Observed Signal · Aug 31, 2026 · Opinion / Expert Commentary · Source: https://martechseries.com/feed/ · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
SEO / Search and AI visibility Market: AI Has Not Replaced SEO, Expert Says
Digital marketing consultant Husam Jandal argues that search engine optimization (SEO) remains essential for business growth despite increased use of AI platforms that produce zero-click answers. The article cites data that 68% of Google searches end without a click, Google’s traffic share to 75,000+ websites fell ~22% year-over-year, and AI tools refer less than 1% of traffic to external sites. It also notes that search and websites remain central to buyer research—75% of B2B buyers use search during vendor research and many users validate AI recommendations by visiting company sites—so SEO tactics still support visibility in search-based AI systems.
Reinforces the continued relevance of SEO amid AI-driven zero-click search trends and cites traffic/referral metrics; relevant to marketers and publishers but not a major platform policy or technical release.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Article published on 2026-08-31.
- Husam Jandal states SEO remains essential for business growth despite AI-driven changes in search behavior.
- 68 percent of Google searches now end without a click (zero-click searches).
- Google’s share of traffic to more than 75,000 websites fell approximately 22 percent over the past year.
- AI tools send less than one percent of their traffic to external websites.
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