THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR SEO IN 2025

(Updated April, 28th 2025)

SEO is like a never-ending game of cat and mouse—just when you think you’ve cracked the code, Google switches things up! As we charge into 2025, search engines are getting smarter, and the rules of the game are shifting yet again. So, how do you stay ahead? Buckle up and let’s dive into the top.

SEO trends for 2025 and how you can keep your rankings soaring.

1. AI is Calling the Shots—Time to Get Smart

Google’s AI-driven algorithms, like the Multitask Unified Model (MUM) and Search Generative Experience (SGE), are making search results more intuitive than ever. Keyword stuffing is out, and understanding user intent is in.

What does MUM do?

Imagine someone searching for “best hiking trails near Salt Lake City that are good for dogs and have waterfalls, and what gear should I bring?”. That’s a pretty complex question!

Before MUM: Google might have looked at each keyword separately: “hiking trails,” “Salt Lake City,” “dogs,” “waterfalls,” and “gear.” It would try to piece together answers from different web pages.
With MUM: MUM can understand the entire question as a whole, just like a person would. It can understand the intent behind the question – the user wants specific types of hikes and needs gear recommendations. MUM can then look at information across different languages, understand different formats (text, images, videos), and connect related ideas to give a much more complete and helpful answer.

What is SGE?

SGE is a new way Google is presenting search results, powered by AI. Instead of just showing a list of blue links, SGE can:

Summarize Information: If you ask a question, SGE might give you a quick, AI-generated summary of the key information from multiple sources right at the top of the page.
Answer Directly: For many questions, SGE aims to provide a direct answer extracted from the web, saving you the need to click through multiple links.
Suggest Follow-Up Questions: SGE can understand the context of your question and suggest related questions you might find helpful.

What You Should Do:

Speak Google’s language: Optimize for semantic search and focus on delivering real value – not sure what semantic search is? Take a look at this blog that dives into semantic search in more detail
Write naturally engaging content that answers questions before users even ask.
Use AI tools to help craft insightful, data-driven articles that truly resonate.

2. E-E-A-T is Still King—Show Off Your Expertise

Google’s love affair with Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) isn’t going anywhere. If you want to rank, you need to prove you’re the real deal.

E – Experience: This is the newest addition! It means Google wants to see if you have real-world, firsthand experience with the topic you’re writing about. Did you actually use the product you’re reviewing? Have you visited the place you’re describing? Sharing your own experiences makes your content more authentic.
E – Expertise: This refers to your knowledge and skills in a particular area. Do you really know what you’re talking about? This can come from formal education, professional experience, or deep, demonstrated knowledge.
A – Authoritativeness: This is about your reputation and credibility in your niche. Are you seen as a go-to source of information by others? Do other respected websites or experts link to you or mention you?
T – Trustworthiness: This is all about whether your website and its content are reliable, honest, and secure. Do you have clear contact information? Is your website secure (HTTPS)? Do you present information accurately and avoid misleading claims?

What You Should Do:

Publish content by recognized experts in your field (or better yet, become one!).
Include author bios and back up claims with solid sources.
Keep things fresh by updating old content regularly—Google loves a good refresh.

3. Voice Search is Louder Than Ever

People are talking (literally) to their devices more than ever, which means voice search optimization is a must. Long-tail, conversational queries are taking center stage. Imagine you’re talking to your phone, your smart speaker (like Google Home or Amazon Echo), or even your car’s navigation system and asking it questions instead of typing them. That’s voice search! And in 2025, it’s become a really big deal – it’s “louder than ever” in the world of how people find information online.

Why is Voice Search Getting So Popular?

Think about it:

It’s Convenient: It’s often faster and easier to just say what you’re looking for, especially when you’re on the go, cooking, or doing something else where typing is difficult.
It’s Natural: We’re used to talking! Asking a question out loud feels more natural than typing a query.
Smart Devices are Everywhere: More and more people have smartphones, smart speakers, smartwatches, and even smart TVs that support voice commands. This makes voice search readily accessible.

How is Voice Search Different from Typing?

When we type a search query, we often use short, choppy phrases and keywords. For example, we might type “best pizza near me.”

But when we speak, we tend to use more natural, conversational language. We’re more likely to say, “Hey Google, what’s the best pizza place that’s open right now near me?” or “Alexa, find me a good Italian restaurant with delivery.”

