Introduction
For over two decades, the way we searched for information online remained unchanged: we typed a question into Google, and the search engine displayed a list of links to pages where – with varying degrees of success – we could find the answer.
This model was obvious to most adult internet users. For younger generations – those raised on YouTube and TikTok – not so much. Today, short videos are becoming the natural and primary source of knowledge, often much more preferred than reading text.
But the revolution isn't just about young people. Even for Google users with longer experience, something is changing: the search engine increasingly provides ready answers directly in results, eliminating the need to click on links. This isn't coincidence – it's the result of conscious transformation. The development of AI-based tools, such as OpenAI models or Google's generative systems (like Gemini), is changing the logic of how the entire internet operates.
It's in this context that a fundamental question arises today: Is SEO – one of the pillars of online marketing – coming to an end? Or is it simply changing its DNA?
To answer this, it's worth first recalling the basics.
How Search Behavior is Changing
Until recently, the pattern was simple and familiar to almost every internet user: when we needed information, we typed a keyword or question into Google search, and after a moment, a list of links appeared before our eyes. We clicked on one of them, moving to a page that – as Google promised – was supposed to give us the answer.
But this scenario is clearly changing today. This is particularly visible among younger internet users – children, teenagers, and people up to about 29 years old. For them, the first choice is no longer the traditional search engine, but video platforms like YouTube or TikTok. Short, dynamic video forms are more attractive and, above all, faster – they give them a ready answer immediately, without the need to browse through long texts.
Interestingly, changes also affect Google users – regardless of age. Thanks to the dynamic development of technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence), Google search increasingly provides ready answers directly on the search results page, eliminating the need to click on any link.
To understand this transformation well, it's worth recalling a few basic concepts related to internet traffic:
Organic traffic – visits to a site obtained naturally and for free, by clicking on a regular, unpaid search result in Google.
Paid traffic (inorganic) – visits generated by paid advertisements, such as Google Ads. Companies pay to appear at the top of search results.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – activities that help websites rank high in Google's organic results. In practice, this includes content optimization and appropriate keyword selection.
Today, however, SEO – until now the unquestioned foundation of internet marketing – is undergoing fundamental evolution. Instead of caring exclusively about presence on the first page of results, marketers must start thinking about how to become a source of answers for modern search tools powered by artificial intelligence.
What's Happening to Organic Traffic and Why It Matters
For years, organic traffic was the primary goal of almost all online activities. Companies, news services, blogs – everyone aimed to appear as high as possible in Google results and gain as many natural clicks as possible. Every user visit obtained this way meant savings, because there was no need to pay for advertisements.
However, this situation has recently undergone noticeable changes. Data from the largest global websites clearly shows that organic traffic – recently reliable and stable – has begun to decline rapidly. Since 2022, sites like Business Insider, HuffPost, and Washington Post have recorded drops in organic visits of 40-55%.
This is a very important signal for the entire market. Media that could previously count on an uninterrupted stream of users from Google suddenly have to deal with a completely new reality. They can no longer base their business model solely on organic traffic.
Why is this so important?
Because Google – thanks to the use of artificial intelligence technology – is increasingly ceasing to function as a classic search engine. Instead, it's becoming an "answer machine" – users type in questions, and ready answers appear directly on the search results page. This is the so-called "zero-click" phenomenon: users increasingly don't need to click on any link to get the information they're looking for.
This fundamental change completely changes the rules of the game. Companies and content creators must now not only fight for high positions on the search results list, but also ensure that their content is selected by artificial intelligence algorithms as direct sources of cited answers.
The Exception to the Rule: Why Right-Wing Media Traffic is Growing
While most major news sites are experiencing significant drops in organic traffic, there are exceptions that contradict this trend. Interestingly, these mainly include portals with strongly defined, distinctive ideological profiles – particularly those associated with right-wing or conservative views, such as Breitbart, Daily Wire, or Newsmax.
Since about 2023, instead of losing users, these portals have begun to see clear traffic growth. What's behind their success?
Above all, a very strong, loyal community. Users of these portals often visit them directly – typing the address into their browser or using newsletters and social media. They don't need to search for them through Google because they actively seek out exactly this content.
In times when traditional SEO is ceasing to be a reliable source of traffic, the success of right-wing media shows a new direction: building a strong community around clearly defined values and beliefs. Audiences of such sites feel strong attachment and need for regular contact with content that reflects their own views. As a result, these sites become less dependent on search engines and more dependent on direct, loyal users.
Does this mean that in the new era of search, the future belongs exclusively to media with a clear ideological or social profile? Not necessarily. However, it shows that to succeed in an era of declining organic traffic, you need to focus not only on SEO techniques, but also on building a loyal, engaged community.
Polish Perspective: Local Data and Challenges
In the Polish market, the situation regarding organic traffic looks similar to the global trend – though perhaps not quite as dramatic. According to recent reports on Polish e-commerce, only about 30% of companies have recorded growth in organic traffic in recent years. The remaining 70% of businesses are stagnating or observing declines, despite intensive investments in SEO.
For companies that have made their internet presence dependent on stable user flow from search engines for years, this stagnation is becoming increasingly noticeable. Traditional SEO activities, based on keywords and technical optimization, are no longer sufficient in the face of changing algorithms and user preferences.
Interestingly, while global media are experiencing large drops in organic traffic, in Poland market leaders – such as Onet or Wirtualna Polska – still maintain high organic reach. However, this requires increasingly greater effort, and achieving stability requires not only excellent technical optimization, but also regular adaptation of content to Google algorithm requirements.
