Digital Third Coast

How Do Small Business Owners Really Feel About SEO in the Age of AI?

We surveyed 800+ entrepreneurs and small business owners to find out how they're navigating search in 2025... and the results might surprise you.

The headline? SEO isn't dead. It's evolving.

Here's what we learned:

-83% still see value in SEO despite AI disruption
-1 in 5 attribute the majority of their business to SEO
-78% using AI for SEO say it made a positive difference
-2 in 3 understand the difference between SEO and GEO

But there's nuance here. While 35% feel anxious about AI search's impact, 39% believe it will ultimately benefit their business. The winning strategy? A hybrid approach: 50% say combining Google visibility with LLM visibility is ideal.

The smartest business owners aren't choosing between SEO and AI. They're using both.

The future of search isn't either/or... it's "search everywhere optimization."

Want to see the full breakdown? Read our complete survey findings:

Business Owner Survey: Sentiment and Statistics on SEO & LLM Visibility We surveyed 800+ business owners about their marketing priorities when it comes to search, LLM visibility, and AI. Read more to find out key trends.

This month, we’re celebrating a major milestone: Digital Third Coast turns 18! 🎉

What started with a vision from George Zlatin & Taylor Cimala has grown into 18 years of growth, collaboration, and measurable difference.

Along the way, leaders like our CEO, Lyndsey Maddox, have helped shape who we are today, building an incredible team, supporting strong partnerships, and keeping our core values front and center.

To our clients, partners, and coasters: thank you for being part of this journey. Here’s to many more years of guiding the way in digital marketing!

New Case Study: Driving 180% More Conversions for a Luxury Chicago High-Rise

By consolidating campaigns, expanding geo-targeting nationwide, and layering in prospecting and remarketing, we helped our client:

• Increase conversions by 180%
• Cut cost per lead by nearly 69%
• Triple impressions and clicks

This streamlined, multi-channel strategy filled the sales funnel with high-intent traffic, proving that bigger reach doesn’t have to mean bigger costs.

Read the full case study → https://www.digitalthirdcoast.com/our-work/case-studies/luxury-real-estate-campaign-consolidation

Campaign Consolidation and National Targeting Drive 180% More Conversions for Luxury Real Estate See how DTC turned a seasonal link-building campaign into an organic growth engine—earning thousands of SERP features and lasting visibility beyond the PR cycle.