The future of SEO in Australia with AI search, as of December 2025, centres on optimising content for direct answers within AI-powered search experiences, rather than solely ranking in traditional blue link results. These AI systems, like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) currently available to a growing percentage of Australian users, synthesise information from multiple sources to provide concise, conversational responses.
Currently, SGE now includes features like AI Overviews, which appear at the top of search results for many queries. These overviews are generated by Google’s PaLM 2 model and are informed by content Google deems authoritative. The system identifies relevant passages from webpages, attributing them within the overview. Google’s ranking systems still influence source selection, but the emphasis shifts to providing comprehensive, factual answers. Structured data markup, like schema.org, remains important as it helps AI understand content context. Google has announced that in 2027, they will be expanding the use of ‘AI-powered fact-checking’ to further refine the accuracy of AI Overviews, potentially impacting content visibility. Australian privacy laws, such as the Privacy Act 1988, also influence how user data is used to personalise AI search results.
Essentially, AI search functions by identifying, summarising, and presenting information directly to the user, drawing from content across the web and prioritising clarity and accuracy.
