If you’ve talked to multiple SEO professionals recently, you’ve probably noticed something: they don’t always agree. In fact, they might give you completely different advice about the same problem.
This isn’t because some SEOs are incompetent. The reality is that SEO has become more complex and opaque over the past few years. Google’s algorithm updates are harder to decipher, new buzzwords like GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and AIO (AI Optimization) are blurring old definitions, and much of what drives rankings is simply unknowable.
But here’s what matters: there’s actually more agreement among experienced SEOs than disagreement. The fundamentals remain solid. The debates center on newer, less-tested strategies where data is still limited. Understanding why SEOs disagree—and what they still agree on—will help you make better hiring decisions and set realistic expectations.
Why SEO Disagreements Are Increasing
Three main factors are driving increased disagreement in the SEO community:
Google’s increasing opacity: Google shares only high-level guidance about making sites crawlable and user-friendly. They don’t reveal actual ranking formulas. As one Google engineer noted, many audit tool “best practices” actually have little SEO impact. Google has even had to debunk old advice about text-to-code ratios because only human judgment can tell when common wisdom has outlived its usefulness.
AI is changing everything fast: Large language models are disrupting search in ways we’re still figuring out. Some SEOs think AI optimization requires entirely new strategies. Others argue it’s just traditional SEO under a different name. The truth is probably somewhere in between, but we don’t have years of data to definitively say what works.
Limited testing at scale: Individual SEOs can run tests, but results vary by industry, site size, and dozens of other factors. Without Google’s explicit confirmation, the community relies on shared experiences and educated guesses. Different experts run different tests and naturally draw different conclusions.
The result? A field where even smart, successful SEOs will give you conflicting advice.
Should You Trust Google’s Public Advice?
Here’s where many SEOs split into camps: some take Google’s guidance as gospel, others treat it with skepticism.
The truth is that Google’s official statements focus on site health and user experience, not on the mechanics of rankings. Google tells you how to make a site crawlable and useful. They don’t tell you how to beat the algorithm.
This means you should treat Google’s advice as minimum standards—the baseline you must meet. Follow their published guidelines on quality content (E-E-A-T), page experience, and structured data. But beyond that, you need empirical testing and community findings.
For example, Google says page speed is a ranking factor. But only testing reveals how much impact slow Core Web Vitals actually have for your specific site. The community’s consensus—built on hundreds of experiments—often refines or even contradicts Google’s public signals.
Smart SEOs trust Google to set the baseline (optimize for users), but they also maintain healthy skepticism. They test everything and rely on what actually moves the needle in practice.
Is AI Optimization Just Rebranded SEO?
One of the hottest debates right now: Is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) or AIO (AI Optimization) actually new, or is it just SEO with a fresh coat of paint?
Some sources hype these as brand-new disciplines, requiring entirely different strategies for AI-driven search engines like ChatGPT or Google’s AI mode.
But many experienced SEOs push back hard on this. As one strategist points out, “GEO isn’t a separate marketing channel—it’s SEO adapted for new delivery systems. If you’re already doing modern SEO well, you’re already doing GEO.”
The reality is that AI optimization mostly applies established fundamentals:
- Creating quality content that answers real questions
- Using clear HTML structure and schema markup
- Demonstrating genuine expertise and authority
- Building a technically sound site
The main difference is the outlet: instead of competing for blue links on a search results page, you’re trying to get cited in AI-generated answers. But the underlying work—great content and site quality—remains unchanged.
Anyone claiming that “SEO is dead because of AI” is probably selling something. Real experts treat GEO and AIO as an evolution of SEO, not a replacement.
The Fundamentals Everyone Agrees On
Despite all the debates, experienced SEOs overwhelmingly agree on core principles:
Keyword research and search intent: Understand what users are really searching for and create content that satisfies that intent. Study existing search results and align your content accordingly.
Content quality and E-E-A-T: Produce original, helpful, trustworthy content that demonstrates expertise and focuses on user needs. Google’s guidance is clear: success comes from “people-first” content with strong experience and authority signals.
On-page optimization: Use clear, descriptive title tags and headings. Include relevant keywords naturally. Add structured data so search engines understand your content. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly and loads quickly.
Site architecture and technical SEO: Build a crawlable site with clean URL structure, proper redirects, and XML sitemaps. Ensure pages load quickly (Core Web Vitals) and use HTTPS security.
Backlinks and authority: Earn reputable inbound links and brand mentions. Authority and trust remain major ranking factors. Focus on digital PR, creating link-worthy resources, and building genuine brand visibility.
