Top 10 SEO Strategies for 2025

If 2024 felt like a tough year for your business, you’re not alone. The economic challenges left many business owners scrambling to stay afloat, and 2025 is shaping up to be just as competitive. But here’s the thing—if you want your business to stand out online and rank well in search results, you can’t afford to sit back. The competition is only going to get stiffer. To stay ahead, you need to be on top of the latest SEO trends that will make your website shine in 2025. We’ve compiled our Top 10 SEO Strategies for 2025.

AI and GEO
Time To Value
Trustworthiness
Quality, Original Content
Technical SEO
Zero Click Results
Voice Search and Long Tail Keywords
Internal Linking Strategy
Sneak Features Snippets
Leverage Underperforming Content

We always have our eyes on what is ahead in the world of SEO, and here are our predicitions about which SEO trends you need to focus on this year to boost your online presence and get ahead of the curve.

Our Top 10 SEO Strategies for 2025

1. AI and GEO Are Here To Stay

In 2025, AI completely transformed how we use search engines, especially with Google leading the way. They rolled out smarter, AI-powered tools that make searches feel more like conversations, delivering quick, super-relevant answers. One big change is the rise of zero-click searches —where people find what they need right on the search page without ever clicking a link. For businesses, this means it’s more important than ever to optimise content to show up in those featured snippets and quick-answer boxes.

Another buzzword this year is GEO, short for Geographic Experience Optimisation. In simple terms, it’s about making sure your business stands out in local searches by tailoring content to a user’s specific location—like showing your café to someone searching “coffee near me” in your city. If you want your website to stay on the map (literally and figuratively), AI and GEO are the trends to focus on in 2025! SEO for small business really needs to get ahead of the trend here – big businesses have a lot of resources to put into their SEO, and if you can get ahead with AI and GEO, your small business can become a real player in the SEO space!

We recommend: Focus on ways you can work in copy to try and get rich snippets to help boost your online presence.

No idea what we’re talking about, or how to do it? Book an SEO strategy call and let’s run through it!

2. Get On With It - Time To Value is Important

In 2025, time to value is becoming a crucial factor in SEO. This concept is all about how quickly users can find the information or solution they’re looking for when they land on your website. Google rewards sites that provide a seamless experience, where visitors don’t have to wait or search endlessly for answers. If your website is slow to load, cluttered, or hard to navigate, users will bounce, and so will your rankings. To improve SEO, focus on reducing the time it takes for visitors to get the value they’re seeking—whether that’s a clear call to action, fast-loading content, or easy access to key information. By delivering quick and meaningful results, you not only satisfy your audience but also signal to search engines that your site provides real value, helping boost your rankings.

We recommend: Focus on improving your website’s time to value by putting the most important information at the top of the page, ideally above the fold. Use the Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) approach, also known as the inverted pyramid style, where you provide the key details users are looking for right away. Keep hero images smaller to speed up loading times without losing visual impact, and write short, punchy intros that immediately engage visitors.

For longer content, like blogs or guides, include clickable indexes with jump links to help users quickly navigate to the sections that matter most. These changes not only enhance the user experience but also help improve SEO by making your content easy to digest and accessible, signaling to search engines that your site provides immediate, relevant value.

3. Focus on Being a Trustworthy Expert

In 2025, Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines—Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness—are more important than ever for SEO. These aren’t just technical terms; they’re Google’s way of ensuring the content that ranks high is reliable, valuable, and created by real experts. For businesses, this means showcasing your authentic knowledge and experience in your field. Share insights, tell real stories, and prove you’re a trusted authority. For example, if you’re a local baker, talk about your years perfecting recipes or share tips you’ve learned through hands-on experience. Authenticity isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential. Google wants content that users can trust, and they’re getting better at spotting fluff or low-quality material. Focus on creating content that’s helpful, accurate, and written by someone who really knows their stuff. SEO for small business can be really tricky, but one thing we know about small business owners is that they are passionate about their brand and offering – you are the expert and you have the information people want. And what’s more, if you’re in small business, you’re still connected enough to be able to impart this to your audience in a really meaningful way! And trust us, as Google and SEO experts – the more genuine you are, the more Google (and your audience) will love you!

We recommend: Take some time now to go over your existing content and make sure it is still relevant and reliable to an audience in 2025. If there is new, updated information you can include in your copy, now is the time to do it. Google will reward websites that have that authority and trustworthiness, and recognises sites that are routinely updated.

Evaluate your website to ensure it reflects your expertise and authority in your industry. Take a look at your competitors’ sites to identify any content gaps and fill them to strengthen your position as a leader in your field (but don’t copy – Google won’t be impressed, and trust us, they know!).