What You Should Do:

Think FAQ-style content—answering questions in a natural, conversational way.
Focus on local SEO, since many voice searches are location-based.
Use structured data markup (schema) to give search engines a clear roadmap of your content.

4. Zero-Click Searches—Winning Without Clicks

Google is getting stingy with clicks, answering more questions directly on the SERP. But don’t worry—you can still make this work in your favor. “Zero-Click Searches—Winning Without Clicks” might sound a bit strange at first, especially when SEO beginners are usually focused on getting people to click on our website links in Google. But it’s a really important idea to understand!

“Zero-Click Searches—Winning Without Clicks” might sound a bit strange at first, especially when we SEO beginners are usually focused on getting people to click on our website links in Google. But it’s a really important idea to understand!

What are Zero-Click Searches?

Imagine you ask Google a simple question, like “What time is it?” or “What’s the weather like in Elk Ridge?”. Google usually gives you the answer right there on the search results page (SERP) at the top. You don’t need to click on any website to get that information. That’s a zero-click search – you get what you need without visiting a website.

Google does this more and more for different types of questions using things like:

Featured Snippets: These are little boxes at the top of the search results that give a direct answer to a question, often pulled from a website.
Knowledge Panels: These are information boxes that appear on the side (or top on mobile) when you search for people, places, or things, providing quick facts.
Direct Answer Boxes: These are simple, straightforward answers to questions, like a calculator or a currency converter right in the search results.
Local Packs: When you search for local businesses like “pizza near me,” Google shows a map with listings and information like phone numbers and addresses directly on the page.
AI Overviews (Newer!): Google’s AI can now generate summaries of information right in the search results for more complex questions.

Why is “Winning Without Clicks” Important?

You might be thinking, “But I want people to click on my website!” And that’s still important for many things. However, “winning” in zero-click searches means your website is the source of that information that Google is showing directly to users.

Even though someone doesn’t click through to your site in that specific search, being featured in a zero-click result has some big benefits:

Brand Visibility: Your website’s name and information get seen by people even if they don’t click. This helps build brand awareness.
Building Trust and Authority: If Google trusts your content enough to feature it directly, it signals to users that you’re a reliable source of information.
Answering Questions Directly: You’re helping people get the information they need quickly, which can lead to them remembering your brand positively in the future.
Voice Search Optimization: Often, voice assistants like Siri or Google Assistant will read out information from featured snippets. So, optimizing for zero-click can also help you perform better in voice search.

What You Should Do:

Aim for featured snippets by providing concise, direct answers.
Implement structured data and schema markup to improve visibility.
Create irresistibly engaging content that encourages users to visit your site anyway.

5. Video & Visual Search—Because Text Alone Won’t Cut It

Google isn’t just reading your content—it’s watching and analyzing your videos, too. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok are influencing search rankings in a big way. People online aren’t just reading anymore, they’re seeing and hearing!

Why Can’t Text Alone Always Do the Job?

Imagine you’re trying to learn how to tie a specific knot, or you want to see what a particular shade of blue looks like on a wall, or you’re looking for a funny cat doing a backflip. Text descriptions can only go so far, right?

Visuals are Faster and Easier: Our brains process visual information much faster than text. A quick image or a short video can convey information more effectively and instantly than reading a long paragraph.
Demonstrations are Powerful: For “how-to” guides, tutorials, or product demonstrations, seeing something in action through a video is often much clearer than just reading instructions.
Visual Search is Growing: Technology is making it easier to search using images. Think about Google Lens, Pinterest Lens, or even shopping apps where you can upload a picture of something you like and find similar items. People are using their cameras to search the real world!
Video Platforms are Huge: YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world! People actively go there to find videos on everything from product reviews to entertainment to learning new skills.

What You Should Do:

Optimize video titles, descriptions, and transcripts with strategic keywords.
Use alt text and structured data to help images and videos rank.
Get creative with Google Lens optimization to stay ahead in visual search.

6. Core Web Vitals & UX—Because Speed Matters

Google is picky when it comes to user experience, and slow, clunky websites won’t make the cut. Your website is like a shop, and your visitors are your customers.

What are Core Web Vitals?

