I am going to say it straight. People need to stop saying that SEO is dead. To say that something is dead, is to imply that it is no longer in use, valid, effective, or relevant; such as a dead language. Or, dead could mean that something has had a sudden and total stoppage of motion, action, or the like; such as “he stopped dead.” Regardless, I don’t believe that either definition of “dead,” applies unilaterally to the search engine optimization industry; today.
Although the algorithmic changes adopted by major search engines can alter the way a page is viewed in results, and in some instances ranked, if the (white hat) fundamental principles of SEO have been applied properly to a search engine marketing campaign; the over-all and long-term results will continue to remain consistent. Campaigns that focus on generating relevant and meaningful content, as well as encouraging the natural building of links by establishing credibility and long-term relationships with the Internet audience, can expect more consumer recognition and brand exposure; from the major search engines. Hey, wait a minute. That sounds a lot like brand building and reputation management. Well, guess what? Search engine optimization plays an important role in both of those digital PR services.
Although I can agree with the critics that some aspects of SEO are “no longer in use, valid, effective, or relevant,” many of those strategies have either evolved or been replaced. For example, a recent Google algorithmic change makes the search engine “… more likely to pick text from the actual page content, and less likely to use text that is part of a header or menu.” So in fact, Google’s recently implemented changes have really created an urgency for consistently well written and optimized page text, in addition to (or in place of) the Meta description. I guess it’s a good thing that this leading digital PR firm, didn’t lay-off all their SEO copywriters. 
Connect with Kristoffer Howes for more Internet marketing and brand building tips, strategies and advice.
So long as there are search engines, there will be a continuing need for search engine optimization. As algorithms improve, brand management and Internet marketing firms will need to understand these ranking changes, and how to respond appropriately; to improve or maintain their search engine placements.