SEO spending and demand are both growing, not declining. What is declining is the effectiveness of low-effort SEO. Thin content, low-quality links and ignored technical issues no longer produce results the way they once did. The bar has risen. Businesses that invest in real SEO strategy are seeing stronger returns than at any previous point in the channel’s history.

• Global SEO industry revenue is projected to exceed $170 billion by 2028
• Search remains the primary way buyers find products and services online
• AI Overviews have increased the importance of appearing in structured answer formats
• Low-quality SEO tactics are being actively devalued by algorithm updates
• Organic SEO services demand has increased year over year since 2020