SEO in 2025: Bruce Clay redefines the rules of the game

Bruce Clay, one of the pioneers of Search Engine Optimization, recently shared his vision on the evolution of SEO in an interview with Majestic. It’s an insightful conversation that goes far beyond the traditional logic of organic positioning and offers a strategic perspective on the future of search traffic, between artificial intelligence, omnichanneling and visibility optimization in the SERP. Here’s what we learned.

SEO is no longer (just) organic traffic

According to Clay, the SEO industry needs to move away from the idea – now obsolete – that search engine optimization is only about organic results. The very concept of “SEO” should be understood as optimizing the traffic generated by a search, regardless of where it occurs-Google, Amazon, Instagram or Facebook.

Today’s SERPs are populated with numerous features-from Shopping tabs to AIO, from People Also Ask boxes to videos-and the traffic that once came to the “#1” result is now fragmented. In some cases, Clay says, even being first in organic can mean getting 70 percent less traffic than a few years ago.

His proposal is radical: get past the separation between SEO, PPC and AI, and start thinking in terms of co-dependency between all these areas. The goal is no longer just to “rank well,” but to be present in all visible SERP features.

Learn directly from Bruce’s words why the future of SEO is SERP-centric and how to adapt your strategy to avoid losing visibility.

SERP-centric: how to (re)define SEO strategy

Clay introduces a new operational approach: feature-centric optimization. Each keyword triggers different features in the SERP-some show ads, some show information boxes, some show visual elements-and each requires specific optimization. If you have 100 keywords, Clay says, you have 100 different projects.

Clay’s team has developed a tool that analyzes the SERPs for each keyword, identifies which features are present and assesses whether a brand is visible in each. It is no longer enough to be strong in organic or PPC: you need to preside over every “hot zone” on the first page.

The strategy is clear: aim for maximum visibility above the fold, where the user first interacts. With this in mind, tools such as digital PR also become crucial. Content that is published on one’s site and actively promoted can get more natural backlinks and citations than a guest post article with little visibility. More citations and links from authoritative sources = more trust for Google and AI.

AI, engagement and CRO: the new visibility ecosystem

Artificial intelligence is not a solution, but a tool-just like an SEO tool or analytics software. Clay points out that AI models, like large language models, rely on search engine signals to determine which sources are trustworthy. In other words: do you want to stand out in AI? You must already be well positioned in SEO.

Not only that. Conversion rate optimization (CRO), often seen as separate from SEO, also plays a key role in the ecosystem. A site that retains users and generates positive interactions increases dwell time, an important signal to Google. Videos, graphics, readable structure, internal links-anything that improves engagement has an indirect but powerful impact on ranking.

Clay’s final message is simple but powerful: don’t fight Google, adapt. If Google is pushing organic down and introducing new features, there is no point in ignoring them. That’s where you need to be, with intelligence and strategy.

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