Search is evolving fast. AI-powered answers from Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and others are reshaping how people find information online. Instead of scrolling and clicking your way through a list of 10 blue links and hopping between sites, many users now get what they need instantly from AI-generated summaries.
This shift is exciting, but it’s happening at breakneck speed. The search experience itself is shifting monthly, if not weekly, and it means the way your website achieves visibility is changing just as fast.
If your business relies on people finding you online, it’s worth understanding what’s happening beneath the surface. For sure, the fundamentals of SEO still matter, but the playing field has changed.
In this post we break down what that means for you and what practical steps you can take to stay in the game as the rules keep changing.
What’s actually changing in search?
Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity and others are now handling hundreds of millions of user queries weekly. ChatGPT hit roughly 800 million weekly users by May 2025 and adoption is rising worldwide with nearly 1 billion people regularly engaging AI chat tools.
AI powered results from Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and others aren’t just matching keywords anymore. Instead, they understand, expand, and reason over queries. They’re unpacking questions, making connections, asking more questions behind the scenes, and stitching together answers on the fly.
This means people are often getting access to the information they need without ever clicking through to your website.
For many sites, traditional organic search traffic remains flat while some are seeing declines as AI-powered tools reshape how people find information. This highlights the growing role of new platforms alongside Google’s continued dominance.
To put this in perspective, here’s a chart showing how LLM-driven traffic has grown for one of our client sites over the past year – a sign of how user behaviour is shifting.
Now this doesn’t mean Google’s dead, and nor is SEO. However, it’s certainly changing, and it does show how discovery is spreading out across more platforms and why visibility now depends on much more than just traditional SEO.
How do LLMs and search work?
AI-powered search results don’t just match keywords anymore. When someone searches for, say, “best electric SUV” AI quietly expands that query into many smaller questions:
- Which models have the highest safety ratings?
- How reliable are different brands over time?
- What’s the typical price range — and what’s included in the warranty?
- Which models qualify for government rebates or tax incentives?
- What’s the average charging time and battery range?
- Are there any standout reviews or expert comparisons?
This process, known as ‘query expansion’ (or ‘query fan-out’ in respect of Google’s AI overviews), means AI systems scan a broad range of sources and pull together fragments of answers from a range of sources (not just your website) to deliver a complete response. Your content might be used to answer a sub-question even if it wasn’t optimised for the main query.
Personalisation: AI Searches Differ by User
Another key thing to understand is that AI summaries aren’t one-size-fits-all. Responses are personalised based on the user’s location, history, and behaviour, so two people asking the same question may see different sources cited. That means visibility in AI search isn’t universal, but rather it’s contextual i.e. it depends on who’s asking, where they are, and what the AI already knows about them.
To complicate things further, AI models have their own “preferences” when it comes to where they source information:
- ChatGPT tends to rely on authoritative, neutral sources like news sites, scholarly articles, and quality reference materials (e.g. Wikipedia).
- Google AI Overviews draw heavily from blogs, forums, communitydriven platforms like Reddit, and niche articles.
- Perplexity often references expert review sites and specialised blogs.
This means visibility isn’t just about your site’s SEO anymore. It’s also about where else your brand and content appear online.
SEO Fundamentals Are Still Your Foundation
If there’s one thing that hasn’t changed in the shift to AI-driven search, it’s that high quality content is still your strongest asset. This is the absolute most important requirement for your website to have any chance of showing up in an AI response.
But what does “high quality content” actually mean? According to Google’s own guidelines, it means content that is helpful, reliable, and created for people first, not just for search engines.
Let’s break down the core principles they use to define that.
People-First Content
This is paramount. Your content should be created to genuinely help and inform people. It needs to answer questions thoroughly, solve problems, and meet the user’s intent. Avoid creating content solely to rank for keywords or game the system.
Answerable, Quotable Content
AI engines often pull short passages to answer sub-questions.
| SEO Content Principle | Example of What Not to Do | Better Approach / Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Stand alone clearly in small chunks |
“Our winter jackets are made with waterproof fabric, insulated lining, adjustable hoods, and multiple pockets to keep you warm and comfortable during the cold season.” |
Is the jacket waterproof?
Yes, it uses a durable waterproof fabric rated at 10,000 mm water column.
Does it have insulation?
The jacket is insulated with 200 grams of synthetic fill for warmth without bulk. |
|
Align tightly with specific user intents |
“Heat pumps are great for year-round comfort, offering both heating and cooling.” |
Can heat pumps work in cold weather?
Yes, modern heat pumps operate efficiently in temperatures as low as -15°C, suitable for most New Zealand winters. |
|
Use clear headings and straightforward language |
“Explore the unparalleled benefits of our premium fencing solutions.” |
What’s the best type of fence for windy areas?
