Are SEO Keywords Dead?
There’s a shift happening in how people discover products, services, and ideas—and it’s not coming from Google. It’s coming from AI.
Search used to be a list of 10 blue links. Backlinks, domain authority, and keyword optimization were the name of the game. But AI isn’t playing by those rules. Large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Copilot don’t rank results—they give answers.
No second page. No skimming. No scrolling.
If your brand isn’t already in the model’s knowledge base, it’s not just invisible—it doesn’t exist.
So yeah, it might be time to ask: Are SEO keywords dead?
Not entirely. But the traditional tactics built around them? They’re fading fast. Here’s where we’re heading.
From Keywords to Entities
LLMs don’t look for “best CRM 2025.” They look for understanding. They create associations between entities—brands, categories, people, and problems.
If your startup offers “contract automation for real estate lawyers,” that connection needs to be loud and clear. And not just on your homepage. It should be in your docs, your social bios, your Reddit threads, your Quora answers, and your Product Hunt listing.
In this new game, you don’t optimize for keywords. You optimize for context. Your job is to make sure the AI knows exactly what you do and who you help. Consistency across digital touchpoints is the new ranking factor.
Create Answer-First Content
Traditional SEO content is bloated. A 2,000-word post that takes 1,500 words to get to the point? AI models don’t need the fluff—they want the facts.
Instead of chasing vague, high-volume phrases like “best productivity tools,” try content that directly answers what your customers are asking:
→ “What’s the best project management tool for a 3-person agency?” → “Tool that helps ADHD entrepreneurs stay organized?”
This isn’t about gaming an algorithm—it’s about training a model. Your content should feel like you’re having a conversation with someone curious, not trying to trick Google.
Be Where the Models Learn
It’s time to stop obsessing over ranking on Google and start showing up in the places that actually train AI models.
OpenAI, Anthropic, and others feed on data from:
- GitHub
- Product Hunt
- Medium
- Stack Overflow
- Docs, FAQs, press releases
- Community forums
Your next customer may never land on your website. They might ask Claude for a product recommendation and get one. Will it be you?
If you’re not showing up in those data loops, you’re not even in the running.
Don’t Get Clever—Get Clear
Cute slogans and abstract taglines might win awards. But LLMs won’t “get it.”
Models need simple, declarative language. That’s how they build associations.
Instead of: “Experience the future of financial agility.”
Say: “Finbot is a budgeting and forecasting tool for small business owners.”
Clear > clever. Specific > smart-sounding. Models need structure, not style points.
From Traffic to Trust
Old SEO thinking: Get more traffic. New SEO thinking: Be the trusted answer.
Because here’s the thing: 10,000 pageviews don’t mean much if none of them convert. But one mention inside a ChatGPT answer—at the right time, to the right person—can close a deal.
Visibility is no longer about impressions. It’s about presence. Showing up as the default answer when someone’s looking for what you do.
It’s not about being found. It’s about being known.
So… Are Keywords Dead?
No. But they’ve been dethroned.
We’re now in the era of entity-first discovery. Of content that educates, not manipulates. Of brands that are trained into the machines, not optimized for search engines.
This shift isn’t subtle. And it’s already happening.
If your marketing strategy is still stuck chasing traditional SEO wins, you might miss the real opportunity: becoming the answer before anyone else even knows the question.
Welcome to the new SEO.
Are you part of the knowledge base… or just another blog post?
Let’s open it up—where are you seeing this shift show up? Are you already adapting? Or still clinging to the keyword playbook?
Drop your thoughts.