Create detailed, comprehensive guides or pillar pages that cover everything someone might need to know about a topic, and group related content together to build authority around specific themes. Regularly update your content to keep it fresh and relevant, and consider adding case studies, industry insights, or expert interviews to showcase your deep knowledge. By offering valuable, in-depth content, you’ll demonstrate your expertise and become a trusted resource in your industry.

4. Quality and Originality Should (Still) Be Top Priority

In 2025, originality and quality are the cornerstones of successful SEO. For years now, Google has been prioritising content that stands out from the crowd—unique insights, fresh perspectives, and genuinely helpful information are what win the day, and SEO in 2025 likely won’t be any different. Copy-pasting ideas or rehashing the same tired topics won’t cut it anymore when we’re talking SEO for small business. Instead, focus on creating content that offers real value, whether it’s solving a problem, answering a tricky question, or providing a new take on something your audience cares about.

Another point to be aware of is that quality matters just as much as originality. Google’s algorithms are sharp at spotting shallow or poorly written content, so putting effort into clear, engaging, and well-structured writing goes a long way. Don’t just Chat-GPT your copy – original, high-quality content not only ranks better but also builds trust and loyalty with your audience—something every business can benefit from.

We recommend: Focus on creating content that reflects your unique expertise and perspective. Conduct regular audits of your website to identify and improve outdated or underperforming pages. Prioritise high-quality writing, and don’t be afraid to explore new formats like videos, infographics, or interactive tools to make your content more engaging and valuable

5. Sorry to Get Geeky, But Technical SEO

In 2025, technical SEO is just as important as the content itself. A big focus is on schema markup, which helps search engines understand your content better and display it in rich results—think star ratings, FAQs, and product details right in the search results. This extra visibility can be a game-changer when we’re talking SEO for small business.

Meanwhile, fast loading times remain critical. Nobody sticks around for a slow website, and Google knows it, using speed as a key ranking factor. Finally, mobile usability is non-negotiable, with more searches happening on phones than ever before. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly—easy to navigate, quick to load, and visually appealing—you’re losing both rankings and visitors. Paying attention to these technical details ensures your site isn’t just visible but also delivers a seamless experience that keeps users coming back.

We recommend: Use schema markup to enhance your content’s visibility in search results, like adding star ratings or FAQ sections. Perform a speed test on your site and address any issues—compress large images, minimise code, and consider faster hosting if needed. Regularly test your site on mobile devices to ensure it’s responsive, easy to navigate, and optimised for mobile-first indexing. These small tweaks can make a big difference in how search engines—and your audience—interact with your site.

No idea what we’re talking about, or how to do it? Book an SEO strategy call and let’s run through it!

6. Make Zero-Click Results A Focus

In 2025, zero-click results are dominating search engine results pages (SERPs). These are answers that appear directly on Google’s results page, so users don’t need to click on a link to find what they’re looking for. Think of things like featured snippets, where a quick answer to a question is displayed, or knowledge panels showing business details, maps, or even calculator tools.

For businesses, this means a shift in strategy—focusing on getting your content to appear in these high-visibility spots. To achieve this, structure your content for clarity: use headers, bullet points, and concise answers to common questions. Add schema markup to give search engines more context about your content, and prioritise creating genuinely useful, well-researched material that aligns with what people are searching for. It’s all about being the go-to source for immediate answers.

We recommend: Target zero-click opportunities by identifying common questions in your industry and crafting content that answers them concisely. Structure your content with clear headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to improve your chances of appearing in featured snippets.

Use schema markup to help Google understand your content better and increase your visibility in rich results like knowledge panels or local packs. Focus on creating high-quality, well-researched answers that add value right at the top of your page. Regularly monitor your rankings to adjust your approach and stay competitive in the zero-click race. SEO for small business can really move if you take on some of these techniques!

Does this all sound utterly confusing to you? No problem, we get it can be a bit overwhelming! Book let’s talk SEO strategy together and let’s run through it together, or contact us about monthly SEO work to have us manage your SEO for you!

7. Get Ready for Voice Search with Long Tail Queries

In 2025, voice search is playing an even larger role in how people interact with search engines. With virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant becoming more common, users are shifting towards more natural, conversational queries. Instead of typing short, specific keywords, they’re asking full questions or making statements just as they would in a conversation. This shift means that businesses need to optimise content to reflect the way people speak.

To do this, focus on using long-tail keywords—those longer, more specific phrases that mimic natural speech, like “how to fix a leaking pipe in the kitchen” rather than just “leaking pipe repair.” By crafting content that answers these specific, question-based queries, you increase your chances of appearing in voice search results. Additionally, structuring your content with clear, conversational headings and Q&A sections can help, as voice search often pulls directly from these types of formats to provide quick, accurate answers. Optimising for voice search isn’t just about keywords; it’s about making your content feel authentic and human.

