SEO in 2025: What’s Changed and What Still Works
You may have heard people say SEO is dead. Spoiler Alert: SEO isn’t dead, if anything, it’s more alive than ever.
Google still drives over 63% of all U.S. web traffic; if that’s not alive, I don’t know what is. But the way people are searching for services and products is very different from the past. It’s not just Google anymore, we’re talking ChatGPT, TikTok, YouTube — the list goes on and on.
Just like Neil Patel says in his blog, “In 2025, it’s less about search engine optimization and more about search everywhere optimization.”
And he’s right, SEO isn’t dead, but it definitely has outgrown your old playbook.
What’s changed in SEO:
1. AI is a search engine
Tools like ChatGPT and Claude aren’t replacing Google, but they’re definitely becoming some people’s go-to. These AI tools answer questions directly, and if your content isn’t helpful and easy to find, it gets left behind.
What you need to do: Make sure your content is easy to scan, easy to understand, and easy for AI to use.
2. Social media is a search engine
Social media started out as just entertainment for everyone, and that’s just not the case anymore. Users are actively searching on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. The younger generation doesn't want 2,000-word blog posts, they want quick and visual answers.
What you need to do: Take your SEO content and turn it into short-form videos. Things like how-tos, comparisons, and location-based searches with keywords in captions and audio.
3. Video Content Is Now an SEO Powerhouse (We’ve been telling you this)
Making videos used to be about boosting engagement and just trying to entertain people, but now it directly impacts search rankings. Google shows video carousels in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), YouTube is the number two search engine globally, and AI tools love to watch, summarize, and cite content.
What you need to do: Make video content, duh. Short-form, long-form — everything! Add these videos to your YouTube channel with transcriptions and then embed them on key landing pages. P.S. Videos keep people on your site longer, which Google LOVES to see.
4. Google’s Algorithm Is Changing Daily
Did you know Google rolls out about 12 updates a day? Which is CRAZY! Many are minor tweaks and adjustments, while some are major changes, but they all add up to one simple truth: the rules are always changing. So if your SEO strategy depends on finding hacks and tricks, you’re already behind.
What you need to do: Prioritize helpful content, user experience, and credibility.
5. Welcome To The Zero-Click era
Have you noticed that when you search on Google, there is an AI preview at the top that usually answers your question? And you didn’t even have to click. Search engines are doing everything they can to keep users on their platforms instead of sending them to yours.
💡 Your move: Optimize for snippets. Answer questions in 40–50 words. Structure your content to be “scrapable” and immediately useful.
What you need to do: Optimize your content for these “snippets.” Structure your content to be easy to read and immediately useful.
So, What Still Works in SEO?
1. Helpful content
You may not believe it after what you just read, but people still read websites. And you guessed it, they’re still annoyed by clickbait and fluff. The content that ranks is the content that helps people. Things like well-written service pages, content that answers FAQ, and blog posts that educate.
2. Strong Technical SEO
Things like fast load times, mobile view, clean structure, and crawlable URLs are still important. If your website is slow or broken, no one will stick around (even the bots).
3. High-quality Backlinks
Using backlinks is still major in ranking, but only when it comes from relevant and credible websites.
4. Local SEO
For businesses that are service-based, nothing beats dominating your local rankings. A big role in this? Optimize your Google Business Profile! Get reviews, add your services, make sure your contact info is up to date, etc.
And just know that Good SEO Never Dies. Period.
SEO Hasn’t Died, It’s Just Smarter!
The SEO strategy you were using back in 2017? Outdated.
Strategic, platform-aware, audience-first SEO? WINNING.
And that’s why at 2ten Marketing, we don’t follow trends, we build SEO strategies that actually last. Whether your audience is searching on Google, YouTube, or ChatGPT, we make sure they find you. Don’t believe us? Just check out how some of our clients are showing up.
Are you ready to stop guessing and start ranking? Let’s chat!