SEO professional fired as CEO bets on AI search, traffic drops 70%

An SEO professional reported their dismissal on October 27, 2025, after their CEO concluded that artificial intelligence was making traditional search engine optimization obsolete. The decision came despite 98% of the company's traffic originating from Google. Within two months of the termination, the organization experienced a 70% decline in organic traffic.

According to Jake Ward, who shared the incident on social media platform X, the case demonstrates how executive misunderstanding of search technology can damage business performance. Ward, who operates Contact.so and has generated $20 million annually for clients, posted about the situation at 8:52 PM on October 27, attracting 7,557 views within hours.

The fired professional, posting under the username BoomBrigade7 on Reddit's SEO community six days before Ward's post, provided additional context about the traffic collapse. The individual shared Google Search Console data showing dramatic visitor declines beginning in late August 2025. Traffic patterns revealed sustained performance through most of the year before plummeting to near-zero levels.

"SEO gets fired because CEO thinks AI is killing traditional search despite 98% of traffic coming from Google," Ward wrote. "Traffic drops by -70% in 2 months. AI doesn't kill traffic, bad decisions do."

Multiple SEO professionals responding to the Reddit thread suggested the traffic decline stemmed from technical implementation errors rather than strategic decisions about AI optimization. Full-Penalty6971 noted that the timing aligned with recent Google algorithm changes affecting programmatic SEO and keyword stuffing practices across multiple websites.

The dismissed professional clarified that management changed URLs for top-performing pages without implementing 301 redirects following their departure. "No, I checked, they straight up changed URLs of their top performing pages, no redirects," BoomBrigade7 explained. "No Idea why they did that, but those pages just went to 0."

This technical mistake eliminated rankings for pages that had previously generated approximately 70% of total site traffic through programmatic SEO methods. The pages had produced direct user signups, making them critical revenue drivers for the business model.

The incident occurred during a period when AI Overviews from Google reduced organic clicks by 34.5% when present in search results, according to July 2025 industry analysis. However, multiple tracking sources indicate traditional Google search continues to generate the vast majority of website referral traffic despite AI feature expansion.

Professional commentary on the situation split between those identifying algorithmic penalties and those recognizing operational failures. Ryan Monahan, responding to Ward's post, stated: "If true, this sounds more like the site was penalized than a shift in strategy. That's too dramatic a shift for organic to drop by that much, that fast."

Technical SEO expert Brodie Clark addressed similar configuration mistakes in early October, noting that sites must submit individual sitemaps to Google Search Console rather than relying solely on sitemap index files. The guidance emphasized that missing technical implementations could severely impact indexing for large websites.

The case reflects broader confusion within executive leadership about the relationship between traditional SEO and emerging AI search platforms. The dismissed professional had explained to management that their pages were already appearing in ChatGPT search results, indicating that quality SEO work supports visibility across multiple discovery channels.

BoomBrigade7 described management's decision-making: "Tried explaining, but LinkedIn crap got to him. They had already started seeing visits from ChatGPT. But didn't agree." The reference suggests the CEO had consumed promotional content about AI search optimization through professional social networks without understanding technical implementation requirements.

Industry data from August 2025 shows that AI-focused optimization acronyms have proliferated throughout the year, with John Mueller from Google warning on August 14 that aggressive promotion of these frameworks may indicate spam tactics. Mueller specifically addressed GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), AIO (AI Optimization), and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) terminology.

The confusion extends beyond individual companies. Google's June 2025 core update affected websites globally, with ranking volatility beginning June 30 and continuing through mid-July. Temperature readings from Sistrix and Cognitive SEO tracking tools registered elevated fluctuation scores compared to typical daily patterns.

Traffic analysis from the fired professional's Google Search Console account showed that their former employer maintained relatively stable performance through June and July 2025 before the August collapse. The data contradicted assumptions that algorithmic changes alone caused the decline.

