A lot has changed in the SEO industry over the past 12 months; and if organic marketing is on your radar in 2025, you’d benefit from getting up to speed with how things are looking.
Some of the principles that governed the industry have been displaced, making way for new, modern perspectives and approaches that are more in tune with real users. We’re sharing some of the main ways that SEO has shifted and evolved, helping you to invest in a strategy that will generate the most meaningful results possible.
Decentering Google
The days of SEO being just about everyone’s *favourite* search engine are long gone – RIP. Finding ways to secure and sustain high rankings on Google used to be the end game in SEO, but the shine of lucrative page one positions has been dulled in the past twelve months. Why? Declining quality of results, the introduction of AI-powered search, and competing platforms have all contributed to this shift.
The way that Google displays organic search results has changed drastically too. SERP (search engine results page) landscape has been restructured to accommodate more UGC results, and optimised in-search shopping experiences; burying the once coveted position 1 ranking further down the results page.
So where has this left us? Marketing for the market, not marketing for Google. Of course, Google will still play a key part in many strategies, but we’ve taken it off its pedestal, opting to use our organic efforts to develop value in different ways. This might look like:
Taking a holistic approach and aligning between channels – we’re talking social media, email, influencer… whatever you have in your mix.
Prioritising user journey through an easy-to-follow website structure.
Enhancing user experience by featuring credibility signals, testimonials, and UGC content.
These changes have prompted us to get creative, thinking of ways to help our clients to meet their customers outside of the SERPs. Embracing this shift will build stronger brands, leading to more meaningful results from your overall organic marketing investment.
Catering to new search behaviours
The changes that have rolled out on Google are designed to add value to users, and this involves understanding the intricacies of different audience demographics, and their corresponding search behaviour. This is a tactic that you could and should be using in your own SEO strategy.
Different demographic groups are characterised by distinct search patterns and expectations. Boomers and older millennials, for instance, prioritise convenience and ease of navigation. They expect clear, straightforward paths to find exactly what they’re looking for, and they want to be able to ‘checkout’ with no friction or frustrating new windows. If either of these brackets define your own audience, you’ll want to take note of how you can incorporate these qualities into your website structure and navigation. By doing so, you’re creating an environment that makes life easier for your customers.
At the other end of the scale, we have Generation Z and younger millennials. A recent Retail Dive study established that 38% of Gen Z shoppers use social media as the starting point for making a purchase. While this figure is still dwarfed by those sticking to search engines, there’s no debating the fact that social media has a measurable impact on Gen Z audiences. The best way to target these types of customers can be embodied on your website and social media platform of choice, informing both with SEO insights – gathering plenty of relevant long-tail keywords would be an excellent starting point. Use the findings to create explainer style videos for social, and host snippets on your product pages; you’ll be encouraging discovery, and enhancing on-page engagement once customers click through to your website.
Creating community through UGC
User-generated content is now a key driver of organic visibility, transforming how brands build authority and engage with their audiences. Along with this, it’s also one of the most effective ways to communicate authenticity to your customers – if you don’t know, get to know.
The integration of UGC into your digital strategy serves a few beneficial functions. Firstly, it provides fresh, relevant content that search engines deem valuable. Secondly, it creates authentic social proof that resonates with potential customers, addressing their growing demand for genuine, ‘ordinary’ perspectives; micro influencers over influencers with a hefty following give customers more natural reassurance. Content formats to build into this might include customer reviews, testimonials, and social content (i.e TikTok videos).
Successful implementation of UGC requires a sophisticated approach to content curation and distribution – your strategy needs to be carefully curated and mindful of your audience in order to add value and generate engagement.
Credibility is key
Offsite SEO has always been a key player in organic performance, and while backlinks are king, there’s a lot to explore beyond this if you want to bolster your off-page presence and build more credibility.
First and foremost, your offsite SEO strategy should be curated with relevance in mind. When we’re talking about the kind of credibility that can have an impact on your overall SEO, we’re taking a ‘quality over quantity’ approach. When compiling media contacts to outreach your latest content marketing campaign, don’t include anyone and everyone. Instead, focus on the contacts that are closest to your business niche, and who’s readership will have more crossover with your own area. The same concept applies to any kind of collaborations that you might choose to explore, and partnerships with an influencer or other business should be done so in line with your business’ values. When you’re focusing on high-impact industry contributions, collaborations and authentic community engagement, you have the pillars necessary for building impactful credibility.
Businesses that balance their off-site SEO approach will create more purposeful value within their corner of the market, rather than simply accumulating backlinks.
Strengthen your position with an up to date SEO strategy
Here at Libra Nine, we stay on top of the changes within the SEO space so you don’t have to. Our strategies are already working in accordance with all of these shifts, and they position our clients perfectly in front of their customers, both in and beyond the SERPs. To find out more about how we can show you the most tangible benefits of organic marketing, simply contact us today.