Ryan Goloversic
🟩 Published by Ryan Goloversic • Nov 22, 2025
In this post, I break down how AI is actually changing SEO inside Google—not in theory, but in how search results are already behaving. We’ll look at SGE (the new AI overview box), why intent-based pages and real expertise now matter more than individual keywords, how to use AI without creating “copy of a copy” content, and what Google’s E-E-A-T really means in practice. By the end, you’ll know exactly what game you’re playing and how to start positioning your business to win SGE panels instead of disappearing below the fold.
How Is AI Changing SEO for Businesses?
Quick answer: SGE is Google’s AI overview answer. It shows up for longer, question-style searches and it’s quietly replacing the old list of links.
How is AI changing SEO? Well, first and foremost, if we’re talking from the lens of Google, the most important thing to consider right now is the search generative experience, also known as SGE.
This is the AI overview answer that I’m sure you’ve seen now when you ask Google a question. Generally, this gets triggered when you ask a longtail keyword phrased as a search query, which is a bunch of jargon for basically saying: you ask Google a question like a friend.
When do AI overviews show up instead of a normal list of links?
Quick answer: Short, basic keywords = traditional links. Longer, specific questions = AI overview.
You’ll notice this if you play with it a bit.
If you type something like “lawyer” or “lawyer near me,” you’re going to get a more traditional search experience: regular list of links, sponsored ads, the usual.
But if you ask something like:
“Who’s the best lawyer near me?”
“This happened and I need to do this, what should I do?”
Now you’re going to get that conversational answer that generates. That’s the AI overview.
This is the new game. Google is moving away from the list of links. If you type in a question and ask it something hyper-specific, a little bit longer, you’re going to see an AI overview that populates and answers conversationally.
And you might notice that within that overview, there’s something called featured snippets sitting inside it.
What are SGE panels and how do you “take more real estate” in them?
Quick answer: SGE panels pull from pages, blogs, and videos. The game is to own as much of that AI real estate as possible.
So the new game is this:
How can you take as much real estate as possible winning search generative experience—SGE—panels?
These panels are pulled from:
Web pages
Blogs
Videos
Something we’ve focused on while we’re building out websites is intent-based mapping to the site. When you map things to intent, you can start winning these panels.
When you pair that with video, you start winning more of the real estate inside that overview.
So that’s the game right now. I’d encourage you to start thinking about:
How can I be the answer?
How can I train Google’s AI to use me as the answer?
Pretty soon, we’re going to see paid advertising also migrate into this. But the organic foundation is being set now.
Why are traditional SEO tactics starting to fail in an AI world?
Quick answer: Old tactics were built for an early, simpler version of Google. The new AI system evaluates like a person and cares about long-term character.
Right now, everybody is chasing tactics.
The key thing that I’m seeing playing out is: most of the big agencies and big businesses are still focused on what worked for an infant version of the Google algorithm.
This new AI system that Google is using? It’s evaluating like a person.
I just did a video about how AI basically makes SEO a character assessment now.
When you think about it like that, the long game really matters far more than the short game. You need to start thinking:
How can I serve my customers?
How can I show Google that I’m serving my customers?
How can I structure my website and online presence in a way that demonstrates my real expertise and real character?
If you can do those things over time, you’re going to start winning those panels.
Why focus on intent over keywords?
Quick answer: Keywords still matter, but mapping content to real questions and intent is the smarter play.
One thing we’ve been doing is focusing on intent over keywords. I’m really big on this.
Yes, it’s important to match a page to certain specific keywords. But a smarter play is to match pages and blogs to the questions people actually have.
If you can help your customers over time—and if you can:
Go deeper than everybody
Be more helpful
Be more honest and more accurate
—you’re going to start winning those panels.
How should (and shouldn’t) you use AI to create content?
Quick answer: Don’t use AI as a cheap speed hack. Use it to spar with ideas and do deeper research, then bring your real expertise on top.
Another big one, on the inverse side of this, is how people are using AI to create content.
It’s not that you can’t use AI. But if you’re using AI for speed and not putting real original ideas and thought into the content, you’re going to lose.
Why?
Because Google doesn’t want a copy of a copy of a copy.
And likewise, the large language models don’t want to train off a version of Google that is also a copy of a copy of a copy.
The answer is actually very simple:
Do not use it for speed.
Use AI as:
A place to spar with ideas
A way to collect data
A tool to help you organize, not replace, real human input
But if that system is just writing for you, and you’re using it to churn things out at scale, you’re going to lose. You cannot use it as just a timesaver.
And if you think about it, your competitors are going to use it as a timesaver. It’s just human nature. It’s what people do.
So if you actually go deeper and put more work and real thought into what you’re producing, you’re going to outperform all of that new base floor we’re now going to see.
How should (and shouldn’t) you use AI to create content?
Quick answer: Google is doubling down on real Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust. AI just makes that more enforceable.
I’m crossing a few layers here on how AI is impacting everything, but the big thing to focus on right now is:
Real human experience
Real human expertise
Real human authority
Real trust
Google’s acronym is E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authority, trust. They’ve been pushing this really hard.
If you focus on this and produce better content than everybody, bring that back to your site structure, and really serve your customers, that’s the core.
If you’re not building from that foundation, you’re not going to win the SGE panels.
And if you’re trying to win on a simple list of links? Good luck. I’d be surprised if there even is a list of links in five years.
What does the future of search look like in the next 5 years?
Quick answer: Expect AI overviews blending organic, paid, voice assistants, and LLMs—while Google stays the main gatekeeper.
It’s most certainly going to be some version of an AI overview that incorporates:
Paid advertising
Likely some kind of voice assistant from Google
And we’re going to see a few of the large language models, like ChatGPT, start to surface as an alternative search engine
But the catch is: Google is still the gatekeeper.
These LLMs are still training off of Google. So you start with Google first.
Where should you focus first if you want to win in an AI-driven SEO world?
Quick answer: Start with serving your customers, on a site mapped to intent, with authentic, original ideas from your real experience.
So you start with serving your customer first.
Then give authentic, real, and original ideas from your experience, based in your area of expertise, to serve your customers.
If you do that consistently:
You help real people.
You give Google and AI clean, refined signals instead of crude ones.
You position yourself to win SGE panels and show up inside AI answers across the web.
If you’re ready to map your site to intent and start winning SGE panels for your business, reach out and let’s talk.
Ryan Goloversic
Ryan “Rygo” Goloversic is a senior SEO strategist, brand consultant, and the founder & CEO of Rygo Labs—an agency trusted by law firms, watersports brands, partner agencies, and service-based businesses across the U.S. and Canada. With over a decade of hands-on experience, he builds content systems that scale trust, traffic, and long-term growth—and currently serves as the lead strategist for WiseBear Creative, a national branding and web agency.
He’s also a globally recognized kiteboarder and Airush team rider. His marketing career began in video, where he built the largest retail-based SEO and YouTube program in watersports with MACkite. When he’s not leading SEO campaigns or consulting teams, you can find him in the gym or competing on the KPLxGKA world tour.