Polish marketers therefore face a key question: should they continue investing in traditional SEO, or rather develop alternative channels for reaching users? Everything indicates that the future will require combining these approaches – optimizing content for modern AI algorithms and building strong owned channels, such as social media, newsletters, or mobile applications.
Understanding this change is crucial today for anyone who wants to effectively reach Polish internet users.
From SEO to AEO and GEO: What Are the New Optimization Trends?
Two new terms have recently appeared in the world of internet marketing that are worth remembering: AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). Do they sound complicated? In reality, they're not difficult to understand, and they're becoming increasingly important for how we create content on the internet.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) refers directly to how Google increasingly presents information. Instead of referring users to external sites, Google independently displays answers directly on the search results page. The task of marketers is now to prepare content so that Google "wants" to cite it in its answers.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is an extension of this idea, taking into account generative artificial intelligence (e.g., ChatGPT from OpenAI). This involves creating content that's easy to "absorb" by AI algorithms, which increasingly generate answers to user questions themselves.
In practice, this means content must be:
- Very clear and organized – preferably in question and answer (Q&A) format
- Rich in structured data (e.g., schema.org microformats), which help artificial intelligence understand context
- Properly marked with metadata – so algorithms can more easily extract key information
These changes represent a huge breakthrough. Website optimization is no longer based solely on good keyword selection and technical correctness. Now what matters most is how effectively given content can be used by Google's artificial intelligence to provide users with direct answers.
This is precisely why AEO and GEO are becoming the new standard that replaces traditional SEO. Companies that quickly understand this change will gain significant competitive advantage.
How Companies Can Adapt to New Realities
Changes in how Google presents information mean that companies and content creators must quickly adapt their marketing strategies. Of course, this doesn't mean completely abandoning traditional SEO, but rather expanding the approach and integrating it with new techniques.
So how do you prepare for these new realities? Here are several key guidelines:
1. Change Your Content Structure
In the era of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), content must be clear, precise, and ready for quick citation. Question-answer (Q&A) formats and FAQ (frequently asked questions) work best. Create content that directly answers popular user questions – this increases the chance that Google will choose your site for direct citation.
2. Use Structured Data (schema.org)
Structured data helps search engines and AI algorithms better understand page content. By using such formats, Google more easily identifies key elements such as reviews, prices, event dates, or contact information. Sites using structured data appear much more frequently in Google's answers.
3. Increase the Importance of Metadata
The importance of metadata is growing because it's precisely metadata that conveys key content context to search engines. Appropriately selected and precise meta descriptions, page titles, and tags help algorithms more accurately classify your content, increasing the probability of their direct use by AI.
4. Develop Your Own Content Distribution Channels
When Google increasingly provides information directly on its page, organic traffic ceases to be the only source of visits. This is an excellent time to develop alternative channels for reaching audiences, such as social media, newsletters, podcasts, chatbots, or voice assistants. This way you'll build a loyal community independent of search engine algorithm whims.
These steps will allow your company to effectively respond to changes, maintain visibility on the internet, and build lasting competitive advantage in a dynamically changing digital environment.
Our Approach: The mimo.loop System in Practice
Faced with all these changes, the question arises: what does practical adaptation to the new reality look like? A good example of such a systematic approach is the operational model we created at mimo.ooo, which we call mimo.loop.
What exactly is mimo.loop?
It's primarily a comprehensive marketing system based on artificial intelligence that integrates all campaign stages – from data analysis, through strategy, content generation and production, to broadcasting and ongoing optimization based on results.
In practice, it looks like this:
Data Analysis: We start with deep understanding of what users are really looking for and what the current market situation looks like. We use advanced AI tools to gather information about trends, preferences, and audience behaviors.
Strategy: Based on obtained data, we create an action plan – adapted not only to users, but also to the requirements of AI algorithms used by Google and other platforms.
Content Generation (Creation): We create content fully adapted to AEO and GEO standards – precise, clear, and easy for artificial intelligence to absorb. Content takes the form of ready answers that Google can easily cite.
Production and Broadcasting: Ready materials go to appropriate distribution channels – from websites, through social media, to chatbots, newsletters, and other direct contact platforms with recipients.
Real-time Optimization: We don't end campaigns when content is published. We continuously analyze how algorithms and users react to materials. This allows us to respond instantly and adapt campaigns, ensuring the best possible results.
Such a systematic model allows companies to quickly adapt to changes that internet users are currently experiencing. Thanks to mimo.loop, we're able not only to maintain activity effectiveness, but also actively use the new reality brought by the transformation of SEO into AEO and GEO.
The New Era of Digital Marketing
The breakthrough we're currently observing in how information is searched is changing the fundamentals of digital marketing. Traditional SEO, which for years was the absolute foundation of building website traffic, isn't disappearing completely, but is evolving, forcing marketers to take a new approach.
What was once sufficient – precise keywords and appropriate technical optimization – today constitutes only the starting point. Now it becomes crucial to create content ready for direct citation by Google AI and to invest in developing own distribution channels that will allow independence from variable search engine algorithms.
Companies that quickly understand and adapt to new realities – optimizing their content for AEO and GEO, building their own communities and using tools based on artificial intelligence – will gain significant competitive advantage.
It's no longer just about whether you create good content, but whether artificial intelligence considers it valuable enough to cite directly to users.
The question is: Is your company ready for this?
The future belongs to those who understand that SEO isn't dying – it's transforming. Success will come to those who learn to speak the language of AI while maintaining human creativity and strategic thinking.
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