LLMs are changing how people use the internet. ChatGPT now has more than 100 million monthly users, new players like Perplexity are positioning themselves as ad-free, AI-powered search alternatives, and even Google has rolled out AI Overviews to keep pace.

Which raises a critical question: if users start asking LLMs their questions instead of typing them into a Google search bar, what happens to SEO—and to the businesses that built entire content strategies around ranking?

The Question of SEO

For now, mainstream LLMs still hallucinate often enough that most people hesitate to rely on them exclusively. But that will change. As answers become more accurate, the balance of power will shift—from Google’s algorithms to user behavior.

And when that shift happens, the rules that governed SEO—keywords, rankings, clicks—may no longer apply. Which leads to the real question: if SEO in its current form dies, does content strategy die with it?

The short answer: no.

The Value of New Thinking

In a conversation with my colleague Chris Leone, CEO of Web Strategies, he put it this way: companies that don’t create anything unique will get wiped out. Those that offer original, informed perspectives—in other words, new thinking—will remain valuable because LLMs will need to ingest that new thinking as training data.

“If you’re creating content that no one else has covered,” he told me, “the LLMs will need to give you credit, since they can’t stake claim to that info. Anyone who creates that type of content will still have a place in this new world.”

I agree. Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company or a small business, your audience has questions only you can answer. If your perspective is unique and substantive, it still matters—maybe more than ever.

Why Writing Still Matters

The value of creating content goes far beyond search rankings. Writing forces clarity. You don’t think your way into writing; you write your way into thinking. The act of articulating how you create value for customers, revising those ideas, and refining them over time sharpens not just your message but your strategy.

That’s why the future of content isn’t about gaming algorithms. It’s about publishing original, informed perspectives that reflect how you think and what you know. Unique ideas still matter, because they can’t be automated. They differentiate you in the eyes of customers and, increasingly, in the training data of the very LLMs reshaping the web.

SEO as we know it may fade. Discovery will look different. But when customers find you—by referral, by reputation, or by AI—the strength of your thinking is what will set you apart.

The Imperative Now

New thinking has never been more valuable. Keep writing. Keep creating. Forget about chasing keywords. The organizations that consistently publish original ideas will emerge with stronger brands, sharper strategies, and deeper trust.