How AI search is reshaping SEO - A Conversation with Lily Ray

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of hosting Lily Ray at our office in Berlin. Lily is one of the most respected voices in SEO, known for her clarity, strategic thinking, and sharp insights on where the search industry is heading.

We sat down for a conversation about how large language models (LLMs) are reshaping search, what this means for SEO professionals, and how brands should adapt. Here's the full conversation:

Marius: What will Google look like in 2026? Will AI mode actually become the default?

Lily:

Yeah, that's a great question. So Google has said at Google I/O that AI mode is the future. They haven't really given us a timeline for when it might become the default, but I think a lot of people in the SEO industry are assuming that's what they meant and are preparing for it.

Google has also said they're going to be taking the most user-friendly or successful pieces of AI mode and integrating them into the core search experience. So I do think AI mode will become the default, but it will look different from what we see today.

Marius: With fewer clicks coming from organic and from Google, how should SEO professionals measure success?

Lily:

The metrics are definitely changing. We're focusing more on things like brand mentions, impressions, being cited as a great company, and the sentiment around the brand—especially how the brand is positioned in large language model responses.

These are hard to track, which is why tools like Peec are so important. They help us understand how LLMs are framing our brand. The challenge is that we don't yet have granular tracking in Google Search Console, so we can’t separate traffic from AI Overviews or AI Mode. Thankfully, third-party tools are helping to fill those gaps.

Marius: Let’s talk about content creation. Are you worried that people will just flood the internet with junk content to rank in AI results?

Lily:

Yeah, I think we're already seeing that. It feels like the early days of Google - lots of opportunity, and lots of ways to trick algorithms into showing your content.

But over time, large language models will need to fight spam the same way Google has for 25 years. They’ll work to elevate trustworthy, high-quality content. I’ve been advising people that while certain tactics might work right now to boost visibility, if they come across as spammy, they could hurt your brand long term, especially if it affects whether you're included in future training data. My advice: focus on quality.

Marius: The classic question—does SEO still matter? Is SEO dead?

Lily:

I don’t think SEO is dead. If anyone is prepared for this shift, it’s SEO professionals. Much of what we’ve been doing for years - structuring content, understanding searcher intent, optimizing for machines - translates well to AI search.

Sure, there are new tactics to learn. We're all still figuring out how LLMs select and cite content. But many fundamentals are still relevant. In fact, many LLMs still reference traditional search rankings as part of their answer construction, so SEO remains foundational.

Marius: Looking ahead, how do you see the AI search environment evolving in the next 12–18 months?

Lily:

There are so many factors at play right now. Legal questions, copyright issues, regulation - especially in the EU - are all going to influence how AI search evolves.

But the user behavior is already shifting. People love using LLMs like ChatGPT. It’s fast, low-friction, and efficient. So I think we’ll see more users starting their searches with LLMs.

That said, we don’t know yet who will “win.” Will it be OpenAI, Google, Perplexity? It’s still too early to tell. The next year will be fascinating to watch.

Final thoughts

It’s clear that while the tools and platforms are changing, the role of SEO and the importance of content quality remain central. At Peec AI, we’re excited to help marketers and brands navigate this shift and better understand their visibility in AI-driven search.

Big thanks to Lily for taking the time to share her perspective. More expert conversations coming soon!