Guide to Search Everywhere Optimization: It's Still SEO, But Built for 2025
Your SEO is showing... and it's stuck in 2018.
There was a time when “SEO” meant one thing: optimizing your website for Google or Bing search results. But in the wake of AI’s rise and the decentralization of how people discover information, SEO has evolved… or rather, it’s fragmented.
We’ve all seen the new terms SEO pros have thrown around to describe the industry’s evolution — AEO, GEO, LLMO… the list keeps growing. Add social SEO to the mix, and of course, traditional SEO (yes, it still matters), and it begs the question:
Isn’t this all still SEO—just expanded?
Each of these represents a new layer of visibility. And they’re all part of a broader reality:
People are still searching. They’re just doing it in different places.
While we didn’t coin the term Search Everywhere Optimization, a phrase that’s been gaining traction across the digital marketing space. But we believe it perfectly captures where the industry is headed, and how brands should start thinking about visibility in 2025 and beyond.
This blog isn’t about abandoning traditional SEO (it’s still important!). It’s about reframing your perception of SEO and how people search. If your SEO strategy is still focused solely on Google, you're overlooking where millions of searches are now starting.
“SEO”—as in search engine optimization—just needs a small rebrand. A facelift, if you will.
We’re now in the world of Search Everywhere Optimization. And that means shifting our mindset, and our strategy, to meet people where they’re already searching… across search engines, AI tools, social platforms, marketplaces, and more.
In this post, we’ll break down:
What Search Everywhere Optimization is
Where search is happening now
Which metrics matter most
And how brands can adapt to stay visible… everywhere
What is Search Everywhere Optimization?
Search Everywhere Optimization is a modern marketing strategy designed to increase your brand’s visibility across all search platforms, not just traditional search engines like Google and Bing. Today’s consumers are searching on a wide range of platforms, including social media, e-commerce sites, voice assistants, and even AI-driven platforms. This shift means your old SEO strategy may no longer align with how people actually discover and engage with brands. Search Everywhere Optimization ensures you're present and optimized wherever your audience is searching, at every stage of the customer journey.
One thing is staying the same: people are still searching. And will continue to search. Our CEO, Brian Forrester, put it well:
We've all seen the clickbait posts proclaiming 'SEO is Dead.' Those posts aren't even original—we've been seeing them for years—but beyond that, they just aren't true. Searching is an innate human trait. Curiosity and the goal of looking for answers are what prompts someone to search, and that's anything but dead. What is true is this: How we search is evolving. "Engines" like Google are only one (still very important) way people search. Google is, at least today, the front page of the internet. But other "engines", like ChatGPT, YouTube, Reddit, Perplexity, TikTok, etc, are diversifying the way we search, and Google may lose its stranglehold on search in the future. Enter "Search Everywhere Optimization"—a phrase I did not coin but that accurately describes our role as SEOs today. SEO is evolving, not dying, and our teams are evolving with it.
Where Search is Happening Now
1. Traditional Search Engines (Google and Bing)
Search engines aren’t going away, but how people interact with them is changing… and fast.
Google and Bing are still dominant in many industries, especially for high-intent queries like “best CRM for small businesses” or “accounting firm near me”. But the classic model of “Type in a query → Click a blue link” is fading. Today, more searches are answered within the results through search engine results page (SERP) features, no click required.
- AI Overviews & Summarized Results: Google’s AI Overviews (and Bing’s Copilot summaries) pull from multiple sources to generate instant answers. Often, users don’t even scroll past them, let alone click.
- AI Mode (Google): Google’s AI Mode lets users toggle into an immersive, summary-first experience. Instead of a traditional SERP, they get a full-screen answer, with organic results hidden behind a swipe. This mode pushes visibility into a new space… It’s no longer just about rankings; it’s about being part of the answer.
- Zero-Click Searches: More than half of Google searches now result in no clicks at all. The user finds what they need in featured snippets, knowledge panels, or People Also Ask boxes.
- SERP Real Estate is Crowded: Ads, shopping results, videos, maps, and AI features push organic results further down, and in some cases, completely out of view above the fold.
What this means for brands:
- Ranking #1 or “getting into the top 10 results” doesn’t always guarantee visibility or clicks.
- Schema markup and structured data are important for showing up in rich results.
