Finally, Some Data on AI vs Traditional Search

SEO Is Not That Hard

Send us a text

Link to Sparktoro report: https://sparktoro.com/blog/new-research-20-of-americans-use-ai-tools-10x-month-but-growth-is-slowing-and-traditional-search-hasnt-dipped/

A digital revolution or much ado about nothing? The AI versus search debate has dominated SEO conversations lately, with doomsayers predicting the end of traditional search as we know it. But what's actually happening might surprise you.
Drawing from the groundbreaking SparkToro and Datos report, this episode cuts through the hype to reveal unexpected trends in AI and search engine usage. While AI adoption has been significant—with 20% of Americans now classified as heavy users—the explosive growth we witnessed in 2023 is already plateauing. Meanwhile, traditional search engine usage remains remarkably steady, with 95% of Americans still using search engines monthly and the percentage of heavy search users actually increasing over the past year.
The most fascinating insight? AI and search aren't locked in a zero-sum battle but instead appear to be complementary tools in most users' information discovery journeys. I share fascinating log file analysis from my own affiliate site showing that for every five Google visitors, we see approximately one AI crawler—yet our Google traffic continues to grow. This suggests AI users represent additional audience reach rather than cannibalised search traffic.
For SEO professionals feeling anxious about AI's impact, this episode offers both reassurance and strategic direction. The fundamentals of quality content creation remain crucial, but understanding how to position your content for both discovery methods will be the true competitive advantage. Listen now to discover how to thrive in this evolving information ecosystem where AI and search coexist rather than compete.
Have you integrated AI tools into your content strategy while maintaining your SEO focus? Share your experiences or questions about finding the right balance in this new landscape.

SEO Is Not That Hard is hosted by Edd Dawson and brought to you by KeywordsPeopleUse.com

Help feed the algorithm and leave a review at ratethispodcast.com/seo

You can get your free copy of my 101 Quick SEO Tips at: https://seotips.edddawson.com/101-quick-seo-tips
To get a personal no-obligation demo of how KeywordsPeopleUse could help you boost your SEO and get a 7 day FREE trial of our Standard Plan book a demo with me now
See Edd's personal site at edddawson.com
Ask me a question and get on the show Click here to record a question
Find Edd on Linkedin, Bluesky & Twitter
Find KeywordsPeopleUse on Twitter @kwds_ppl_use
"Werq" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Chapters

1. Finally, Some Data on AI vs Traditional Search (00:00:00)

2. Welcome to SEO Is Not That Hard (00:01:46)

3. AI's Impact on SEO: Breaking Down Perceptions (00:02:33)

4. The Yellow Pages Example: Habits Change Slowly (00:04:23)

5. SparkToro Report: AI Usage Data Revealed (00:06:23)

6. AI and Search: Complementary Not Competitive (00:08:22)

7. Log File Analysis: AI Traffic Insights (00:10:23)

8. What This Means For Your SEO Strategy (00:12:28)

9. Outro and Ways to Connect (00:14:34)