It isn’t a secret that the search engine industry has been profoundly reshaped by the arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, including in relation to user queries and informational journeys.
Among the many major implications of AI’s spread for how we use the web, questions have been asked about whether keywords – that mainstay of pre-AI search engine optimisation (SEO) – can still be said to “work” in this new age.
The theory goes that with consumers now being ever-more inclined to type extended prompts not just into such AI platforms as ChatGPT and Grok, but also traditional search engines like Google, the relevance of the single keyword or short phrase may be under challenge.
AI is unquestionably shaking up how we search online – and how brands must react
It is true that AI prompts do tend to be longer and more descriptive than the shorter phrases we might have once commonly used when seeking out information online.
These qualities make AI prompts more difficult to predict than keywords. That’s unfortunate, given that in the “AI era”, e-tailers attempting to boost their visibility online need to know what kinds of prompts their target shoppers tend to use. This, in turn, is essential for understanding such customers’ needs.
Help is at hand with this challenge; prompt-analysis tools are increasingly becoming available. These tools have the ability to reveal the prompts that drive traffic to any particular webpage, or those related to a particular topic, brand, or keyword.
However, the ‘death of the keyword’ may have been prematurely declared
For all the significance of the above developments, you shouldn’t conclude that keywords are fading in relevance. They’re still a core component of SEO.
However, the rise of AI-driven search engines – incorporating natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning – has led to changes in how keywords are used and prioritised.
Keywords, after all, do reflect what users are searching for, and they continue to be the primary way users express intent. If, for example, a human user performs a search for “best running shoes”, this signals commercial intent regardless of whether it forms part of a broader prompt.
In addition, keywords guide content creation and while AI search engines do concentrate on context and semantics, it is still keywords that anchor these systems.
As aforementioned, though, keywords are evolving in the “AI SEO” age. With AI prioritising user intent over exact keyword matches, and rewarding content that reads naturally and adds value, we’re a long way from the days when “keyword stuffing” may have been effective for SEO.
Ask the Piranha Designs team how we can help optimise your online presence
In conclusion, then: keywords are by no means fading in relevance, but they are presently undergoing a period of adaptation to the fast-moving era of AI SEO.
As of 2025, there has been a shift in focus from some of the more “traditional” ideas around SEO keywords to themes of semantic relevance, topical authority, and user experience.
Your own ecommerce site, then, will need to position itself convincingly as a solution provider in response to your target audiences’ problems, if it is to get the best out of AI SEO optimisation.
Here at Piranha Designs, we continue to fine-tune our own expertise in such fields as website design, SEO, and programming services in Gibraltar, the UK, and Spain, in light of the 2020s “AI era”. To discuss how your brand could be the latest beneficiary of our success in this regard, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us to arrange a meeting.