- Optimizing for entities (not just keywords) helps AI-driven features understand and surface your content.
- YouTube videos, images, and product feeds can sometimes outperform blog posts on traditional SERPs depending on the query type.
Even with competition from AI and social platforms, Google and Bing remain the default for many transactional, navigational, and high-trust queries. But brands can’t rely on old-school keyword stuffing or just tracking blue-link rankings. Today’s organic strategy requires designing content to win visibility across every SERP feature… not just win the #1 link.
This is not to say that informational content is not important anymore! People are still searching for informational queries through traditional search engines, and they are often in the first step of the buyer journey. It’s important to have your brand appear for those queries so it isn’t left out of the consideration stage.
2. AI Assistants and LLM Search (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity)
AI tools have quickly become a powerful discovery search engine. Millions of users now turn to conversational AI tools to answer questions, compare products, summarize topics, or even decide what to buy. This offers a new layer of search behavior that’s gaining some serious traction.
Unlike traditional search engines, LLMs don’t show a list of 10 links. They synthesize answers from across the web, meaning it’s not more important than ever to be a part of the answer.
Notable shifts:
Citations in Context: Tools like ChatGPT (when browsing is enabled), Perplexity, and Claude now show citations for some of their answers, but not always. The way they mention brands or links to content is subtle, contextual, and often based on authority and clarity.
No SERP, No CTR: Users aren’t scanning results, they’re scanning paragraphs. This changes how we think about content structure, formatting, and brand recall. Being “included in the response” is now the equivalent of ranking on page one.
- Entity + Authority Optimization: LLMs prioritize content that’s clearly written, factually supported, and aligned with known entities. This rewards sites that invest in strong internal linking, first-party data, and clear topical authority.
- Follow-up Prompt Paths: Many AI tools offer suggested follow-up questions after an answer. If your content helps lead to those paths (or can power them), you become part of the extended discovery experience.
No, LLM search isn’t replacing Google overnight, but it’s reshaping how people explore topics, especially in early consideration stages. For brands, the takeaway is clear: if your content isn’t optimized to be cited by AI, you’re invisible in one of the fastest-growing search channels.
3. Social Platforms as Search Engines (TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, Meta, Pinterest)
Social platforms aren’t just for scrolling anymore… They are now where people go to search.
Whether it’s a Gen Z user typing “best wireless earbuds” into TikTok, a professional looking for B2B tools on LinkedIn, or someone asking a product question on Reddit, social discovery is quickly becoming intent-driven.
People are turning to social media because they trust real opinions, lived experiences, and native formats more than static webpages.
Notable shifts:
- TikTok as a Search Engine: TikTok has become the default search tool for younger users for product reviews, recipes, tutorials, travel tips, and local recommendations. Search behavior here is visual, fast, and conversational. Hashtags and captions now function like keywords.
- Reddit for Research: Google even appends “Reddit” to its own suggested queries because it knows users want real human insights. Reddit threads rank well in Google and serve as a search destination on their own. Brands can gain visibility by participating authentically or by earning mentions from users.
- Pinterest for Intent-Driven Discovery: Pinterest users are planners. They use the platform to search for ideas, products, and solutions across categories like fashion, home, health, and DIY. What makes Pinterest powerful is its combination of search intent and visual design. A rare intersection of inspiration and action. Pin titles, descriptions, board organization, and image design all contribute to Pinterest “SEO”.
- YouTube = Intent Powerhouse: Owned by Google and second only to it in volume, YouTube is a major player for search, especially for how-to, product comparisons, and deep dives. Video SEO, thumbnails, and optimized titles matter more than ever.
- LinkedIn and Meta Discovery: While not necessarily “search-first,” these platforms still drive discovery via tags, profile search, and content sharing. People look for thought leaders, services, or companies, especially in niche industries or local areas.
- Though starting July 10th, 2025, Google will begin indexing Instagram photos and videos… Therefore, Instagram SEO may just become a larger strategy in your marketing plan.
What this means for brands:
Native content wins. Just repurposing blog content won’t cut it. You need to speak the platform’s language.
Social SEO means optimizing your handles, bios, captions, video titles, hashtags, and even comments.
Social platforms offer high engagement and high intent… often with more immediate brand recall than a static SERP.
