The future of SEO isn’t looking good, particularly for traditional search optimization. Optimizing for search engines has already shifted, as they’re losing ground over AI-generated answers like Google’s AI overviews, featured snippets, and sponsored YouTube videos.
Businesses that fail to adapt to changes quickly lose ground. Over time, those who fail to become flexible to the changing times of SEO can see their traffic nosedive and leads disappearing. Adaptability is the new keyword for SEO success, and let’s talk about how you can succeed with SEO in 2025.
Why Traditional SEO is Failing
Before we get into the strategies to adapt for the future of SEO, let’s talk about why using traditional search engine optimizing techniques is failing in 2025. Remember the time when websites need only to attach their chosen keywords in every way imaginable to rank in search engines? Those days are gone, as SEO has evolved over the years.
As keyword stuffing became a thing of the past, additional SEO techniques came to light, and some of them use the power of AI. Today, featured snippets dominate “Position 0,” burying traditional results. So, people who are able to get their answers in the search results won’t need to click on other websites.
Think outside the box to ensure people click on the link that’ll lead to your website. For example, advertising a link on a YouTube video can help bypass the AI results showing at the top of search results. Backlinko even reports that YouTube videos dominate 35% of search results in 2025.
Remember, “SEO isn’t dead, but it’s evolving,” as said by Crazy Egg and Hello Bar co-founder Neil Patel.
The Rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Think of GEO as SEO’s smarter cousin by leveraging AI tools to reshape the online world and help people find information conveniently. As AI tools, such as Perplexity and ChatGPT, are reshaping how we find information, online entities, especially business websites, must pivot to the evolved guidelines.
Now, these platforms skip traditional search results, letting users find answers without clicking another link. So, businesses must build clear, trustworthy online presences for the AI tools to capture information from their platforms.
5 Strategies to Succeed with SEO in 2025
1. Clarity Over Jargon
The future of SEO invokes clarity over technical terms. So, ensure your website clearly states who you want to help, how you can help them, and why you’re different from others.
SEO in 2025 and beyond foresees prioritizing content that answers questions directly instead of text with flowery words.
Using plain language can now help pages rank higher in search results and land them as featured snippets. For example, many people won't search for jargon on the Internet unless it's absolutely necessary.
As businessman, inventor, and co-founder of Apple Inc., Steve Jobs, said in an interview:
“Simple can be harder than complex… but it’s worth it in the end.”
For example, don’t focus on keyphrases like “leverage holistic paradigms,” as your website may get less traffic than expected. Instead, say something like, “Save time grading with AI tools.”
Whenever you’re trying to rank your website or homepage, it's better to use words that a 12-year-old can understand instead of prioritizing professionals with highly specialized skill sets.
2. Build a Strong Digital Reputation
Your pride is only a small slice of the large pie called online reputation. Only sticking to that trait may make your future in SEO bleak.
Note that in 2025 and beyond, AI tools are constantly scanning the Internet for consistent mentions and positive feedback. Think websites mentioned by trusted platforms like Forbes and popular social media. Why? It’s because these tools are always scouring the web for signals of credibility.
One Brightlocal study, in particular, found that 87% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Search engine algorithms are then following suit, allowing end users to gain highly credible answers based on what the online community says.
So, stay ahead of competitors by not being blind to the evident challenges of SEO and AI tools. Also, consider using these techniques for your business to develop a strong digital reputation:
- Collaborate with industry influencers, such as guest posting on high-authority blogs
- Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive feedback on your website
- Monitor mentions across other platforms, particularly social media
If successful, people on the Internet will talk about your business and its website, which should mostly be positive. Then, search engines will catch up to the information influx, giving an authoritative status to your webpage.
3. Leverage AI-Optimized Press Releases
There was a time when AI was nothing but a buzzword. Tech giants inserting AI into their products haven't been able to sit well with many public communities until today. Now, AI has evolved and crept into various facets of life that streamline various activities, shortening the time and effort needed to complete tasks, particularly in SEO.
