# Is SEO Actually Dead This Time? Surfer's Michał Suski Sets the Record Straight

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-edward-show-6568456/is-seo-actually-dead-this-time-surfer-s-micha-suski-sets-the-record-straight
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-edward-show-6568456/is-seo-actually-dead-this-time-surfer-s-micha-suski-sets-the-record-straight.md
Podcast: [The Edward Show](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-edward-show-6568456)
Published: 2026-05-28T18:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://9342edaa-17ad-4315-a037-ec4dfabd63f7.libsyn.com/is-seo-actually-dead-this-time-surfers-micha-suski-sets-the-record-straight
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/9342edaa-17ad-4315-a037-ec4dfabd63f7/Micha_Suski_-_5.28.26.mp3?dest-id=4081527
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Duration seconds: 5167

## Resource

E1059: Is SEO actually dead this time? Every few years, the industry declares the end of SEO. This time the argument sounds stronger: AI overviews, AI-generated content, Google "stealing" traffic, collapsing affiliate sites, and major ranking volatility. In this episode, I sit down with Michał Suski, co-founder of Surfer SEO, to break down what's really happening. We talk about what has really changed since 2017, what hasn't changed at all, and why much of the panic around AI is missing the point. This is not a hype conversation. It's a grounded discussion about brand, behavior, backlinks, attention span, and what Google is really rewarding right now. What we cover: - How Surfer started as a side project and grew into one of the best-known SEO tools - Whether AI overviews are actually killing organic traffic - Why top-of-funnel content is disappearing (and why that might be fine) - The truth about self-promotional listicles and whether they're risky - How Google likely detects low-quality AI content - Why behavioral signals matter more than ever - What happened to Surfer's traffic - and why losing it wasn't necessarily bad - Why niche focus beats broad authority in competitive markets - The collapse of generic affiliate sites and what survives - How attention span is reshaping SEO strategy - Whether SaaS is still a good opportunity in 2026 - What matters more today: topical authority, backlinks, brand, or user behavior - What Michał would do with only 90 days to grow traffic - Why rewriting old content is one of the biggest missed opportunities - The role of brand mentions vs traditional link building - Whether there is still a future for pure affiliate SEO One of the biggest themes of this episode: Content alone is not enough. It's an enabler, not a differentiator. Br…

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