Several Reddit commenters questioned how the individual retained access to client analytics after termination. BoomBrigade7 explained: "They had a common Gmail account with GSC and GA access that they shared with everyone. It was still logged in on my device, so I took a peek."

This revelation prompted SEO professionals to emphasize security best practices. SEOVicc commented: "If you're dumb enough to think ai optimization is a separate thing then you probably have a lot of people left in your accounts like that."

The broader marketing implications center on executive understanding of search technology evolution. Traditional SEO techniques that improve content quality, technical performance, and topical authority continue to support visibility across both conventional search engines and AI-powered answer systems.

Research published in June 2025 by SEO consultant Aleyda Solis demonstrated that AI search engines retrieve content through similar mechanisms as traditional systems. The eight-point optimization framework emphasized chunk-level content retrieval, citation worthiness, and crawlability requirements that overlap substantially with established SEO practices.

Data from Brainlabs analysis in July 2025 found that 96% of links appearing in AI Overviews originated from websites ranking in the top 10 organic results. This correlation indicates that sites optimized for traditional search visibility automatically improve their chances of AI platform citations.

The financial consequences for the affected company remain unclear. BoomBrigade7 indicated they had moved on to other projects rather than seeking to restore the relationship. "How I wish, but dont want anything to do with them now. Will move on to next interesting project," they stated.

Marketing professionals tracking the situation expressed concern about similar scenarios affecting other organizations. TopOfTheTown86 shared experiencing comparable executive misconceptions: "The CEO of our parent company told me in a meeting last week that 'SEO is dead' and genuinely seemed happy about it. Considering we are still getting about 130k users a month from search I think she is wrong."

The case demonstrates particular relevance for companies employing programmatic SEO strategies. These approaches generate large volumes of optimized pages based on structured data and templates, particularly effective for e-commerce platforms, directories, and data-driven websites. However, programmatic methods require careful technical implementation to maintain search engine compliance.

Algorithmic penalties have affected programmatic SEO implementations throughout 2025. Sites hit by the September 2023 Helpful Content Update experienced their first recovery patterns during the June 2025 core update, nearly two years after initial impacts. Glenn Gabe documented recovery across 400 websites that had been severely affected by the original HCU implementation.

The incident gained additional attention because it contradicted prevailing narratives about AI search displacing traditional optimization. While Google Discover traffic has grown to represent two-thirds of referrals to news websites as of August 2025, organic search continues to generate substantial volumes for most commercial websites.

Industry observers noted that AI search traffic typically represents 2-10% of overall search referrals for most websites, though some B2C brands measure AI citations at 40-130% of their organic search traffic from Google Search Console when using specialized analytics platforms. The variance depends heavily on industry vertical and content type.

Professional SEO practitioners emphasized that recovery from technical mistakes like missing redirects requires immediate corrective action. Full-Penalty6971 summarized the redirect error: "Oof. No 301 redirects Rookie move. Fafo then I suppose!" The acronym referenced "find out" consequences following poor implementation decisions.

For the dismissed professional, competitor outreach appeared successful. "Yes sales team did that already! Got a few competitor calls lined up next week XD," BoomBrigade7 reported, suggesting that demonstrated results attracted interest from rival organizations in the same market sector.

The situation reinforces findings from multiple 2025 industry studies showing that organic search optimization remains central to digital marketing strategies. According to January 2025 research, 72% of marketers planned to increase programmatic advertising investment, but this growth complemented rather than replaced organic visibility efforts.

Organizations navigating similar leadership concerns about AI search impact should focus on data-driven decision-making. Tracking actual traffic sources, conversion rates, and revenue attribution provides concrete evidence for the continued value of traditional search visibility alongside emerging AI platforms.

The case also highlights communication challenges between technical specialists and executive leadership. When CEOs consume trend-focused content through social media without corresponding technical context, misaligned strategic decisions can damage operational performance.

For the broader SEO community, the incident serves as a cautionary example about the consequences of abandoning established practices based on incomplete understanding of technological shifts. While AI search platforms continue expanding their reach and capabilities, the fundamental mechanisms of content discovery show substantial continuity with traditional search engine operations.