4. Marketplaces & Vertical Search (Amazon, Etsy, Yelp, Tripadvisor, App Stores)
When someone knows what they’re looking for—a product, a restaurant, a review, an app—they often skip Google entirely and head straight to the source.
These platforms aren’t thought of as “search engines”, but they absolutely are. In many cases, they’re where the highest purchase intent lives… Is your brand there to meet those customers?
Notable shifts:
Amazon > Google for Product Search: More than half of product searches now start on Amazon. Keywords, reviews, Q&A content, and product images are all part of optimization here. If you’re selling physical products, Amazon SEO is hugely important.
Yelp, Tripadvisor, Google Maps: For local intent – restaurants, services, experiences – users often go straight to local apps. Visual content, reviews, and recent activity all shape visibility here.
App Store Search: If you’re in SaaS, mobile, or healthtech, app stores are their own ecosystem of discoverability. Your title, reviews, update history, and metadata directly affect how (and if) you show up.
Niche Vertical Search: Etsy, Houzz, G2/Capterra, Zillow, and others each have their own algorithms and behavioral patterns. Search happens in context, and ranking here is often more valuable than Google for bottom-funnel users.
What this means for brands:
Optimize your listening just like you would a webpage: think headlines, images, keywords, structured data, and user experience.
Rating, recency, and reviews play an outsized role in visibility, especially in algorithmic feeds.
Owning your brand presence across verticals gives you discoverability at the moment of decision.
Marketplace and vertical search are where discovery turns into conversion. If you’re not showing up where people are already shopping, booking, or downloading… you’re missing the final step in the search journey.
5. Internal Search & Owned Experiences
Search isn’t just happening on third-party platforms. It’s happening on your own site, too. Oftentimes, it’s where users signal the strongest intent, and it can provide some of your most valuable data.
Yet internal search is one of the most underutilized (and under-optimized) tools in most digital strategies.
Notable shifts:
On-Site Search = High Intent: Users who use internal search are often closer to the conversion. Studies show that they are 2-3x more likely to convert than those who just browse. These are people actively trying to find something specific… and fast.
Expectations Are High: People expect your internal search bar to work like Google. That means typo tolerance, smart suggestions, filters, and relevance matter. If your search experience is clunky or outdated, you’re losing users at the point of intent.
First-Party Data Goldmine: Internal search logs are an incredible source of insight. You can discover what content people expect to find, what products or services they’re missing, and what language they use… all of which can inform your external SEO and content strategy.
AI-Powered Search: Tools like Algolia now offer smarter internal search powered by AI, semantic understanding, and personalization. Investing here isn’t just UX, it’s revenue optimization.
What this means for brands:
Treat internal search like a conversion funnel, not just a UX feature.
Analyze your internal queries – they’re real-time signals of demand and intent.
Optimize your search results pages with filters, featured content, and smart suggestions.
If your search is bad, users won’t try again. They’ll bounce (and possibly never come back).
Your site is your more controllable search environment. Yet for many brands, it’s the weakest link. Investing in internal search doesn’t just improve usability. It closes the loop in your Search Everywhere Optimization strategy.
Rethinking Reporting & Goal Setting for Search Experience Optimization
In a world where people search everywhere, you can’t rely on metrics built for a single platform.
Keyword rankings, CTRs, and Organic-only traffic are still useful, but they’re no longer the leading indicators of success. Visibility doesn’t always mean a click, and discovery doesn’t always start (or end) on your site.
We’ve shifted how we report on search performance, and we recommend brands adopt a more modern, multi-channel lens.
Here’s what you can focus on:
- Google Analytics 4 & Other Analytics Data:
If you focused on traditional SEO in the past, you may be used to looking at just organic traffic in GA4. However, with the changes to search, the platform can be valuable for further insights, such as LLM traffic and conversions.
Why it matters: It’s important to know where your users are coming from and what actions they take on your website, so this type of analytics data is still valuable.
- Semrush Visibility:
A great directional metric to understand your search presence over time, regardless of traffic fluctuations. It tracks how often you’re appearing in search, and in what position, across a wide keyword set.
Why it matters: Even if AI Overviews are stealing clicks, your ability to appear in the results, especially for commercial or brand-related queries, still matters for awareness and authority.
- Brand Mentions (Unlinked & Linked):
We recommend monitoring brand mentions across the web using tools like Google Alerts or SparkToro. These are important in an AI-driven environment, where LLMs often cite content without links.