We recommend: Focus on creating content that reads naturally and conversationally, just like a real person would speak. Use long-tail keywords that mirror the phrases people use in voice searches, and be sure to answer common questions directly and clearly. When we’re talking about SEO for small business, we need to make sure you are creating meaningful connections with your audience, and one way of doing this is with long tail keywords.

Organise your content with Q&A sections or conversational headings to improve your chances of appearing in voice search results. Keep your tone authentic and approachable, making it easy for voice assistants to pull your content as a helpful answer. Think about the questions your audience is likely to ask and structure your content around those real-world inquiries. This will help your content stand out in a world of voice-first search.

8. Formulate a Strong Internal Linking Strategy

In 2025, strategic internal linking is a key SEO focus that can significantly improve your site’s performance. Well-placed internal links help search engines understand your site structure and the relationship between pages, making it easier for them to crawl and index your content. They also enhance user experience by guiding visitors to other relevant pages on your site, keeping them engaged longer.

The strategic part comes in knowing how and where to link. For maximum impact, link to your most important pages from other semantically and topically related content. Additionally, use descriptive anchor text—the clickable text of the link—that aligns with the search intent behind the user’s query, making it clear what users can expect on the linked page (this is waaay better than “click here” as link text, which tells Google absolutely nothing about what you’re linking to, meaning it can’t understand what is relevant!). This not only strengthens the relevance of your links but also helps improve your rankings by reinforcing key topics and keywords across your site.

We recommend: Start building a virtual web of information on your site with strategic internal linking. Focus on linking to your most relevant and important pages from other content that shares a similar topic or theme. This helps both users and search engines navigate your site more easily, improving the overall user experience. Think about the search intent behind each page and ensure your internal links are relevant and helpful.

Additionally, identify pages with strong backlinks—these are your authority pages. From these, link to newer or less-visited pages that are topically relevant. By doing this, you’ll pass on some of that page authority, boosting the SEO rankings of those linked pages. Regularly audit your internal linking structure to make sure it’s up to date and continues to support a smooth, intuitive user journey while strengthening your SEO strategy.

9. Don’t Be Above Stealing Snippets

It might sound a bit underhanded, but as we head into 2025, the key to standing out in a crowded online space is staying ahead of the game. By optimising your site for the latest trends like AI-driven search, GEO targeting, and voice search, you’re not just keeping up with the competition—you’re positioning your business as a trusted, go-to resource in your industry. Focus on creating high-quality, original content that speaks to your audience’s needs, and ensure your site is technically sound with fast loading times and mobile usability.

By embracing these changes and keeping your content fresh, you’ll boost your visibility, build authority, and ultimately, drive more traffic to your site. The competition may be stiff, but with the right SEO strategy, your business can rise above it. Now’s the time to take action and set yourself up for success in 2025 and beyond!

We recommend: No idea what we’re talking about, or how to do it? Book an SEO strategy call and let’s run through it!

10. Leverage Underperforming Content

Another key SEO strategy in 2025 is leveraging underperforming content. Every piece of quality content on your website should have a purpose—whether it’s to rank higher, attract traffic, convert leads, earn backlinks, or build your authority. But sometimes, content just doesn’t perform the way you hoped. That’s when it’s time to take a step back and evaluate its performance. If a piece of content isn’t driving traffic or helping your site’s goals, don’t just leave it sitting there.

You have a few options: either update it with fresh, relevant information, optimise it for new keywords, or repurpose it in a new format, like turning a blog post into an infographic or video. If the content is still not pulling its weight after updating, consider removing it altogether. It might seem like a lot of effort to go to for a small business, but SEO for small business is about really utilising what you’ve got. Unnecessary content takes up space and resources, and it could even be holding your site back from ranking better.

By focusing on content that truly serves a purpose and updating what’s not working, you’ll ensure your site is constantly moving forward and staying relevant in the search results.

We recommend: Not sure how to work out which content is underperforming, or what to do with it to make it perform better? Book an SEO strategy call or a website and SEO audit and let’s run through it!

As we head into 2025, the key to standing out in a crowded online space is staying ahead of the game. By optimising your site for the latest trends like AI-driven search, GEO targeting, and voice search, you’re not just keeping up with the competition—you’re positioning your business as a trusted, go-to resource in your industry. Focus on creating high-quality, original content that speaks to your audience’s needs, and ensure your site is technically sound with fast loading times and mobile usability.