Timeline

• September 2023: Google implements Helpful Content Update affecting independent websites, with some experiencing up to 86% traffic declines over subsequent months
• March 2024: Google completes March 2025 core update rollout, with websites reporting 30-70% traffic fluctuations as algorithmic adjustments affect multiple sectors
• May 2024: Google launches AI Overviews, beginning expansion across 200 countries and 40 languages over subsequent months
• June 30, 2025: Google announces June 2025 core update beginning at 7:30 AM Pacific time, triggering ranking volatility across websites globally
• July 17, 2025: Google completes June 2025 core update implementation after 16-day rollout period, with some sites affected by 2023 Helpful Content Update achieving first recovery patterns
• July 16, 2025: SEO analyst warns AI Overviews reduce organic clicks by 34.5% when present in search results, though traditional search continues generating majority of website referrals
• August 8, 2025: Multiple websites begin experiencing Google crawling disruptions, with Search Console data showing precipitous drops to near-zero activity levels
• August 14, 2025: Google's John Mueller warns aggressive AI SEO acronym promotion may indicate spam tactics on Bluesky, addressing GEO, AIO, and AEO terminology proliferation
• August 2025: Company in incident begins experiencing traffic decline after SEO professional dismissal and subsequent URL changes without proper redirects
• October 11, 2025: HouseFresh reports traffic recovery after two-year decline following September 2023 algorithm impacts, demonstrating possible recovery pathways
• October 21, 2025: Reddit post documents case on r/SEO community, with Google Search Console screenshot showing 70% traffic decline
• October 27, 2025: Jake Ward shares incident on X social platform at 8:52 PM, attracting industry attention with 7,557 views and multiple professional responses

Summary

Who: An SEO professional operating as a consultant with a small team was dismissed by their company's CEO. Jake Ward, founder of Contact.so who generates $20 million annually for clients, shared the incident publicly. The dismissed professional posted under username BoomBrigade7 on Reddit's SEO community. Industry professionals including Full-Penalty6971, Ryan Monahan, SEOVicc, and others provided technical analysis of the situation.

What: A company fired its SEO team based on the CEO's belief that AI search was making traditional optimization obsolete, despite 98% of traffic originating from Google. Following the dismissal, management changed URLs for top-performing pages without implementing 301 redirects. The website experienced a 70% traffic decline over approximately two months, dropping from sustained performance levels to near-zero visitors. The pages that lost rankings had generated approximately 70% of site traffic through programmatic SEO methods and produced direct user signups.

When: The dismissal occurred before October 21, 2025, when the professional posted about the situation on Reddit. Jake Ward shared the case on October 27, 2025, at 8:52 PM. Traffic decline began in late August 2025 according to Google Search Console data, following months of stable performance through June and July. The situation developed during a period when Google's June 2025 core update had concluded on July 17, and various algorithmic changes were affecting websites across multiple sectors.

Where: The incident occurred at a company whose specific identity was not disclosed in public posts. Traffic monitoring happened through Google Search Console, which the dismissed professional accessed via a shared Gmail account that remained logged into their device. The case gained visibility through social media platform X and Reddit's r/SEO community forum. Industry discussion took place across multiple professional networks including LinkedIn, where the CEO reportedly consumed content about AI search trends.

Why: The CEO dismissed the SEO professional based on misconceptions that artificial intelligence was eliminating the need for traditional search optimization, influenced by promotional content on LinkedIn about AI search trends. The decision occurred despite data showing 98% of traffic came from Google and pages were already appearing in ChatGPT search results. After the dismissal, management implemented URL changes without proper technical implementation of 301 redirects, causing top-performing pages to lose all rankings. The traffic collapse resulted from operational mistakes rather than algorithmic penalties or fundamental shifts in search technology, demonstrating how executive misunderstanding of technical requirements can damage business performance.