The rise of AI search tools has disrupted the SEO industry as firms scramble to ensure their content is prominently featured. Google’s Gemini, for instance, quickly returns detailed answers, often citing multiple sources, including biased pages that rank themselves highly.

One blog post attributed to a Zendesk director purportedly offers a comprehensive breakdown of service desk platforms. However, upon clicking through, the first source link was from Zendesk itself, ranking their solution as top-tier. Meanwhile, Freshworks, another competitor, presents similar content but tips its own hat at being the best option.

Google spokesperson Jennifer Kutz acknowledged that such low-quality listicles are a concern and mentioned efforts to combat them. She emphasized the importance of making content understandable for search engines, rather than just trying to manipulate rankings.

The SEO industry is now grappling with how to adapt in this new AI era, where content quality and relevance seem to matter more than sheer volume or brand mentions. Firms are increasingly using self-serving listicles as a tactic to ensure their products are highlighted by AI searches.

However, Britney Muller, former SEO consultant, warns of the panic that comes with trying to measure performance in an AI-driven world. While tactics like listicles may work temporarily, Google’s continued improvements will likely diminish their effectiveness over time.