Team Madcraft
As anyone interested in Search engine optimization (SEO) knows, it is constantly evolving. The SEO strategies and practices of today are totally different from those of just two years ago – and they’re always changing. As we look to 2025, SEO is becoming more about giving users what they want, when they want it. Google will continue to prioritize the big four: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), meaning SEO experts now need to ensure human-centred content is at the forefront of their strategy.
Let’s dive into the biggest trends in SEO for 2025 and how you can prepare your business.
We’ve all heard it ad nauseam: Artificial intelligence this, Chatbot that. SEO is no different. AI can be a powerful tool for SEO – making it easier to scale and more efficient; however, over-reliance on AI can be problematic. If everyone is relying on AI for their content, won’t all that content be very similar? Google is all about User Experience – and who better to write for humans than other humans? AI simply can not produce unique insights the way human experts can! A key trend in SEO in 2025 will be figuring out how to balance AI input with human-created content.
As well as this, AI is making search engines smarter. Tools like Google’s MUM (Multitask Unified Model) can now understand not just the words you type but the meaning behind them. This is huge for search intent and means search engines can give better answers to more complex questions.
Tip: Focus on creating clear, helpful content that answers your audience’s questions.
‘Hey SIRI, what’s the weather like in Nashville today?’ – How many times have you or your friends asked a similar question to your pocket assistant? More people than ever are searching using their voices – products like ALEXA are a familiar installation in many homes. This means SEO’s have now got to optimize for voice search – think longtail more conversational keywords that mimic the way people talk (e.g “What’s the best pizza place in Houston Texas?” vs. “pizza place Houston Texas”)
Tip: Include questions and answers in your content that people might ask out loud, like FAQs.
Mobiles are everywhere and almost everyone has one – this means that by 2025, most users will visit websites from their phones. Currently, 58.67% of all website traffic worldwide comes from mobile phones and this is set to grow in 2025. If your site isn’t easy to use on a mobile device, you could lose visitors and rank lower in search results.
Tip: Use Google’s Page Speed Insights to test your mobile readiness.
Google’s “helpful content” updates are a big deal. Google now rewards content that is ‘primarily created to benefit people, not to gain search engine rankings’. It also penalizes those that are just trying to rank. When creating your content, try to provide real value to the human searcher and answer any questions you think they might have. Think about how frustrating it is when you’ve Googled something, you think you’ve found the perfect answer, only to be met with a Keyword stuffed site that doesn’t answer your questions at all!
Tip: Think about what your audience wants to know and create content that solves their problems.
For small businesses, showing up in local search results can make or break your business. In 2025, local SEO will continue to grow as people search for nearby businesses. Whether they’re looking for a restaurant, a plumber, or a hotel, potential customers want fast, relevant results for services close to them.
Search terms like “near me” or “open now” have skyrocketed over the past few years, and this trend will only accelerate. Local SEO helps businesses appear in searches when users are ready to take action—like calling your business, visiting your store, or booking an appointment.
Tip: Add your business address, phone number, and hours of operation to every page of your website.
In 2025, User Experience (UX) will continue to be king as Google rewards sites that are fast, user-friendly and easy to get around. Google’s mission has always been to provide users with the best, most relevant results, and this extends beyond content to the overall experience users have on your website. Google wants to give users the best experience possible.
If your website is hard to navigate, confusing, or loads too slowly, visitors will leave quickly—something known as a high bounce rate. Google sees this as a sign that users aren’t finding value on your site, which can result in lower search rankings.
Tip: Use tools like Google’s Page Speed Insights to check your site’s performance.
SEO is ever-changing: it’s why many of us love it after all! However, its core purpose remains the same: to help users find the best, most relevant answers to their questions. Search engines like Google are designed to reward sites that prioritize their audience’s needs, delivering content that is helpful, accessible, and easy to find. As we look ahead to 2025, businesses that adapt to changing trends will not only survive but thrive in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.
