We’ve been working in SEO for over a decade, and if we had a pound for every time someone declared SEO dead at the scene, we’d have enough money to emulate those LinkedIn influencers posing with our brand new Lamborghini (not that we’d ever do that)

But, even we have to admit, that for the first time, it feels like there actually might be some legitimacy to these claims.

With the AI world starting to feel a little Skynet, we’re witnessing the biggest shift in how people search for and consume information since the launch of Google. We’re not immune – turning to ChatGPT over Google for many of our search needs.

So, whether or not you’re ready to call time on SEO there can be no doubt that the landscape is changing fast – and businesses that don’t adapt risk being left behind.

But does that mean you can’t get traffic to your website?

Definitely not!

We’re still witnessing many of our clients increase traffic across platforms, by changing how they create and share content.

So, in this blog, we’re diving into what’s happening in the world of SEO and sharing some actionable strategies we’ve used to drive robust traffic to websites.

The HubSpot Traffic Drop: A Wake-Up Call

It’s almost impossible to scroll LinkedIn and not see something about the dying SEO industry.

This was certainly taken up a notch when Ahrefs shared that Hubspot – a once shining example of SEO-driven success – had suffered a major decline in their website traffic. According to Ahrefs, HubSpot’s estimated organic traffic dropped from 8.7 million visits per month in 2022 to just 4.4 million in late 2023 – a nearly 50% decline in less than a year.

And they aren’t alone, with many SEO-reliant businesses reporting a 20-50% decline in organic traffic over the past year as AI adoption grows.

Scary statistics if you’ve been building your business on the back of the Google algorithms for so long.

The consensus is that if it can happen to Hubspot – the pinnacle of SEO content – it can happen to anyone – but is that right?

HubSpot’s content strategy focused on simple, broad top-of-funnel “how-to” content – the low hanging fruit of the SEO world. It clearly worked very well for a while, especially when coupled with their high Google authority.

But simply put, it can’t compete with tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI-powered Search Generative Experience (SGE) which skims existing content to create direct and personalised answers to search queries. This allows AI to curate and present better, more tailored content in many cases – making it almost impossible for us mere mortals to compete within these parameters.

So, while this could be the fate of businesses if they don’t adapt, it also shows us that traffic decline is not inevitable. And it doesn’t mean that SEO is dead, but it is undoubtedly becoming more difficult to rank and gain lots and lots of traffic from search engines.

3 types of content that work: a shift away from Google dependence

For years, Google was the undisputed king of search. But a study in 2023 showed that Google’s search dominance has dropped 10% among Gen Z users, who now prefer TikTok and Instagram for discovering new content. And with the rise of AI, this dominance is only diminishing – as people turn to other search options.

It’s facing tough competition from all angles in the form of AI and social media such as YouTube and TikTok becoming search engines in their own right.

Successful businesses are still seeking an increase in traffic across all platforms – but traditional SEO strategies alone are no longer enough – and diversification and optimisation across multiple platforms, not just Google, is essential.

What do we mean by this?

And what type of content do you need to create now to see increased traffic and sales?

We’ve shared three types of content that we, and our clients, are still experiencing success with.

1. Original research content

Regurgitating existing content is not going to cut it anymore – AI can trawl the internet and do this much faster and better than any human can.

2025 motto: Be the source, not the summariser.

Original research content allows you to become the original source of information obtained via your own research, whether that be interviews, questionnaires, quizzes, or other original data.

It is more time-intensive, and it does have to be something that people will search for in order to drive traffic via search engines – but it allows you to present an amazing research report like this, like the entrepreneurial mental health research we did back in 2023.

Not only are other bloggers and journalists linking to the original source (you), so you’re much more likely to gain backlinks in blogs and press (hello Google authority). But, when AI pulls data from authoritative sources, your brand becomes the go-to reference – so you maintain the ability to drive traffic via Google and other sources.

Unique data makes you irreplaceable because AI can’t replicate firsthand research.

2. Middle & bottom of the funnel content

We mentioned that HubSpot’s traffic downfall lay in the fact that they created a lot of “how-to content”, otherwise known as top-of-funnel content. It’s highly replicable, and easily summarised by AI, which means that many businesses are struggling to rank for it.

If you were a web designer, an example of top of the funnel content would be: “How to design a WordPress website.”

The other problem with this type of content is that, while educational, most of the traffic isn’t actually your potential customer – they are just people who want to know how to build a website.

With middle and bottom of the funnel content, you’re targeting people who are already interested in your product or service and are in the process of researching to find the best provider for them. At this point, you’re exploring all the questions someone might have before working with you.

So, back to the web designer example, you might create content on: “WordPress vs. Shopify: Which Platform is Best for Your Business in 2025?”

Why does this lead to sales?

For this type of content, AI-generated summaries often lack real-world expertise and nuance – your firsthand insights can fill that gap. Plus, people are still actively searching for content that addresses their pain points, and users searching for pricing, feature comparisons, and real customer experiences are further down the buying journey and more likely to convert.

By creating this type of content you might still get some traffic from Google, as that’s where people go with high-intent searches. But you’ll also be referenced via AI for product or service recommendations, and tutorials can rank well on YouTube.

Creating middle and bottom of the funnel content will help you speak to your buyer, not your browser, which is why it’s still possible to get relevant traffic and drive sales.

Read more: How to use the content to shorten the sales cycle

3. Thought leadership content

You’ve probably heard it before, but people buy from people!

Thought leadership content allows you to turn your personal opinions, unique experiences, and industry analysis into content that is hard to replicate and that shows you are an expert, not just a content factory. Plus, it builds trust and authority, which is crucial as AI-generated content floods the internet.

An example of thought leadership content is this very blog you’re reading right now. Although it includes some facts and figures that are available on the internet, we’re sharing real world knowledge that we’ve gained from experience, coupled with our unique insight into the industry.
This gives you actionable outcomes that you can replicate to improve your traffic and sales.

Social media is a great place to share and syndicate this thought leadership content, by adding new engaging information that can help you drive traffic back to your website and convert them into paying customers. One place we share a lot of thought leadership content is via LinkedIn – which allows us to share experience, anecdotes and opinions via text, as well as long and short-form video.

We also work to get on relevant podcasts, which allows us to share our expertise in conversation and tap into a whole new audience – again driving traffic back to our site.

So, while thought leadership content might not be the obvious choice for traffic, it can help you engage new audiences, which ultimately get more eyes on your site.

Read more: SEO vs thought leadership: which should you create for your business?

The future of SEO and content strategy?

So, is SEO dead?

We’re going to say no, but the old way of doing things definitely is.

It’s no longer enough to rely on Google traffic, you’re going to have to create and optimise original content across multiple platforms in order to continue to drive traffic and sales to your business. Businesses have to diversify their traffic sources, or they will find it increasingly difficult to grow.

Ask yourself:

❌ Am I diversifying traffic beyond Google?
❌ Am I creating content that works across multiple platforms?
❌ Am I creating content that AI can’t replicate?

If the answer is no, then it’s time to pivot – SEO is evolving, and so should you.

But the good news is, that if you do that you can definitely beat the scaremongering and continue to see results from search – we certainly have, and so have our clients. As always, businesses that adapt to the changing digital landscape will continue to grow, while those clinging to outdated tactics will struggle.

If you want to continue to stay ahead of the curve, we can help – our content strategy is designed to drive sales even as the landscape changes – so get in touch and see how we can work together.