Introduction: The Signal and the Noise
Every few years, the search industry declares itself dead, only to be reborn with a new acronym, a fresh panic, and a chorus of self-appointed prophets. In 2025, we’re told “SEO is Dead.” We’re told “Indexation doesn’t matter.” We’re told to forget everything we knew about search and embrace the gospel of GEO, AISO, SXO, and whatever three-letter storm is trending on LinkedIn this week.
As someone who’s spent decades building advanced search technologies, from founding Engenium to leading strategy at Altezza, I’ve seen this cycle before. The difference now is the sheer volume of noise: every update, every AI launch, every Google tweak is met with a tsunami of hyperbole. The challenge for brands and practitioners isn’t just to keep up, it’s to cut through the hype and find the signals that actually move the needle.
The Age of AI Search: More Noise, Fewer Signals
AI-powered search has changed the landscape, but not always in the ways the pundits claim:
- “SEO is Dead.” It’s not. It’s evolving. The fundamentals, clear structure, relevance, and authority still matter, but the mechanisms for surfacing and measuring them are shifting.
- “Indexation Doesn’t Matter.” Indexation is more nuanced, not irrelevant. AI systems may synthesize answers, but they still rely on structured, accessible data. If you’re not in the index, you’re not in the answer set.
- “GEO, AISO, SXO, and Beyond.” Each acronym promises the new secret to visibility – Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), AI Search Optimization (AISO), Search Experience Optimization (SXO). In reality, these are evolutions of the same core mission: helping users find what they need, when they need it, in a world of infinite options.
Why Strong Signals Matter More Than Ever
With AI Overviews, conversational search, and zero-click results dominating the landscape, the web is noisier than ever. The winners aren’t those who shout the loudest, they’re the ones who send the clearest, strongest signals to both users and machines.
What are those signals?
- Structured Data: Schema markup, product feeds, and knowledge graphs aren’t just technical nice-to-haves, they’re the language AI speaks.
- Content Chunking: Breaking information into digestible, semantically-rich sections helps both bots and humans extract value.
- Internal Linking: A robust site knowledge graph isn’t just for SEO, it’s how AI understands context and relationships.
- Authoritative Content: Expertise, experience, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) are more than buzzwords; they’re the filter AI uses to separate signal from noise.
The Real Work: Execution Over Hyperbole
At Altezza, we don’t just diagnose problems or ride the acronym wave. We execute. We implement structured data, optimize content for both search engines and AI, and ensure our clients’ signals rise above the noise, on the site and in the search results.
The Altezza Approach:
- Direct implementation: We don’t just hand over reports. We make the changes that matter, at scale.
- AI-first optimization: We prepare brands for Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and the next generation of discovery platforms.
- Measurable results: Our work is visible on your site and in your analytics, not just in PowerPoint slides.
Cutting Through: What Actually Matters Now
If you’re a brand leader or a search professional, here’s my advice:
- Don’t chase every acronym. Instead, invest in the fundamentals that AI and users both reward.
- Don’t believe the hype that “everything has changed.” The core principles – clarity, authority, accessibility – are more important than ever.
- Don’t settle for analysis without action. The only signals that matter are the ones you actually emit.
Conclusion: Less Hype, More Signal
The new search and discovery world is noisy, but the path to success hasn’t changed as much as the headlines suggest. Strong signals, structured, authoritative, and implemented at scale, will always resonate above the din. The brands that win are those who focus less on the hyperbole and more on the work.
Let’s keep our eyes on the signal. The rest is just noise.
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