In 2025, and the foreseeable future of SEO, AI-generated press releases can be businesses’ secret weapons to increase mentions and authority. Use tools like ChatGPT and Jasper to create releases that naturally embed trending keywords.
A report published in February 2025 to PR Newswire from Bain & Company mentioned that 80% of search users now rely on AI summaries for at least 40% of their time. Note that AI has now reached a point wherein it can look into the context of search words to provide answers.
Start achieving this goal by targeting niche platforms when creating and publishing AI-optimized press releases. Then, distribute the pieces to platforms like Brand Featured to increase visibility. Next, leverage multimedia by adding videos or infographics to pages, providing visual appeal to search engine algorithms and end users.
4. Create Listicle-Style Blog Posts
Listicle-style blog posts (or listicles for short) can help put your website on top of search results for your preferred keywords. Creating “best of” lists or pieces that provide step-by-step information with genuine pros and cons of competitors can make content more trustworthy.
Although it’s relatively safe to say that it’s easy to create listicles, the kicker is trust. People won’t bother reading through lists if one look says that the information displayed can’t be trusted.
For now, let’s take a look at HubSpot’s post titled “Best CRM of 2024.” Here, you’ll see each item on the list with a carefully crafted description, complete with advantages and shortcomings. Then, the author doubled down on building their trust with readers by comparing the CRM tools with known competitors.
Listicles also help bridge the gap between your website and mobile users, particularly those who crave bite-sized info. Also, great content answers the questions your audience didn’t know they had, and listicles can achieve that and more!
5. Generate Positive, Detailed Reviews
As a user, finding a business with “rave 5-star reviews” without giving context can produce doubts. Search engines, especially Google, consider those with meaningful, well-thought-out reviews to give people the solution they need to specific problems.
Think about it: a review saying, “This restaurant had the greatest service with the friendliest staff, and the food is divine!” is gold compared to “Great place!” Remember, specificity develops trust in both customers and algorithms.
So, encourage clients to leave reviews that highlight specific results and outcomes. Ask customers for their email and send them a quick survey, asking them to write what they like (and don’t like) about your offerings. Then, paste those meaningful texts to your website for the AI in search engines to see and read.
Note that the future of SEO envisions AI to not only read reviews but also analyzes them for relevance. Remember, the best SEO strategy is making people love your brand enough to talk about it.
Why YouTube is Becoming the New Search Engine
In the early days of the Internet, YouTube was an online platform where people uploaded their cute cat videos and fan-made music videos. Over the years, the website thrived and has now become the second-largest search engine, falling short of Google. But, this time, AI isn’t controlling the video-streaming website’s visibility, as many online community members would rather ingest visual content than read massive blocks of text.
Remember, people don’t only want information; they want connection. So, searching for something like “how to fix a leaky faucet” will most likely lead you to a YouTube video explaining the steps to solve that problem.
With that, leverage the power of YouTube to your advantage. In particular, create videos and publish them on that platform built around common client questions. A good place to start is your business’ FAQ page. Then, optimize the titles and descriptions using natural language without jargon.
How to Optimize Content for AI and YouTube
The next thing to do for your business's future SEO is to optimize its content for AI and YouTube search rankings. After all, adapting to evolving SEO standards now saves headaches later. So, here are some quick tips to help improve your business website’s search rankings in 2025 and beyond:
- Nail search intent with precision. Use exact search terms in your video titles and descriptions.
- Put yourself in the shoes of your target market. Align content with questions people are actively searching for.
- Provide valuable insights. Deliver written and visual information backed by credible sources.
- Structure for AI snippets. Add FAQ-style headers to align with how AI extracts answers.
- Optimize videos for “bingeability.” Include a hook at the beginning and leave viewers wanting more at the end of each video without leaving cliffhangers.
If you're trying to figure out which keywords and content strategies work best in this new AI-driven search environment, SEMRush is an incredibly powerful tool. It helps you analyze search trends, track your rankings, and find out exactly what’s working for your competitors.
