RebelWebinar #6 | Websites in the Age of AI

Adam Taylor
Wed, 30 Apr 2025 15:51:42 +0000
Webinar

RebelMouse presented a webinar on websites in the age of AI on July 2, 2025 at 1 p.m. ET.

The speakers included Craig Kanalley, Adam Taylor, and Zelle Gatoc.

A recording of the video is available by request, get in touch here.

Key takeaways from the discussion included:

Humanity and AI: The speakers stress the importance of not losing humanity in the age of AI. They advocate for a balanced approach, where AI assists rather than replaces human creativity and expertise.

Rapid Evolution of AI: The AI landscape is changing incredibly fast, with new tools and models emerging constantly. This includes major players like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Apple, Amazon Claude, and Microsoft, all competing to advance AI.

User Behavior Shifts: User habits are changing, characterized by "skim, speak, and swipe" behavior. This highlights the need for content to be easily digestible, accessible through voice, and optimized for mobile devices.

AI Search vs. Traditional Search: While AI chatbots are growing rapidly, traditional search engines like Google still dominate in terms of traffic. However, AI search is expected to surpass traditional search by 2028 or sooner. Google is actively incorporating AI features like AI Overviews and AI Mode into its search results.

The Importance of Content: "Content is king" remains a crucial principle. AI models rely on human-created content for their answers. Therefore, creating high-quality, comprehensive, and authoritative content is essential for discoverability and influence in the AI era.

Leveraging AI for Efficiency and Enhancement: AI can be used to streamline mundane tasks for content teams, such as tag selection, alt text generation, SEO metadata, and headline creation. It can also enhance user experience through features like personalized content recommendations and real-time translation.

Transparency and Trust: Publishers should be transparent about their use of AI-generated content, as this builds trust with the audience. Providing clear statements on their "About Us" pages regarding their AI practices is recommended.

Adapting SEO for "Search Everywhere Optimization": The focus of SEO is shifting from just search engine optimization to "search everywhere optimization," meaning content needs to be optimized for various platforms and formats beyond traditional search results, including chatbots and voice assistants.

Qualifying Sources for AI: AI systems value authentic human perspectives, expertise, and credible sources. Websites with strong authority and content backed by real-world data and expert citations are more likely to be cited by AI Overviews.

Future Outlook: The speakers encourage businesses to adapt and prepare for the changing future. While traffic from traditional search may decline, it is anticipated to stabilize and then grow as user habits evolve. Expertise, original journalism, and human-centric content will be highly valued.

The webinar concluded with a checklist for success in the AI era, emphasizing AI-assisted rather than AI-dependent strategies, comprehensive content, measuring performance beyond clicks, and continuous testing of AI implementations.