SEOFOMO study<\/a> was designed to replace speculation with evidence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAround 70% had more than a decade of SEO experience, working across ecommerce, publishing, marketplaces, and travel, primarily in the US, UK, India, Spain, and Germany.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nTheir collective message is clear: AI search is not replacing SEO, it is redistributing where and how influence happens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>Is AI Search Really Replacing Traditional Search?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\nOne of the strongest findings in the report directly challenges the loudest misconception in the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Biggest](\"https:\/\/hub.seofomo.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1.-The-biggest-misconception-about-traditional-or-AI-search-p.png\")
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AI search is not replacing traditional search. Instead, it is sitting upstream of it. <\/span>Many respondents described 2025 as the year discovery shifted earlier in the journey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAI summaries increasingly absorbed:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Initial exploration<\/span><\/li>\n
- Basic explanations<\/span><\/li>\n
- Early-stage comparisons<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Meanwhile, traditional search results became the place users go to validate, cross-check, and ultimately decide.<\/span><\/p>\nFrom Solis\u2019 perspective, this reframes SEO\u2019s role.\u00a0<\/span>Rankings and clicks still matter, but they no longer represent the full value of organic visibility.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nInfluence now often happens before a measurable click ever occurs.<\/span><\/p>\n