Google: SEM and SEO will need to coevolve with search since SEO is not dead

Gary Illyes, an analyst with the Google Search team, posted his reaction to a Microsoft Bing article written by Fabrice Canel and Krishna Madhavan of Microsoft, about how AI Search is changing how conversions are measured.

Coevolve. Gary Illyes wrote on LinkedIn:

• “I know for sure however is that SEM and SEO will need to coevolve with search, just like it has the past 30 years.”

Yes, we will have to adapt as search evolves, which many of us have been doing since SEO became a service. And some of the best SEOs and SEMs have adapted and evolved over the years.

SEO is not dead. Illyes also said “SEO is not dead.”

Yes, we have all heard about SEO dying countless times as Google Search changes and other search features are released. SEO has not died, it just is evolving, as search evolves.

Change is hard. And yes, Illyes also noted that “the change is hard to accept.” It is. Change is rarely easy. However, those who accept it and eventually adopt it will be the first to benefit.

Why we care. As we often say when we cover new features: spend time with them. Learn how searchers might use these tools to discover your content and your websites. Then look for ways to turn users who arrive through these features into whatever conversion metric that matters to you.

It isn’t easy, comfortable, or familiar, but it’s likely the future.