Ever feel like Google is crushing SEO and website owners are doomed? I just found an eye-opening report that might challenge what you've been hearing! Want to know the truth behind all the doom and gloom? 
The team at Detailed.com just dropped a massive analysis with 34 insights on the current state of SEO. Here's the thing - while there are definitely some concerning trends, the picture isn't nearly as apocalyptic as social media would have you believe.
Did you know that according to a March 2025 study of 35,000 websites, search STILL drives 43.8% of their traffic? Meanwhile, LLMs only account for 0.1%. That's a pretty massive difference, right?
But wait, there's more.
Google confirmed they now process over 5 trillion searches yearly, and the number is actually GROWING. So much for "search is dying" narratives!
Sound crazy, right?
I was shocked too when I read that over half of 600+ startups tracked showed increases in search traffic over the past year. That completely contradicts what I've been seeing on Twitter!
Think about it this way - if SEO was truly dead, why are SEO conferences still packed?
The report mentions BrightonSEO expanding to the US, plus new events launching from Semrush, Ahrefs, and others.
Now, here's where it gets interesting...
The data does show some concerning trends. AI Overviews in search results are reducing clicks to organic listings by 20-34%. That's a pretty significant hit if you're relying entirely on organic traffic.
You might be wondering - what about those massive content sites we all know? Well, analyzing 490 sites owned by Digital Goliaths (think Hearst, Vox Media, etc.), only 18% showed search traffic increases year over year. Yikes!
But don't take my word for it. The report shows that Google appears far more willing to push ethical boundaries now, taking content to power their AI products without giving fair traffic in return.
Curious to know more?
The analysis also found that Bing is slowly taking desktop search market share from Google - increasing from 10.51% to 12.21% between January 2024 and March 2025. Could we finally see some real competition?
The question is... should you still invest in SEO in 2025?
According to the report, content sites can still grow with search traffic, but it's risky to rely solely on it. Think about your own experience - are you clicking on websites less often when Google shows an AI Overview?
What's your take on the future of SEO? Have you noticed changes in your own search traffic or behaviors? Drop your thoughts below - I'm especially curious if any of you are seeing success stories that contradict the doom and gloom!
