Google’s December 2024 Core Update has started rolling out, and with this update, new things to consider in SEO will also be revealed. However, based on Google’s and other search engines’ focus this year, it’s not very hard to estimate what will be at the center of focus when it comes to SEO in 2025.
That’s why we have compiled an ultimate SEO Checklist for 2025, which will help you be at the forefront in 2025 when it comes to digital marketing, particularly SEO. From new-age AI to traditional strategies that will remain relevant, we have considered everything important in the list to understand upcoming SEO trends better.
Moving into 2025, it is crucial to understand how to use the past SEO trends effectively while adapting to the new SEO trends that will come in 2025. Staying ahead of the curve will help you stay ahead of the competition and gain traction in this competitive market. Let’s look at some of the key trends that are expected to shape how SEO helps businesses rank content and get customers who become loyal brand advocates.
7 Key SEO Trends to Watch in 2025
SEO is not just a one-time investment, rather, it is an ongoing process. As new trends come up, it is essential to keep your website updated always to stay ahead of the curve and remain in pace with the competition. Let’s understand the top seven SEO trends that you can adopt in 2025:
1. An Increase in Traffic on Forum Platforms
Believe it or not, forums like Quora and Reddit are also gaining dominance in search queries. And while there can be multiple reasons for that, experience and originality are absolutely among them. These popular forums let everyone share their answer to the queries posted, and these answers can be real experiences that can help you understand more about a brand or service.
However, it’s important to have these forums in your ultimate SEO checklist. Why? Because you can capitalize on the fact that people expect original content on these forums. You can create a channel on these forums and add a clear bio to make sure people know from where they are getting their answers. Next, actively pick queries to answer and make organic posts. Now, being a company, you can also consider the ad services these platforms offer. So, as per your budget, you can run ad campaigns for increased visibility, but it is always a good idea to get organic traffic.
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2. The AI Overviews
It’s barely possible that the technology lists of 2025 will be completed without AI. The same is the case with SEO. Google has introduced AI overviews, first known as Search Generative Experiences. It was already there in 2024, but in its experimental phases, there were no strategies to follow.
However, now, the scenario has changed as AI overviews answer around 7% of Google queries. And in most cases where an AI overview is provided, it turns the query into a zero-click query. So, what to do? Create content that does not focus on question-based queries when the keywords are commercial or transactional. Moreover, to target informative queries, rank on AI overviews by optimizing the content and website. You can get help from professional SEO services on how to optimize your on-page SEO for this.
3. Zero Click Searches
As we just talked about zero-click searches above, let’s have a deep dive into it because it’s very important. In 2023-24, there used to be the featured snippets and People Also Asked section which was the reason why there was an increase in zero-click searches. However, now with AI Overview and other AI search engines, zero-click searches have increased further. So, what does that mean? Is all your content on the website a waste now?
Absolutely not; it’s just a sign of adapting to a newer era of searches where the answers have to be more precise. You need to focus on the users and their intent when searching the internet. If you crack it, then there’s no doubt you’ll easily make it to these new places like AI overviews. Here’s what to do:
- Create content that also addresses common questions and People Also Asked Queries.
- Format the content to be easily crawled by search engine crawlers.
- Focus on what the user wants to know and not the search engines. In simple words, write for users, not for Search Engines.
4. The Rise of YouTube and Video Content
According to a report, video content being uploaded on the internet can make up to 82% of internet traffic by 2025. Yes, you need to focus on videos, too, especially YouTube. The time has gone when YouTube was considered a completely different platform. Even when the video results were in the search results, they rarely came to the front page of the results. But that’s not the case now; if there are relevant videos available on the internet, then the search engine will show it right on the first SERP. In some cases, the first 3-5 results can be videos only.
So, what do you need to do? If you are also creating YouTube video content, that’s great, and if not then start today. Moreover, you need to optimize your web pages and add videos as well to your content. How? If you are creating content on YouTube, make sure you have optimized titles, write optimized descriptions, use tags, and create attractive thumbnails. You can also integrate other popular videos on YouTube into the relevant landing pages for a rich user experience.
5. Traditional SEO Strategies to Retain
Not every item in the ultimate SEO checklist of 2025 has to be new. There are traditional strategies, too, which are still relevant. So, focus on these strategies as well. For instance, local SEO has great significance because what it offers is still needed.
It allows you to show up from location-based and geographical queries. Hence, if you have a business serving a localized population in one area or many, local SEO is a must. And it’s not a task at all. If you partner with professional SEO services, then they can help you:
- By optimizing your Google My Business profile.
- And creating content optimized with local keywords.
Similarly, there are other strategies, too like building backlinks. It’s one of the best ways to make your website authorized and trustworthy, as Google still considers backlinks a source of trust. So, the more quality backlinks you have, the more trustworthy your website will be.
6. The Rising Voice Searches
A continuation of the rise will also be seen in the voice search. A rise in voice-activated devices is already there, meaning people are becoming used to just saying whatever they want to know about and getting an answer from an assistant like Google or Alexa.
While the answer ultimately comes from the content on the internet, it is more naturally configured. So, there will be a rise in the need to use conversational keywords. What does it mean? It means keywords with a longer description like “who is the best dentist near me for Invisalign treatment.” See, how many elements are there, and it’s a very natural statement to be asked by a human. The convenience of just saying whatever you want without needing to type it will absolutely create an elevation in such queries.
7. Google’s Infamous “EEAT”
Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness, or EEAT, are also quite important to watch for many reasons. It directly impacts your organic rankings and traffic but this time, it will also be impacting your ranking for AI-based search results visibility.
EEAT has always been important since its introduction in 2022, when it was known as EAT. However, now the same metrics of this framework are being used to help AI get the answers to queries. So what you have to do is make your overall website trustworthy by:
- Uploading content for users and not only for the search engines.
- Using content created by experts to bring in experience.
- Mentioning trust factors like author bios, case studies, certifications, etc.
- Adding rich content to your website.
Wrapping Up
To sum up, this is the ultimate SEO checklist of the trends you must watch to ensure you are not getting hit by the December 2024 core update. It’s not the first time that Google has pushed a core update, and traffic has decreased. However, this time, you have this guide with you to tackle it. However, if you are not into the technicalities of digital marketing, then you should tie up with a digital marketing company.
Icecube Digital is an agency with everything you need for your online presence. We offer digital marketing solutions that align with Google’s new updates in real time, and the best part is that we are not limited to digital marketing. We also help eCommerce businesses with our Magento SEO experts. We are a Shopify SEO company for those who run a Shopify business. There’s something for everyone, so feel free to connect with us to know how we can help you establish a solid digital presence!
