If you’re in eCommerce right now, you’ve probably noticed something: search doesn’t feel the same anymore.
Google’s not gone, far from it, but the way people discover things online has shifted. TikTok, Reddit, ChatGPT… they’re all part of how consumers search, research and decide what to buy.
So what does that mean for your SEO strategy in 2025?
Let’s break it down.
Google’s grip is loosening (just a bit!).
For decades, Google’s had over 90% of search market share. That’s finally slipping. It’s sitting around 89%, the lowest in years, thanks to the rise of AI tools and social discovery platforms.
That might not sound like a big drop, but it signals something major:
People aren’t just Googling anymore. They’re asking.
They’re asking TikTok, ChatGPT, Reddit, even their smart speakers. And those questions are shaping buying decisions long before your brand’s ever seen on Google.
If your content only lives for keywords, you’re missing half the conversation.
SEO Has evolved into Search and Discovery
Traditional SEO was simple: find the right keyword, optimise your page, build a few links, watch your rankings climb.
That still matters, but it’s not enough.
The new game is discoverability.
Can your content be found by humans and machines?
Because AI systems like ChatGPT don’t just read web pages, they understand them. They’re pulling structured, well-organised answers. So if your content isn’t clear, factual and properly formatted, it’s invisible to the next generation of search.
You’re not just optimising for search engines anymore.
You’re optimising for understanding.
Google’s AI Overviews: Friend, Not Foe
Let’s talk about Google’s AI Overviews, those chunky summaries that now sit at the top of many results pages.
When they first rolled out, SEOs panicked. Click-through rates dropped. Traffic looked shaky. But here’s what we found at eComOne: the users who did click were higher intent, more informed and far more likely to convert.
Here’s what works:
- Go after top-of-funnel questions. Things like “What’s the best LED flashlight for camping?”, not just “LED flashlights.”
- Keep your structure clean. Use bullet points, headers, and data to make life easy for AI crawlers (and humans).
- Write for curiosity. Think like a Reddit thread – conversational, useful, direct.
- The goal isn’t just ranking, it’s earning trust within Google’s evolving AI ecosystem.
Real-World Wins: From Reddit Threads to Revenue
One of our outdoor retail clients wanted to grow organic traffic, but their niche was crowded.
Instead of starting with keyword tools, we went straight to the source, Reddit.
We combed through r/Bushcraft and r/EDC for questions real people were asking. Then we turned 50 of those into content pieces.
The result?
Those five posts brought in 11% of total content-driven traffic and helped drive a 124% revenue increase from organic search within six months.
No keyword volume. No trend reports. Just listening to the customer.
Link Building Isn’t Dead, It’s Smarter
If you’ve written great content and optimised your site but still aren’t ranking, you’re probably missing one thing: links.
We ran a digital PR campaign for a shelving brand competing with giants like Screwfix and B&Q. Within three weeks of earning a handful of highly relevant backlinks, they hit #1 on Google and stayed there.
It’s not about quantity anymore. It’s about context.
Google (and AI systems) care about credibility and credible sites link to other credible sites.
The New Metric: AI Visibility
Here’s something most brands aren’t tracking yet, but should be.
Your visibility in AI platforms.
Because guess what? Tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity are recommending products and brands directly.
We’ve started measuring this for clients using eComOne’s AI Visibility Tool, which tracks mentions across major AI models and Google’s AI Overviews.
One client had over 2,000 brand mentions in ChatGPT conversations, without ever realising it.
Curious how visible you are? Try our AI Visibility Tool!
“Search Everywhere” Optimisation
Here’s the reality: SEO is no longer just “search engine optimisation.”It’s search everywhere optimisation.
Your customers are searching across:
- Google and Bing
- ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity
- TikTok, YouTub and Instagram
- Reddit, Pinterest and forums
If you’re only optimising for one of those, you’re missing entire audiences.
You need content that performs on the SERP and content that’s discoverable in communities, videos and AI chats.That’s the new SEO frontier.
Video, Freshness and the Future of Content
AI Overviews are increasingly showing video answers instead of written ones.
We saw this firsthand. Our article on “survival skills” was ranking in AI Overviews for months until Google replaced it with YouTube clips.
The takeaway?
Don’t stop at blog posts. Turn them into short, educational videos.
And don’t let old content sit stale, refresh it. Update stats, tighten copy, and add visuals. Google (and AI) reward freshness.
The Bottom Line: SEO Is Bigger Than Google Now
Here’s the truth: SEO isn’t dying. It’s evolving. It’s moving beyond the SERP. Beyond rankings. Beyond keywords. Your future visibility depends on how well your brand appears across AI platforms, communities and discovery ecosystems.
“SEO is no longer about where you rank, it’s about where you exist,” Theo Roberts, Head of SEO at eComOne
“The brands that win are the ones that show up everywhere their customers are searching.”
Key Takeaways
✅ Google still dominates, but its monopoly is fading.
✅ Optimise for humans and AI, clarity and structure matter.
✅ Community content (like Reddit insights) can outperform keyword tools
✅ Links still matter, but relevance wins over volume.
✅ Track your AI visibility now; it’s the next big metric.
✅ Think “Search Everywhere”, from Google to TikTok.
✅ Refresh and repurpose your content often.
Want to see how your brand shows up in AI search results?
👉 Check your AI visibility now
Watch the full video where Theo discusses the future of AI SEO and how to win online on the latest episode of our eCommerce podcast below:
