.
Thus, a new type of SEO has emerged: Social Search Optimization.
Which social networks work as search engines?
- YouTube: the second largest search engine in the world.
- TikTok: strong in product discovery, tips and entertainment.
- Reddit: search based on authentic discussions and opinions.
- Pinterest: ideal for visual searches and planning.
- Instagram: strong for inspiration and lifestyle.
On all these channels, search logic is combined with recommendation algorithms.
How to optimize your content for social search
With the increase in searches carried out directly on social networks, adapting your content to these environments has become essential. Here are some good practices specific to each platform:
|
Channel |
Optimization action |
|
TikTok |
Use captions with keywords, loud audio, hashtags and screen text |
|
YouTube |
Title with questions, description with keywords and timestamps |
|
|
Name boards and pins with search terms and organize by category |
|
|
Be careful with descriptions, alt text of images and use location tags |
|
|
Produce valuable responses with contextualized links |
Table 02: Good SEO optimization practices for social search channels such as TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and Reddit.
These actions help position your content in searches carried out within these networks, as well as increasing the organic discovery rate and engagement with your target audience.
How to update old content for the new SEO
Faced with this new reality, it's not enough just to produce new articles. It's essential to revisit old content and update it for the new patterns of consumption and ranking.
Checklist for optimizing old content
Keeping content up to date is the way to maintain relevance in search engines and compete with the new information consumption formats.
Below is a checklist of practical actions to help bring old articles into line with current SEO requirements.
- Update the title to real questions asked by users (search Google and People Also Ask).
- Include a FAQ section at the end with 3 to 5 frequently asked questions.
- Insert multimedia content such as videos or images with descriptive alt text.
- Add recent data or up-to-date statistics.
- Optimize reading time and scannability with short paragraphs, lists and descriptive subheadings.
- Implement structured data and review internal and external links.
By following this checklist, you can ensure that your content remains competitive both on traditional search engines and on AI platforms and social networks.
Tools to help you update
In addition to the optimization checklist, using appropriate tools can speed up the identification of opportunities for improvement and ensure that your content is in tune with the latest search behavior.
Below, we've selected some of the main platforms that you can incorporate into your routine:
- Google Search Console: identify pages with falling traffic.
- Answer the Public: discover real questions asked by users.
- Semrush / Ahrefs: evaluate keyword rankings and update opportunities.
With these tools in hand, you can monitor performance, discover emerging trends and refine your content strategy continuously and based on real data.
Caption: New dynamics of SEO: generative AI, Google with SGE and social search are shaping the future of online discovery.
Best practices for staying competitive
The new SEO is more fluid, contextual and multimodal, requiring an active and consistent routine. Here are some practices you can adopt:
SEO techniques to apply on a daily basis
To maintain the consistency and competitiveness of your SEO strategy, it is essential to incorporate practical and sustainable actions into the marketing team's routine.
The techniques below help to ensure continued relevance and alignment with the new demands of the digital market.
- Map new questions related to your niche on aweekly basis.
- Optimize one old article per week.
- Create an FAQ format at the end of posts.
- Repurpose: turn blogs into carousels, short videos, threads and pins.
- Use AI as a copilot, but with human review and contextualization
- .
- Invest in quality backlinks (guest posts, podcasts, authority circles).
By adopting these practices on an ongoing basis, your brand will be better prepared to respond to changes in users' search behavior and thus stand out in multiple organic discovery channels.
Multidisciplinary team and integration
For modern SEO to work continuously and strategically, it is essential that different areas work collaboratively.
The integration of different skills and profiles guarantees the construction of more complete content, aligned with real user behavior and business goals.
- Bring together SEO, UX (user experience), content, design and video professionals to think in clusters.
- Align your actions with business metrics and real user behavior.
- Create a dashboard with KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that go beyond pageviews: time on page, share of voice, retention, etc.
This multidisciplinary collaboration strengthens the delivery of value to the user, expands the capacity for innovation and makes the operation more responsive to changes in algorithms and consumption formats.
Future paths: search is becoming more and more of an experience
The future of search is not limited to who responds best, but who offers the most meaningful and contextual experience.
While ChatGPT brings speed and personalization, Google seeks to maintain reliability and structure, and social networks provide authentic opinions, native formats and interactive discovery.
Bringing these three fronts together is the new challenge for brands, content producers and SEO experts.
This is the time to evolve from isolated technical SEO to SEO as an integrated experience, centered on the user, connected to the brand and responsive to the context.
Whoever masters this new logic will not only rank better, but build longer-lasting relationships with their audience.
Summary: The search for information has changed: ChatGPT, Google with AI and Social Search (TikTok, YouTube, Reddit) challenge traditional SEO. Content needs to be adapted to zero-click searches, AI visibility and social algorithms. The new SEO requires structured data, conversational language, multimedia content and collaboration between teams. The future of search is to focus on user experience, not just ranking.
If you want to gain a deeper understanding of how Google is shaping this transformation through its own artificial intelligence, especially with the advancement of SGE (Search Generative Experience), we recommend the following complementary reading, which details the direct impact of Google's AI on organic traffic and provides practical tips on how to prepare your strategy.
Is ChatGPT impacting organic traffic?
Yes. ChatGPT has become a search tool for millions of users, with more than 5 billion hits a month. It answers users' questions directly, which reduces clicks on external links and reinforces the phenomenon of zero-click searches.
What is Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE)?
SGE is Google's new AI-based search experience. Instead of showing links as the first result, it displays an AI-generated answer with references. This reduces clicks on traditional results and increases the importance of content with E-E-A-T and semantic structure.
How to optimize content for generative AI?
Use real questions as headings, implement semantic markup (Schema.org), constantly update content, obtain qualified backlinks and maintain authorial originality to increase the chances of your content being referenced by AI models.
What is Social Search and how does it change SEO?
Social Search is the use of social networks as search tools. Platforms such as TikTok, Reddit, YouTube and Instagram are already used to discover content and information. This requires a new SEO approach adapted to the behavior on each network.
How do you update old content to the new SEO standards?
Revise titles with real questions, insert FAQ sections, add videos and images with alt text, update statistics, optimize reading with short paragraphs and clear headings, revise links and implement structured data. This keeps the content relevant and competitive.
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