The new SEO sales tactic: Selling the AI dream

Something’s shifting in how SEO services are being marketed, and if you’ve been shopping for help with search lately, you’ve probably noticed it.

AI search demand is real – but so is the spin

Over the past few months, “AI SEO” has emerged as a distinct service offering. 

Browse service provider websites, scroll through Fiverr, or sit through sales presentations, and you’ll see it positioned as something fundamentally new and separate from traditional SEO. 

Some are packaging it as “GEO” (generative engine optimization) or “AEO” (answer engine optimization), with separate pricing, distinct deliverables, and the implication that you need both this and traditional SEO to compete.

The pitch goes like this: 

• “Traditional SEO handles Google and Bing. But now you need AI SEO for ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and other AI search platforms. They work completely differently and require specialized optimization.”

The data helps explain why the industry is moving so quickly.

AI-sourced traffic jumped 527% year-over-year from early 2024 to early 2025. 

Service providers are responding to genuine market demand for AI search optimization.

But here’s what I’ve observed after evaluating what these AI SEO services actually deliver. 

Many of these so-called new tactics are the same SEO fundamentals – just repackaged under a different name.

As a marketer responsible for budget and results, understanding this distinction matters. 

It affects how you allocate resources, evaluate agency partners, and structure your search strategy. 

Let’s dig into what’s really happening so you can make smarter decisions about where to invest.

The AI SEO pitch: What you’re hearing in sales calls

The typical AI SEO sales deck has become pretty standardized. 

• First comes the narrative about how search is fragmenting across platforms. 
• Then, the impressive dashboard showing AI visibility metrics. 
• Finally, the recommendation to treat AI optimization as a separate workstream, often with separate pricing.

Here are the most common claims I’m hearing.

‘AI search is fundamentally different and requires specialized optimization’ 

They’ll show you how ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude are changing search behavior, and they’re not wrong about that. 

Research shows that 82% of consumers agree that “AI-powered search is more helpful than traditional search engines,” signaling how search behavior is evolving.

‘You need to optimize for how AI platforms chunk and retrieve content’ 

The pitch emphasizes passage-level optimization, structured data, and Q&A formatting specifically for AI retrieval. 

They’ll discuss how AI values mentions and citations differently than backlinks and how entity recognition matters more than keywords.

‘Only 22% of marketers are monitoring AI visibility; you need to act now’

This creates urgency around a supposedly new practice that requires immediate investment.

The urgency is real. Only 22% of marketers have set up LLM brand visibility monitoring, but the question is whether this requires a separate “AI SEO” service or an expansion of your existing search strategy.

Understanding the rebranding trend

To be clear, the AI capabilities are real. What’s new is the positioning – familiar SEO practices rebranded to sound more revolutionary than they are.

When you examine what’s actually being recommended (passage-level content structure, semantic clarity, Q&A formatting, earning citations and mentions), you will find that these practices have been core to SEO for years. 

Google introduced passage ranking in 2020 and featured snippets back in 2014.

Research from Fractl, Search Engine Land, and MFour found that generative engine optimization “is based on similar value systems that advanced SEOs, content marketers, and digital PR teams are already experts in.”

Let me show you what I mean.

What you’re hearing: “AI-powered semantic analysis and predictive keyword intelligence.”

• What’s actually happening: Keyword research using advanced tools to analyze search volume, competition, user intent, and content opportunities. The strategic fundamentals (understanding what your audience is searching for and why) haven’t changed.

What you’re hearing: “Machine learning content optimization that aligns with AI algorithms.”

• What’s actually happening: Analyzing top-ranking content, understanding user intent, identifying content gaps, and creating comprehensive content. AI tools can accelerate analysis, which is valuable. But the strategic work (determining what topics matter for your business, how to position your expertise, and what content will drive conversions) still requires human insight.

What you’re hearing: “Entity-based authority building for AI platforms.”

• What’s actually happening: Building quality mentions and citations, earning coverage from reputable sources, and establishing expertise in your industry. Authority building is inherently relationship-driven and time-dependent. No AI tool shortcuts to becoming a recognized expert in your space.

Dig deeper: AI search is booming, but SEO is still not dead

Where real differences exist (and why fundamentals still matter)

I want to be fair here. There’s genuine debate in the SEO community about whether optimizing for AI-powered search represents a distinct discipline or an evolution of existing practices.

The differences are real.

• AI search handles queries differently from traditional search. 
• Users write longer, conversational prompts rather than short keywords.
• AI platforms use query fan-out to match multiple sub-queries. 
• Optimization happens at the passage or chunk level rather than the page level. 
• Authority signals shift from links and engagement to mentions and citations.

These differences affect execution, but the strategic foundation remains consistent.

You still need to:

• Understand what users are trying to accomplish.
• Create content demonstrating genuine expertise.
• Build authority and credibility.
• Ensure content is technically accessible.
• Optimize for relevance and user intent.

And here’s something that reinforces the overlap.

SEO professionals recently discovered that ChatGPT’s Atlas browser directly uses Google search results. 

Even AI-powered search platforms are relying on traditional search infrastructure.

So yes, there are platform-specific tactics that matter. 

The question for you as a marketer isn’t whether differences exist (they do). 