User experience: While harder to quantify, good UX (easy navigation, engaging layout, low bounce rates) supports everything else. Google rewards sites where users engage with helpful content.
These elements are repeatedly cited across authoritative SEO guides. No matter which camp you’re in, every SEO agrees: satisfy real user needs with high-quality content on a technically sound site.
How to Hire an SEO When Experts Disagree
Given all this disagreement, how do you hire the right SEO?
Focus on how they think, not what they claim to know for certain. Look for candidates who articulate their reasoning and back it up with evidence or experience.
In interviews, ask them to walk through real scenarios:
- “How would you diagnose a sudden drop in traffic?”
- “How would you optimize for AI-generated answer boxes?”
- “What’s your process for determining which tactics to try first?”
Watch whether they acknowledge uncertainty and describe a data-driven approach. Strong candidates explain how they choose strategies, what assumptions they have, and how they would test or measure results.
Good SEOs communicate complex ideas clearly, ask smart questions, and handle pushback diplomatically. They should justify why they expect a tactic to work based on past tests or community insights, and explain how they’d adapt if it doesn’t.
Also check their track record with references and case studies. Effective SEOs focus on business outcomes—leads and conversions—not just vanity metrics like rankings.
Finally, beware of candidates who swear by outdated tricks or chase every new buzzword without depth. The best hires emphasize enduring principles while showing curiosity about new developments. They understand that SEO requires collaboration and acknowledge that nobody executes SEO alone.
The Role of Intuition in SEO Strategy
When Google won’t clarify the rules, SEO intuition—honed by experience and community learning—fills the gaps.
Veteran SEOs develop pattern recognition. They notice that after a major update, certain site structures or content styles tend to gain or lose traffic. This “gut feel” comes from years of testing and observing real results.
For example, experts might sense that a sudden algorithm tweak favors sites with strong topical depth, even before Google officially confirms it. The community shares these hypotheses, which become a form of collective intuition.
But intuition isn’t guessing. It’s an educated hypothesis based on prior outcomes. SEOs use it to decide what to test next, then validate (or reject) it with data.
The key is balance: trust your instincts when informed by community wisdom, but remain willing to revise them as new evidence emerges. Smart SEOs combine their best guesses with ongoing testing, because Google “only shares general outlines” and leaves us to figure out the rest.
Using AI Tools: The Current Debate
AI content tools can speed up productivity, but they carry risks that SEOs are still figuring out:
Quality concerns: AI often hallucinates facts or produces bland, repetitive copy. Low-quality AI text fails to satisfy users and gets filtered out by Google’s algorithms.
Policy compliance: Google explicitly forbids using AI solely to manipulate rankings. If the primary purpose is gaming the algorithm, it violates spam guidelines. Mass-generating keyword-stuffed articles with AI is risky.
No ranking advantage: Simply using AI doesn’t boost rankings. Google treats AI-written content the same as human content—it must be useful and unique to rank. Poorly crafted AI pages can trigger penalties.
Detection concerns: Some SEOs worry that search engines will increasingly detect AI patterns, even if not explicitly penalized. Users may also distrust content that feels machine-generated.
The current consensus: AI tools must be used with oversight. They can help with research (keyword ideas, draft outlines) and save time, but every AI-generated piece needs human editing for accuracy, depth, and style.
AI helps with efficiency, but human judgment remains critical to maintain quality and compliance. Misusing AI as a fully automated content solution risks diluting quality and running afoul of search guidelines.
What This Means for Your Business
SEO disagreements don’t mean the field is broken. They mean it’s evolving faster than ever.
When hiring an SEO, don’t expect someone with all the answers. Expect someone who’s honest about what they can know and provides strong reasoning for their recommendations. Ask them why they believe their approach will work—if they have real experience and stay connected to the community, answering shouldn’t be hard.
The fundamentals still work. Quality content, strong technical SEO, genuine expertise—these remain the foundation. The debates center on emerging tactics where data is limited.
At TJ Digital, we approach SEO with both respect for proven fundamentals and curiosity about what’s coming next. We test new strategies, stay connected to the SEO community, and adapt our methods as the landscape changes. But we’re always transparent about what we know, what we think, and what we’re still figuring out.
Because in 2025, that honesty might be the most valuable thing an SEO can offer.
Ready to work with an SEO agency that’s transparent about what works and what doesn’t? Contact us for a free audit of your current SEO strategy.