SEO in the Age of AI: Can You Still Rank Without Paid Ads?
The future of SEO thanks to AI tools is a major question that we, at Genie Crawl, need to answer on a regular basis. AI is transforming the SEO landscape as we know it. If you have read any of our previous blogs, then you know we have toughed on AI in the SEO landscape numerous times, though its impact on SEO is still largely unknown.
Seeing topics surrounding “is SEO still alive with AI?” is not something new. In fact, you are probably wondering this because you have seen another article that is claiming you cannot rank in search results any more without paid advertising. So let's get straight to the point.
As a business owner you may be concerned about the rise of AI in search results. You may be under the impression you must invest in paid advertising in order to achieve success. With a customised SEO strategy in place that aligns with SEO best practices, you still have the opportunity to rank without paid ads.
Every successful SEO strategy starts with keyword research. These are the words and phrases your target audience use when searching for the products or services you provide. The aim of keyword research is to find out about your audience, helping you create content that resonates with your target audience.
Search intent is essential to organic SEO. This involves creating content that resonates with your audience, rather than focusing only on the keywords you are using. The keywords you select in your content must match search intent.
Search intent is the goal behind the users query. Search intent includes:
Content is king when it comes to SEO. This means you must create high value content that is the highest quality and resonates with your audience. This means doing competitor analysis, finding gaps in your market, that you can capitalise on when creating your content.
You may have the most beautiful website, overflowing with valuable content that resonates with your audience, using your targeted keywords, but you are not gaining traffic or traction. The cause could be technical SEO. Technical SEO involves ensuring your website loads quickly, is mobile responsive, and offers seamless and intuitive navigation with internal links and clear URLs.
Many website owners feel they need to pay for adverts because their site isn't ranking as well as it used to, this could be due to a Google penalty. Google is constantly udpating its algorithms to ensure it provides the best experience to its users. It's not uncommon for websites to find they drop in ranking, some may get a penalty.
We recommend analysing your back link profile, checking to see if your site has been attacked, and analyse your anchor text. With the right strategy in place, you can overcome Google penalties, helping to boost your ranking.
In the age of AI, it is still possible to rank organically without paid advertising, as long as you have a customised and effective SEO strategy in place. The above tips are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to SEO in 2025. If you need help with your SEO strategy, get in touch with the professional team at Genie Crawl today.
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