Think of Core Web Vitals as Google’s way of checking how good the experience is for people visiting your website. They look at three main things:

Loading Speed (Largest Contentful Paint – LCP): How quickly does the main stuff on your page appear? Imagine a customer walking into your shop – they want to see the key products quickly, not stare at an empty room for ages. Google likes it when your main content loads in under 2.5 seconds.
Interactivity (Interaction to Next Paint – INP): How quickly does your website respond when someone clicks a button, taps a link, or types something? If a customer tries to ask a question or interact with something in your shop, you want to respond quickly, not leave them waiting. Google likes your site to respond to interactions in under 200 milliseconds.
Visual Stability (Cumulative Layout Shift – CLS): Does your website jump around while it’s loading? Imagine walking into a shop and the shelves keep moving! It’s annoying and makes it hard to use. Google wants your page to be visually stable and not have unexpected movements. Aim for a CLS score of less than 0.1.

What is UX (User Experience)?

UX is simply how people feel when they use your website. Is it easy to navigate? Is it pleasant to look at? Does it give them what they need without frustration? If your shop is messy, confusing, and slow, customers will likely leave. The same goes for your website.

Why Does “Speed Matter”?

The phrase “Because Speed Matters” is the key here! Think about your own experiences online:

Patience is Thin: If a website takes too long to load, you probably click away and go to a different one. Your visitors do the same!
First Impressions Count: A slow website gives a bad first impression. It can make your business look unprofessional or unreliable.
Happy Users Stay Longer: When your website loads quickly and is easy to use (good UX), people are more likely to stick around, read your content, explore other pages, and maybe even become customers.
Google Cares About Happy Users: Google wants to show people the best and most helpful websites. If your site is slow and frustrating to use, Google might rank it lower in search results because it’s not providing a good experience.

Core Web Vitals are a part of UX that Google specifically looks at for SEO. They’re like specific measurements of how fast, responsive, and stable your website is.

What You Should Do:

Speed things up by compressing images, reducing redirects, and enabling caching.
Think mobile-first design, since the majority of searches happen on phones.
Make your site accessible and easy to navigate—good UX equals better rankings.

7. Local SEO & Hyper-Personalization—It’s All About You (and Your Location)

Imagine you’re a local business owner in Elk Ridge, Utah – maybe you run a fantastic bakery or a helpful hardware store. This concept is all about making sure people in your area can easily find you online.

What is Local SEO?

Think of Local SEO as making your online presence visible to customers who are nearby. When someone in Elk Ridge searches for “best coffee shop near me” or “hardware store in Elk Ridge,” you want your business to show up in those local search results. It’s like putting a big, bright sign outside your physical store so people in the neighborhood know you’re there.

Google uses things like your Google Business Profile (which is like your online business listing), your website, and online reviews to figure out if your business is relevant to local searches.

What is Hyper-Personalization?

Now, Hyper-Personalization takes things a step further. It’s about tailoring the online experience specifically to an individual user based on things like their location, past behavior, preferences, and even the current time.

Imagine someone in Elk Ridge searching for “coffee shops.” Google might show them your bakery first if they’ve searched for “pastries” before or if it’s currently breakfast time. It’s like your friendly shopkeeper remembering your usual order and suggesting it when you walk in!

Why is “It’s All About You (and Your Location)” Important?

Local Customers are Key for Local Businesses: If you’re a brick-and-mortar business, your local community is often your primary customer base. Local SEO helps you reach these people when they’re actively looking for what you offer.
“Near Me” Searches are Powerful: People searching for “[your product/service] near me” have a high intent to visit or buy now. You want to be visible when they’re ready to take action.
Hyper-Personalization Makes You More Relevant: By understanding individual needs and location, Google can connect searchers with the most relevant local options. This means if you’ve optimized for the right local keywords and provided a good user experience, you have a better chance of being shown to the right people at the right time.
Standing Out from the Competition: Effective local SEO and understanding the principles of hyper-personalization can help you outrank competitors who haven’t focused on these areas.

Google wants to give users the most relevant results, which means local SEO and personalization are becoming more important than ever.

What You Should Do:

Keep your Google My Business profile up-to-date and packed with reviews.
Create hyper-local content tailored to your audience.
Use geo-targeting and localized keywords to boost regional visibility.

Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways

SEO in 2025 is a wild ride, but the key to success is staying flexible, informed, and ready to adapt. Focus on quality content, user experience, and smart AI-driven strategies, and you’ll be ahead of the curve. Google’s got the algorithms, but you’ve got the brains—so go out there and conquer the rankings!

Ready to future-proof your SEO strategy? The time to act is now!