Is It Too Late to Learn SEO?
Short answer: nah. Long answer: well… maybe. Here’s the situation: SEO isn’t dead, but it’s had a few sleepless nights thanks to AI, voice search, and people who’d rather buy a toaster on TikTok than Google it. If you’re just diving in now, you’re not late to the party…it’s more like you’ve turned up as everyone’s thinking about going home.
But let’s back up. Is learning SEO still worth it? Should you bother? And is the internet really going to become one giant AI-powered chatbot that makes websites irrelevant? Big questions. Let’s unpack.
SEO: Dead or Just Hungover?
Despite the dramatic headlines, SEO isn’t in the grave…it’s just doing what it’s always done: changing. Sure, search engines look a bit different now. AI’s popping up with all the answers like an overly confident pub quiz team, voice search is making us sound like we’re talking to the fridge (“best Chinese takeaway near me”), and social media’s trying to keep you glued to its apps forever.
But here’s the kicker: businesses still need to be found online. Whether that’s on Google, Instagram, or whatever the next big thing is (please don’t let it be VR shopping), SEO is still about helping people find what they’re looking for. It’s just less about keyword-stuffed websites and more about creating content that works for humans, bots, and everyone in between.
Is It Too Late to Learn SEO?
If you’re starting from scratch, learning SEO now feels a bit like learning how to work a fax machine in the 2000s…it’s still relevant, but you’d probably be better off focusing on the shiny new stuff. Social media, AI, online marketing as a whole, that’s where the action’s heading.
That doesn’t mean SEO’s useless. It just means it’s shifting. You’ll need to think about optimising for voice search (“Where can I find a half-decent web designer in London?”), AI-driven results, and social media algorithms. Websites are still important (you’re reading this on one, aren’t you?), but the future of search is looking more like a mix of apps, AI, and oh look, a TikTok of a cat buying furniture.
So, What Should You Focus On?
Here’s my hot take………... skip trying to master SEO as it was five years ago. Instead, aim bigger. Learn skills that’ll last longer than the latest Google update, like:
- Online Marketing: Social media, email campaigns, content strategy. It’s all connected.
- Content Creation: Words, videos, memes — whatever gets people’s attention.
- Customer Journey Mapping: How do people find, interact with, and (let’s hope) pay you? That’s gold dust.
And if you’re still set on SEO, focus on where it’s heading. Understand conversational search, create genuinely helpful content, and make sure your stuff works everywhere, from search engines to chatbots to whatever weird platform Elon Musk dreams up next.
But…I’ve got a prediction! SEO in Five Years…
Browsers might fade into the background as apps take over, but the core idea of SEO — making your stuff easy to find — won’t vanish. It’ll just evolve. Whether it’s optimising for AI, creating TikTok-friendly content, or figuring out how to sell to Gen Z without sounding like a cringe-worthy uncle, there’ll always be a need for smart digital marketing.
So, is it too late to learn SEO? Not really. But if you’re starting from square one, don’t stop there. Learn the broader skills that’ll make you future-proof. After all, the internet’s changing fast, and we’re all just trying to keep up… preferably without resorting to buying followers or learning dance trends on TikTok.
Right, that’s enough from me. Go optimise something. Or, you know, have a cuppa and think about it.
Written by Chris Andrade | Pixelbricks Design London
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