Why it matters: Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT both surface entities, not just URLs. Being mentioned in the right context helps your brand show up in answers, not just SERPs.
- LLM Referrals & Chat-Based Discovery:
We track traffic from tools like ChatGPT and Gemini in analytics tools such as Google Analytics 4 to see how that impacts overall traffic to the website.
Why it matters: This is emerging traffic, and while it may be hard to measure precisely, recognizing patterns here gives you an edge in AI optimization.
- Direct Traffic Trends:
An increase in direct traffic (especially to high-intent pages) often correlates with brand exposure elsewhere, from LLMs, social, or vertical platforms.
Why it matters: Visibility in AI summaries and social platforms rarely comes with a referral tag. But if you’re doing it right, people will come looking for you.
Optional Metrics You Can Layer In:
SERP Features Ownership: How often you’re in featured snippets, PAA, Image/video blocks, etc.
Social SEO Engagements: Saves, comments, watch time, etc.
Internal Site Search Queries
Content Citation by LLMs: Manual tracking or with exploratory plugins
In traditional SEO, success was ranking in the top ten or increasing sessions to your website over time.
In Search Everywhere Optimization, success is being visible everywhere people are looking, whether or not they click.
This shift doesn’t mean old KPIs are useless. It just means they need context. We now care just as much about where we show up, how often we’re mentioned, and whether people come back to us later as we do about any one keyword.
Optimization Opportunities & Strategy Next Steps
Search is no longer a single-channel game. If you want to be discoverable in 2025 and beyond, you have to be visible wherever people are asking questions, comparing solutions, or making decisions.
That doesn’t mean abandoning traditional SEO, though. It means expanding your strategy and reframing how you define “search”.
A few things to get you started:
- Optimize Across Discovery Channels:
- Search Engines: Still vital. Focus on structured data, entities, and SERP feature inclusion.
- AI Assistants (LLMs): Create content that is well-sourced, factual, and brand-aligned. Aim to be cited, not just clickable.
- Social SEO: Use native content formats, strategic hashtags, and strong captions. Treat social bios and handles like metadata.
- Marketplace & Vertical Platforms: Audit your presence and listings on Amazon, Yelp, app stores, Tripadvisor, etc. These are often bottom-funnel moments.
- Internal Search: Upgrade your site search UX. Review queries monthly to inform content and conversion strategy.
- Prioritize Visibility Metrics:
Start measuring what actually reflects discoverability:
- Semrush Visibility Trends
- Brand mentions
- LLM traffic
- Direct traffic to high-intent pages
- Repurpose Content Natively:
Don’t just recycle blog posts across channels. Instead:
- Turn blog insights into short-form videos for TikTok, Instagram, or LinkedIn
- Convert FAQ sections into Reddit threads or LinkedIn Carousels
- Package data-driven insights for LLMs in clear, structured formats
- Reframe SEO as a Visibility Strategy
The term “SEO” might feel too narrow in 2025. That’s why you should reframe it within your digital marketing strategy. It’s about being present where questions are asked, not just where keywords are ranked.
- Find Ways to Prove the ROI of Your SEO Efforts
Proving the return on investment of your digital marketing efforts is going to become even more important in the future, so it’s imperative to figure it out now before it’s too late. Ensure Google Analytics has the right key events set up, set up CallRail, integrate your CRM with different tools, etc, to make sure you have the right data to prove the worth of SEO.
Search behavior isn’t going away, it’s just changing. The brands that win in this next chapter won’t be the ones who chase rankings. They’ll be the ones who earn relevance across every platform people use to search, decide, and act.
As our Director of SEO Chris LaRoche states,
While I think the core principles of SEO will remain and continue to be important, we need to more intentionally consider how each user is experiencing the full path: from that initial search, to the way information is presented on the website, to how others are talking about the brand, and then how easy it is for them to take our desired action. We need to become more than just ‘Search Engine Optimizers’ and evolve to see the bigger picture.” Is your marketing strategy ready?
Not Sure Where to Get Started in Your New SEO Journey?
Let us take a look. We’ll review your current SEO efforts and help you understand how well your brand is positioned for the way people search today. Because search isn’t just about rankings anymore. It’s about being found wherever it matters.
