As AI powered search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, Microsoft Copilot (formerly Bing Chat), and Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) become more widespread, many businesses are asking: Does SEO still matter?
The short answer is yes, more than ever.
While AI search engines generate answers instead of listing pages like traditional search engines, they still rely heavily on traditional search results, primarily through Google and Bing, to source their information. In other words, if you are not ranking well in conventional search engines, you are unlikely to be surfaced or cited in AI generated responses.
This article explores how to SEO for AI search while reinforcing the fact that traditional SEO remains the essential foundation.
Traditional SEO Principles Still Apply and Are More Critical Than Ever
Before an AI search engine can generate an answer, it needs quality inputs. Most AI search engines achieve this by:
- Searching the web in real time using Google or Bing
- Citing or summarising high ranking and trustworthy sources
- Combining information into a single, conversational response
That means ranking well on Google or Bing remains a prerequisite for being seen or cited by AI platforms like Perplexity, Copilot, and even ChatGPT (when browsing is enabled).
Key traditional SEO practices that continue to matter:
- Keyword research to align with search intent
- On page SEO with structured headers and clear content hierarchy
- Quality backlinks that build domain authority
- Technical SEO such as page speed, mobile readiness, and clean URLs
- E E A T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
If your content does not appear on the first page of Google or Bing, it likely will not be considered by AI search tools either.
What AI Search Engines Add On Top
AI search platforms take things further by summarising, interpreting, and presenting results in natural language. This changes how your content should be written, even if the route to visibility still starts with traditional SEO.
To optimise for AI generated answers:
- Answer questions clearly and concisely
Use FAQ sections, question based headings, and short, direct answers. - Structure content for easy scanning
Use headings properly and apply schema markup such as FAQPage or Article. - Publish content that is citable
Share original insights, guides, and data that AI engines can trust and summarise accurately. - Write for conversational queries
Optimise content around the way people naturally ask questions such as “What is the best CRM for nonprofits?”
AI Search Engines Still Rely on Traditional Search Engines
Let us look at how the main AI search platforms gather their results:
| AI Search Engine | Uses Google or Bing? | How It Works |
| Perplexity AI | Yes (Bing, sometimes Google) | Pulls live web data before summarising |
| ChatGPT (Browse enabled) | Yes (Bing) | Uses Bing Search API to find relevant pages |
| Microsoft Copilot | Yes (Bing) | Directly powered by Bing search |
| Google SGE | Yes (Google) | Enhances Google results with AI summaries |
| ChatGPT (Default mode) | No | Uses static training data, not real time web |
| Claude by Anthropic | No | Relies on its internal knowledge base |
Because most AI tools still reference live search results to produce their answers, your site’s performance on Google and Bing directly affects whether your content is found and cited.
Combine Traditional SEO with AI Search Readiness
To stay visible and competitive:
- Maintain strong technical and content SEO practices
- Optimise your writing for clarity and directness, especially for common user questions
- Use structured content to help AI tools parse and summarise your information
- Monitor platforms like Perplexity and Bing Copilot to see how AI tools reference top sources in your niche
Final Thoughts
AI search engines represent the next evolution in how people discover content, but they are still built on the same foundation: Google, Bing, and the open web.
Traditional SEO is not obsolete. In fact, it is more important than ever as it feeds the AI tools now shaping how users access information.
If your content already ranks well, you are in a strong position. To go further, start making your site easier for AI to understand and cite. That means clean structure, reliable facts, and a focus on being genuinely helpful.
