SEO Tactics That Will Survive the AI Revolution

Benjamin Thornton, Head of Growth at keyword.com, shares actionable insights on evolving SEO strategies in an AI-driven world, from brand building to entity authority and the future of keyword research.

August 28, 2025

14 min read

By Rachit Magon

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Meet Benjamin Thornton, head of growth at keyword.com. At just six years into his career, Benjamin is at the forefront of tracking search visibility across major AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and more. He’s not theorizing about SEO’s future—he’s using data to show which tactics actually survive the AI revolution.

Key Takeaways: Adapting SEO for an AI-Driven Search Landscape

The Changing Nature of SEO:

• Traditional SEO focused on Google rankings and website clicks is evolving
• AI search reduces the importance of rankings but raises the relevance of brand and context
• SEO now prioritizes visibility across multiple AI platforms, not just search engines

Tactics That Still Matter:

• Schema markup remains relevant for AI engines to understand content context
• Brand building through earned media, case studies, and social engagement increases AI trust
• Entity SEO focuses on associating companies with relevant industry concepts and influencers

Keyword Research and AI:

• Keyword research as known traditionally is losing data sources with AI indexing
• Agencies face pressure as AI tools automate many SEO tasks traditionally done manually
• Websites remain necessary for product info and discovery, but new AI interfaces could disrupt this

Q: Is traditional SEO dead, or is this a slow transition?

Benjamin: We're all terrified by what's going on. If we're just focused on Google rankings and clicks to websites like before, then it's pretty bad. AI search is redefining what it means to be online. Clicks and rankings still matter but are becoming secondary.

LLMs crawl the web differently from Google. They rely heavily on context and co-occurrence, pulling info from many sources to answer very specific queries. Traditional SEO still matters a lot but the approach is evolving towards improving brand visibility across AI engines, not just rankings.

🔥 ChaiNet's Hot Take: The SEO you knew isn't dead, but it's evolving fast. Adapting means thinking beyond rankings and focusing on brand presence and contextual relevance.

Q: You ran a demo tracking visibility of a client’s HVAC brand across AI platforms and they weren’t appearing—why?

Benjamin: That client was ranking well traditionally but wasn’t cited in sources frequently used by a specific LLM, like Yelp for ChatGPT. Being missing from a frequently cited source means the brand visibility on that platform suffers.

It shows how SEO tactics like backlinking become less effective alone since LLMs choose info based on citation frequency and trust. Visibility requires presence in diverse, authoritative sources that AI uses.

🔥 ChaiNet's Hot Take: If you’re absent from the AI’s trusted source pool, you’re invisible in AI search—even if you dominate Google rankings.

Q: What SEO tactics are still worth investing in?

Benjamin: Schema markup is still super important for helping AI understand your content type—FAQ, product pages, how-tos—and targeting rich results.

Context-building content like comparison articles, case studies, and listicles gives AI a fuller picture of your brand, helping it trust and mention you more often.

Brand building is becoming critical: earned media coverage, high-quality backlinks, social engagement, and fresh content increase AI citations.

🔥 ChaiNet's Hot Take: SEO is shifting from keywords to entities and relationships. Building a reputable brand ecosystem reflects in AI visibility.

Q: What is entity SEO, and how does a startup founder apply it?

Benjamin: Entity SEO focuses on building a digital identity connected to key topics, influential figures, and associated organizations.

For example, an email marketing software company might create content on email automation, customer segmentation, featuring quotes from authorities like Neil Patel, and referencing other related companies.

Creating focused content tailored to these interconnected entities boosts your relevance and trust in AI search.

🔥 ChaiNet's Hot Take: SEO’s future is entity-based. Map your niche's ecosystem and claim your space with content that connects all dots.

Q: How is keyword research changing?

Benjamin: With LLMs not providing traditional keyword data, traditional research is harder. Many SEO agencies face pressure as AI automates repetitive SEO tasks, impacting their business.

However, websites still matter for product information, pricing pages, and discovery. Users often visit sites even after AI helps them find products.

🔥 ChaiNet's Hot Take: Websites aren’t dead yet, but AI-driven discovery requires SEO pros to rethink how keywords fit in a multi-platform search ecosystem.

Q: Should agencies and professionals abandon SEO?

Benjamin: No, but they must adapt. Skills like schema markup, brand building, and entity SEO are increasingly valuable. Understanding user context and optimizing for AI visibility is the new frontier.

Create content that AI trusts to cite and that users find valuable.

🔥 ChaiNet's Hot Take: Adapt or lose relevance. The AI revolution demands SEO professionals embrace brand and entity-focused strategies over old-school keyword chasing.

Final Thoughts: The Future of SEO

Benjamin Thornton is guiding us through the seismic shifts that AI search is bringing to SEO. The rules are changing, but the game isn’t over—just evolved.

For startups and businesses, investing in brand strength, delivering contextual content, and embracing new AI-driven visibility metrics are crucial. The goal is not just to rank but to be recognized and trusted by AI engines fueling search today and tomorrow.