SEO in 2025: A Look Ahead

Industry Overview

The SEO landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with AI-powered search engines, generative AI apps, and social media platforms changing the way users find information. In 2025, SEO professionals must adapt to these new realities and adopt a more holistic approach to visibility.

Key Focus Areas for SEO Pros in 2025

Focus on the Fundamentals

SEO expert Jono Alderson emphasizes the importance of focusing on the fundamentals of website optimization, such as:

• Fixing errors
• Improving site speed
• Making it more accessible
• Correcting typos
• Removing zombie pages

"A faster, simpler, cleaner site isn't just better for people—it's better for search engines, too," Alderson says.

Focus More on UX

Arnout Hellemans advises SEO professionals to shift their focus from keywords to user intent and experience. This involves:

• Understanding user queries by looking at SERPs and People Also Ask (PAA) features
• Improving site usability and speed
• Optimizing websites for non-JavaScript environments to ensure crawlability by other search engines

Start Considering Awareness and Upper Funnel Metrics

Ryan Jones believes that SEO pros need to move beyond just measuring clicks and start considering awareness and upper funnel metrics. This means paying attention to how users interact with AI-powered search features and ensuring that brands show up in relevant queries, even if they don't directly drive traffic to the website.

Start with Video-First Content

Mark Williams-Cook anticipates a decline in organic traffic to traditional knowledge and informational content and an increase in traffic from sources like Google Discover and Lens. He recommends focusing on video-first content that aligns with these trends and leveraging AI tools to enhance original material.

Diversify Where Your Community Might Be Spending Time Online

Miriam Ellis encourages SEO professionals to look beyond Google SERPs to find where their potential customers may be spending time online. This could include platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Reddit, as well as hyperlocal podcasts and local news sources.

Organize and Structure the Content Hierarchy

Motoko Hunt emphasizes the growing importance of organizing and structuring content based on user intent and business goals. By creating a content tree and grouping content by topic and intent, SEO professionals can better serve searchers at each stage of their journey.

Build Author Authority and Explore Alternative Traffic Sources

John Shehata advises SEO professionals to focus on building author authority by showcasing expert credentials, thought leadership, and a strong digital and social footprint. This will be particularly important in niches like health and finance. He also encourages exploring alternative traffic sources such as Threads, Reddit, newsletters, and push notifications.

Create More Q&A Content to Be Present in LLMs

Kevin Indig suggests that SEO professionals invest in creating structured Q&A-style content to improve visibility in large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. By targeting specific topics and entities, marketers can increase their chances of appearing in AI-generated answers.

Index Licensing Will Become Increasingly Important

Jes Scholz believes that index licensing will play a more significant role in SEO as search engines like Bing and Microsoft Copilot gain traction. SEO marketers need to expand their focus beyond Google and revisit Bing Webmaster Tools to ensure their content is indexed properly.

Build Relationships with Other Well-Ranking Sites in Relevant Industries

Glen Allsopp recommends that SEO professionals actively study the top search results and look for opportunities to collaborate with other well-ranking sites in relevant industries. This could involve creating guest posts, conducting interviews, or participating in relevant discussions.

Building and Enriching Knowledge Graphs with Well-Defined Entities Is Key

Andrea Volpini highlights the importance of optimizing for both human and AI audiences, focusing on providing clear, concise, and entity-rich content. By creating and enhancing Knowledge Graphs, SEO professionals can help LLMs better understand and represent their brands.

Sit and Sync with Comms

Mordy Oberstein emphasizes aligning with the company's communications or brand department. By understanding the brand's identity, positioning, and messaging, SEO professionals can ensure that their efforts support the overall marketing strategy and drive visibility that matters.

Know Who Your Customers Are, Create Resonant Messages, and Deliver Value

Ameet Khabra advises SEO professionals to embrace AI and machine learning while maintaining a human touch to connect with customers. This involves leveraging data to create personalized experiences, building strong first-party data sets, and incorporating resonant messaging that captures attention and appeals to customers.

Users and Search Engines Prioritize Trusted Brands

Montserrat Cano believes that understanding the audience and market is key to building brand authority and increasing visibility. Consistent branding and high-quality content are essential, especially in international markets with unique cultural nuances.

Communities Can Have a Big Impact on Visibility

Jo Turnbull suggests that SEO professionals focus on building and supporting communities. This can help build brands and drive conversions, especially for small businesses with limited budgets. Joining existing communities or organizing your own can provide valuable networking and support opportunities.

Understand How Users Consume Information

Navah Hopkins emphasizes the importance of understanding how users consume information, particularly on non-login forums and Bing. By promoting content on these platforms and leveraging ChatGPT visibility, brands can bypass traditional search engines and connect with potential customers in new ways.

Gain a Foothold in New Trends and Topics Before Larger Competitors

Tory Gray advises SEO professionals to be proactive in identifying new trends and topics. By monitoring platforms like TikTok and Reddit, they can tap into leading indicators and create content that meets the evolving needs of their audience before competitors gain an advantage.

Finding Truly Unique Angles for New Content Will Reward You

Alli Berry suggests that SEO professionals prioritize quality over quantity in their content strategies. Cutting low-performing and thin pages and focusing on unique and original content with proprietary or first-party research can drive better results.

Mentions in LLMs Will Emerge As a Key Aspect of SEO

Olga Zarr believes that mentions in LLMs will become increasingly important for SEO visibility. By ensuring that their brands are well-represented and cited in LLMs, marketers can leverage the influence of AI-generated answers and extend their reach beyond traditional search engines.

Do More with Less by Swapping the Fluff for Trustworthy Information

Jamie Indigo advocates for a focus on trustworthy information that meets user needs. By removing repetitive content and focusing on quality, SEO professionals can make their websites more valuable to visitors and improve visibility in search results.

Learn How to "Program Personas" Effectively

Michael Bonfils suggests that SEO professionals leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to create specific, strategic, and actionable AI-driven personas. These personas can provide insights and generate ideas that align with the target audience's needs and preferences.

Businesses Should Invest in a Strong Internal SEO Product-Oriented Team

Pedro Dias emphasizes the importance of businesses investing in a strong internal SEO team that has a deep understanding of the product and vertical of operation. This team can ensure that SEO efforts are aligned with product development and drive sustained growth.

Conclusion

SEO is evolving rapidly, and SEO professionals must adapt to a new holistic approach that focuses on visibility across a wide range of platforms. By focusing on fundamentals, user experience, author authority, and alternative traffic sources, SEO professionals can position their businesses for success in 2025 and beyond.

Additional Resources

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