Timber post-and-rail fences are often more durable in exposed conditions than lightweight panel fences. |
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)
This is a critical framework Google uses to decide whether your content deserves to be seen, especially for topics that could impact a user’s health, financial well-being, or safety (often referred to as “Your Money or Your Life” or YMYL topics).
- Experience: Have you done what you’re talking about? e.g. a product review written by someone who has actually used the product.
- Expertise: Do you know your stuff? e.g. a medical article written by a qualified doctor and preferably fact checked by another medical professional.
- Authoritativeness: Are you a go-to source? This can be reflected by mentions, links from other reputable sites, and a strong brand reputation.
- Trustworthiness: Is your content honest and accurate?
This involves clear sourcing, verifiable facts, transparent contact information, secure websites (HTTPS), and positive user reviews. Trust is considered the most crucial element.
Originality and Depth
High-quality content provides original information, reporting, research, or analysis. It goes beyond merely summarising what’s already available elsewhere and offers substantial, complete, and comprehensive coverage of a topic.
User Experience (Page Experience)
While not solely about content, the overall page experience contributes to how Google perceives quality. This includes factors like:
Core Web Vitals
Speed, interactivity, and visual stability of the page.
- Mobile-Friendliness: Ensuring the content is easily accessible and readable on all devices.
- Security: Using HTTPS.
- Visual Appeal and Readability: Well-structured text with headings, bullet points, images, and a clean design that makes content easy to consume.
Regular Updates and Freshness
Especially important for topics where information changes frequently, high-quality content is kept up-to-date, reflecting the latest developments, statistics, and insights.
Clear Authorship and Transparency
Identifying the authors and contributors of the content, along with their credentials and background, helps establish credibility. Transparency about the purpose of the content and any commercial interests also builds trust.
In summary, if your website has:
- Fast, mobile-friendly pages
- A crawlable and well-structured site
- Clear, human-focused content using structured data
Then you’re building on the right foundation. These basics still earn you a spot in the pool of content AI models pull from but remember that standing out within AI-generated answers requires more than ticking boxes.
What You Can Do Right Now
(No need to panic or rip up your website!)
You don’t need to throw out all your content, start from scratch, or kick off a full redesign. But this isn’t just about small tweaks, either.
Now’s the time to step back and reassess how your site is being understood, not just by people, but by machines. AI tools aren’t reading your site the same way search engines used to. They’re pulling specific chunks, scanning for intent, and interpreting meaning at a much deeper level.
That means your visibility is not just about where you rank. It’s about whether your content makes sense to AI and shows up in the answers it’s building.
Look at your traffic with fresh eyes
As mentioned above, rankings alone don’t tell the full story anymore. Traffic and conversions might shift even when rankings stay steady, because users get answers in AI summaries without clicking.
Understand How Competitors Are Showing Up in AI Responses
When you analyse your competitors, check if their content ticks Google’s quality boxes: thorough coverage, clear structure, and strong E-E-A-T signals. Look at how they organise info. Do they use precise headings, bullet points, or Q&A formats that AI can easily pull from?
Spot what they’re missing. Are there questions they’re not answering fully? Can you provide clearer, more detailed, or unique insights?
Finally, assess their trustworthiness. Do they showcase real credentials? Do they have solid reviews and brand reputation?
By learning what works for them and finding the gaps, you can craft a strategy that not only ranks but gets noticed and cited in AI-driven results.
Think beyond your own website
AI pulls from forums, social media, review sites, and niche blogs. Your brand’s presence outside your website is increasingly important.
Ask the right question
Not “Are we doing SEO?” but: “Are we visible in a proliferated world where search results differ from person to person?”
If you’re unsure, it’s time for a review.
SEO is no longer just about ticking boxes like meta titles or fast-loading pages (although those still matter).
Now, it’s about building real trust, clear expertise, and a wider presence across the web. It’s about making your content easy for AI to find, understand, and quote, while still serving your human audience well.
How we approach it
Instead of repackaging old tactics with new labels, we take a practical approach that aligns with how search is evolving.
At Limelight Digital we work with you to adapt your SEO to the new reality – researching, analysing and applying technical, strategic, and content improvements that boost your visibility both in traditional search and AI-powered results.
Ready to See How You’re Really Doing?
We’re here to help you cut through the noise. Whether it’s:
- Assessing your current SEO health for this new AI landscape
- Identifying where you might be invisible to AI search engines
- Making practical recommendations that fit your business and budget
When you’re ready, reach out for straightforward advice and clear strategies tailored to your business.