---
title: "SEO Professionals More Worried About AI in 2023"
url: https://adtech.lol/articles/bee5bc3c-0f1d-4d3e-93ad-71220010efde
source_url: https://searchengineland.com/44-percent-seos-more-worried-about-ai-this-year-industry-survey-499238/
source_site: searchengineland
author: "Danny Goodwin"
published: 2023-10-25T00:00:00+00:00
tags: ["SEO", "AI", "Employment", "Survey", "Job Market"]
publisher: AdTech Radar
---

# SEO Professionals More Worried About AI in 2023

> A recent survey reveals that nearly 44% of SEO and search professionals express increased concerns about AI compared to the previous year, with fears centered around job stability and competition rather than job loss.

Nearly 44% of SEO and search professionals say they’re more worried about AI than a year ago, according to a new SEOjobs.com survey of 279 respondents. Smaller teams, keeping up with AI, and tougher competition worry them more than losing their jobs.

**Why we care.** Fewer job openings and tougher competition could make finding or keeping a job harder. If you’re already feeling pressure to learn new AI tools while proving your value at work, you’re far from alone.

**Concerned about AI.** Asked whether AI could hurt their jobs or income within the next two years, 33% said they were very or extremely concerned.

- **Slightly concerned:** 28% (78 respondents).
- **Moderately concerned:** 23.7% (66).
- **Very concerned:** 24% (67).
- **Extremely concerned:** 9% (25).
- **Not concerned at all:** 15.4% (43).

Compared to last year, 43.7% (122) were more worried, 32.6% (91) reported no change, and 23.7% (66) were less concerned.

**Smaller teams top AI career fears.** Shrinking teams were the biggest concern, selected by 45.5% of respondents. Keeping up with AI (44.8%) and tougher competition (44.1%) followed closely. Other concerns included:

- **Existing skills losing value:** 33.3%.
- **Lower pay or rates:** 30.1%.
- **Role elimination:** 24.4%.
- **Disappearing entry-level positions:** 24%.
- Only 12.2% said they weren’t particularly concerned.

**Job seekers report the highest concern.** People looking for work were the most likely to be very or extremely concerned about AI, at 61.1% (11 of 18 respondents). They also worried about smaller teams and tougher competition, with 11 selecting each concern.

**The biggest fears differed by employment status:**

- **In-house SEOs:** 31 of 97 feared losing their roles, the highest share among employed respondents.
- **Agency SEOs:** 43 of 85 worried about smaller teams, while 28 feared entry-level jobs disappearing.
- **Business owners:** 14 of 20 worried about keeping up with AI.

**Experience also played a role.** Among respondents with six to 10 years in search, 42% were very or extremely concerned. Another 34% feared losing their roles. Both were the highest shares of any experience group.

- Those with 11 to 15 years of experience were most likely to worry about their skills losing value (44%). For professionals with at least 16 years of experience, keeping up with AI was the top concern, selected by 42 of 90 respondents.

**AI concerns vary by country.** Germany had the highest share of highly concerned respondents among the countries surveyed, at 71.4% (15 of 21). That compared with 44.7% (17 of 38) in the United Kingdom and 27.9% (43 of 154) in the United States.

- In the U.S., tougher competition was the top concern, selected by 73 of 154 respondents. In the U.K., keeping up with AI ranked first, selected by 17 of 38.

**About the data.** SEOjobs.com surveyed 279 SEO and search professionals from Oct. 6–24 through social media and email lists. Respondents chose to participate, so the findings don’t represent the broader SEO industry.

Source: [https://searchengineland.com/44-percent-seos-more-worried-about-ai-this-year-industry-survey-499238/](https://searchengineland.com/44-percent-seos-more-worried-about-ai-this-year-industry-survey-499238/)