The real question is whether those differences justify treating this as an entirely separate service with its own strategy and budget.

Or are they simply tactical adaptations of the same fundamental approach?

Dig deeper: GEO and SEO: How to invest your time and efforts wisely

The risk of chasing platform-specific tactics

The “separate AI SEO service” approach comes with a real risk.

It can shift focus toward short-term, platform-specific tactics at the expense of long-term fundamentals.

I’m seeing recommendations that feel remarkably similar to the blackhat SEO tactics we saw a decade ago: 

These tactics might work today, but they’re playing a dangerous game.

Dig deeper: Black hat GEO is real – Here’s why you should pay attention

AI platforms are still in their infancy. Their spam detection systems aren’t yet as mature as Google’s or Bing’s, but that will change, likely faster than many expect.

AI platforms like Perplexity are building their own search indexes (hundreds of billions of documents). 

They’ll need to develop the same core systems traditional search engines have: 

• Site quality scoring.
• Authority evaluation.
• Anti-spam measures. 

They’re supposedly buying link data from third-party providers, recognizing that understanding authority requires signals beyond just content analysis.

The pattern is predictable

We’ve seen this with Google. 

In the early days, keyword stuffing and link schemes worked great.

Then, Google developed Panda and Penguin updates that devastated sites relying on those tactics. 

Overnight, sites lost 50-90% of their traffic.

The same thing will likely happen with AI platforms. 

Sites gaming visibility now with spammy tactics will face serious problems when these platforms implement stronger quality and spam detection. 

As one SEO veteran put it, “It works until it doesn’t.”

This is why fundamentals matter more than ever

Building around platform-specific tactics is like building on sand. 

Focus instead on fundamentals – creating valuable content, earning authority, demonstrating expertise, and optimizing for intent – and you’ll have something sustainable across platforms.

Where AI genuinely helps

I’m not anti-AI. Used well, it meaningfully improves SEO workflows and results.

AI excels at large-scale research and ideation – analyzing competitor content, spotting gaps, and mapping topic clusters in minutes.

For one client, it surfaced 73 subtopics we hadn’t fully considered. 

But human expertise was still essential to align those ideas with business goals and strategic priorities.

AI also transforms data analysis and workflow automation – from reporting and rank tracking to technical monitoring – freeing more time for strategy.

AI clearly helps. The real question is whether these AI offerings bring truly new strategies or familiar ones powered by better tools.

What to watch for when evaluating services

After working with clients to evaluate various service models, I’ve seen consistent patterns in proposals that overpromise and underdeliver.

• They lead with technology, not strategy: If the conversation jumps immediately to tools and dashboards rather than starting with your business goals, that suggests a tools-first rather than strategy-first approach.
• Vague explanations of their approach: Watch for responses about “proprietary algorithms” or “advanced machine learning” without concrete explanations of what specific problems this solves.
• Focus on vanity metrics: “We generated 500 AI citations!” sounds impressive but doesn’t answer: Did qualified traffic increase? Did conversion rates improve? How did search contribute to revenue?
• Case studies that focus on visibility, not business results: They might have increased AI mentions or improved rankings, but did it drive revenue growth? Did it increase qualified leads?

Questions to ask instead

When evaluating any service provider, ask:

• How would you approach our business? Walk me through your strategic process. The best approaches start by understanding your business, not showcasing tools. If they jump immediately to AI tools or technical tactics without understanding your business context, that’s a red flag.
• How do you determine content strategy and prioritization? Look for answers that balance data insights with business context and audience understanding, not just what AI tools suggest would perform well.
• What specific results have you achieved for similar businesses? Push for concrete business metrics (revenue growth, lead generation, conversion improvements), not just traffic or ranking increases.
• How do you integrate optimization across traditional search and AI platforms? This reveals whether they view these as separate disciplines requiring separate work or as interconnected parts of a unified search strategy.

What actually drives long-term success

After working in SEO for 20 years, through multiple algorithm updates and trend cycles, I keep coming back to the same fundamentals:

• Deep audience understanding drives every strategic decision.
• Quality and expertise still win (search algorithms are increasingly sophisticated at evaluating content quality).
• Authority building takes time and authenticity (you can’t automate trust and credibility).
• Business alignment drives meaningful results (rankings and AI citations are means to an end: revenue growth, customer acquisition, or whatever your primary business goals are).

Dig deeper: Thriving in AI search starts with SEO fundamentals

What sustainable SEO looks like in the AI era

AI is genuinely changing how we work in search marketing – and that’s mostly positive. 

The tools make us more efficient and enable analysis that wasn’t previously practical.

But AI only enhances good strategy. It doesn’t replace it. 

Fundamentals still matter – along with audience understanding, quality, and expertise.

Search behavior is fragmenting across Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and social platforms, but the principles that drive visibility and trust remain consistent.

Real advantage doesn’t come from the newest tools or the flashiest “GEO” tactics. 

It comes from a clear strategy, deep market understanding, strong execution of fundamentals, and smart use of technology to strengthen human expertise.

Don’t get distracted by hype or dismiss innovation. The balance lies in thoughtful AI integration within a solid strategic framework focused on business goals.

That’s what delivers sustainable results – whether people find you through Google, ChatGPT, or whatever comes next.