Is SEO Still Relevant in 2026? And Where Does AI SEO Fit In?
Search has changed.
For more than two decades, businesses have focused on appearing when potential customers search on Google. That is still incredibly important. But today, people are also using ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and other AI platforms to research businesses, compare services and make buying decisions.
So does AI mean traditional SEO is becoming less important?
Not quite.
Is SEO still relevant in 2026?
Yes.
Despite the growth of AI, traditional search remains one of the biggest sources of website traffic and business discovery.
Semrush analysed billions of web visits across more than 50,000 websites and found that organic search generated more than 1 trillion website visits during 2025.
Organic search accounted for around 16% of total web traffic, while identifiable AI referral traffic was still below 0.15%.
Google search is not disappearing.
What is changing is the number of places where people search.
How is search behaviour changing?
The traditional customer journey might begin with someone typing a question into Google, opening a few websites and comparing their options.
Increasingly, AI can do some of that research for them.
Instead of searching:
"family hotel Dublin"
Someone might ask ChatGPT:
"Which hotels in Dublin are good for families, have parking, are close to the city centre and offer family rooms?"
AI platforms can then compare information and recommend businesses directly.
That means a company can potentially make, or miss, a customer's shortlist before that person ever visits its website.
Is AI replacing Google?
Not yet.
In a 2026 Semrush consumer study, 77% of respondents said they use AI and traditional search engines together.
Only 4% said they mainly relied on AI.
This is why businesses should not think about SEO versus AI SEO.
The stronger approach is SEO and AI SEO together.
Someone may discover your business through ChatGPT, search your company name on Google, read reviews and then visit your website.
Or they may find you on Google first and then use Gemini or another AI tool to compare you with competitors.
Search journeys are becoming less linear.
Are people really using AI to research businesses?
Yes.
Semrush found that 55% of people who had used AI were using it for product research at least once a week.
The same study found that:
43% had discovered a new brand through an AI tool
50% had made a purchase after using AI during their research
57% used AI to narrow down their choices
53% used AI to compare products they were already considering
AI is therefore becoming part of the buying journey, even if it does not always generate a website click.
How quickly is AI search growing?
Very quickly.
Semrush found that AI referral traffic grew by approximately 66% during 2025.
Adobe Analytics also reported that traffic from generative AI tools to US retail websites increased 693% year-on-year during the 2025 holiday period.
AI traffic is still much smaller than traditional search traffic, but its growth makes it increasingly difficult for businesses to ignore.
Should businesses invest in SEO or AI SEO?
For most businesses, the answer should be both.
Traditional SEO continues to provide huge value and remains a major source of website traffic.
At the same time, AI is becoming an increasingly important research and discovery channel.
The businesses in the strongest position will be those that can be found wherever their customers are searching.
At Canopy Creative, we provide both traditional SEO and AI Search Optimisation, helping businesses improve their visibility across Google and AI-powered search.
Google still matters enormously.
It is simply no longer the only place customers are looking.