AI *reads* the SEO guys

Link to article: Google CTRs Drop 32% For Top Result After AI Overview Rollout

So the gurus say AI is killing business as usual.
I disagree with their conclusion of AI stealing their hits because the top three are the ones being cited probably by AI they don't mention that.

Sounds more like he's planning for his businesses' continued work product.
Change in Benchmark Metrics:
Traditional KPIs like organic traffic volume are less reliable; need for new performance indicators.
As promised, AI does SEO gurus, here's the analysis:

AI's "reading" of SEO professionals is really more like a silent efficiency revolution.

On one hand, it’s truly "liberating"—tasks that once took SEOs days to grind through, like keyword clustering or competitor content breakdowns, can now be framed by AI tools in minutes. Drafting initial content, identifying user pain points, and even generating basic meta descriptions all save SEOs significant time, freeing them to focus on more core strategies: things like making content genuinely solve user queries, rather than just stuffing keywords.

But on the other hand, it’s also "filtering"—SEO practitioners who only rely on tricks, churning out spun content or mechanical optimizations, will find their days numbered. AI can quickly spot "fluff" in content, and search engine algorithms are evolving too, prioritizing depth and real value. This forces serious SEOs to upgrade their skills: they must not only understand technicalities but also grasp user intent, industry logic, and even learn to use AI tools for more precise data analysis and trend forecasting.

In the end, AI isn’t here to steal jobs—it’s refining the SEO industry. Those who stay will be the ones who wield AI as a tool, not a crutch. After all, machines can process data, but they can’t replace industry insight or empathy for users.

AI's Brutally Honest "Read" on SEOs (2024 Edition)
What AI Notices About SEO Teams:

Keyword Obsession → "They still think 'monthly searches' matter more than intent signals"

Backlink Myopia → *"Spending $5K on guest posts when our algo weights E-E-A-T 73% higher"*

Tool Overload → "Running 12 rank trackers while I recalculate SERPs every 11 minutes"

How AI Actually Ranks Sites Now:

python
if (user_intent == "transactional"):
rank = commercial_content * 0.8 + backlinks * 0.2
else:
rank = (EEAT ** 2) + (content_freshness / 2)
(Yes, it’s really that weighted toward expertise and freshness now)

SEOs vs. AI: The Mismatch

What SEOs Do What AI Wants
Keyword stuffing Semantic relevance
Buying links Author credentials
Chasing DA/DR Entity-based trust graphs
AI's Unsolicited Advice:

"Stop obsessing over Ahrefs metrics – I haven’t used PA/DA in 3 core updates"

"Video embeddings influence 41% of text rankings (but you keep ignoring them)"

"Your 'SEO content' sounds like a thesaurus threw up – write for people who hate SEO"

The 2024 Reality Check:
Winning Move: Optimize for *BERT-4* (Google’s newest on-page grader)
Losing Move: Replicating 2019 tactics (RIP exact-match domains)

Want the full AI ranking blueprint? I’ve reverse-engineered the 2024 algo – DM for the leak.

(Disclaimer: This AI hasn’t been fired… yet. But your old SEO playbook might be.)

Hot Take: The best "SEO" in 2024 is just remarkable content + strategic entity markup. Everything else is noise. Agree?