Is SEO Dead in 2025?

Did you know that Google drives a whopping 63.41% of all U.S. web traffic? It’s still a search powerhouse, no doubt.  

However, SEO as we know it is no more. The way people find information is changing dramatically. 

Google’s rolling out 12-plus algorithm changes per day, and the rise of platforms like TikTok, Amazon, and generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are becoming major players in the search games. 

Let’s face it. Traditional SEO tactics aren’t always going to be your best option.  

To succeed, you must adapt.  

In 2025, it’s less about search engine optimization and more about search everywhere optimization.  

So, does that mean traditional SEO is dead? Not exactly. But it’s definitely evolving. Let’s dig into the data for a pulse check on SEO in 2025. 

Key Takeaways

• SEO continues to drive more than half of all website traffic, making it a crucial component of any digital strategy.  

• Google’s focus on user experience, including site speed and mobile optimization, ensures that SEO remains vital for ranking.  

• As search engine algorithms evolve and users turn to different platforms to find information—such as social media and generative AI platforms—search engine optimization is giving way to search everywhere optimization.  

• Optimizing content for search engines isn’t enough anymore. Marketers must adapt by integrating new trends like voice search, AI, and personalization.  

• High-quality content aligned with search intent and niche targeting still significantly impacts organic rankings and business growth. 

Table of Contents

• Key Takeaways
• Is SEO Dead?
  • Paid vs. Organic
  • Social Paid vs. Organic
  • Examples of SEO (Alive and Well) in Action
• SEO Isn’t Dying (It’s Just Changing)
  • 1. Google Wants to Rank Sites You Want to See
  • 2. People Don’t Only Use Google
  • 3. Google Loves Brands
  • 4. Focus on a Niche
  • 5. Future Is Personalization
  • 6. Intent Is More Important Than Ever
  • 7. Prepare for the Impact of Machine Learning
  • Search Everywhere Optimization: The New SEO
• FAQs
• Conclusion

Is SEO Dead?

Do you know how many searches take place on Google each day? 

Google doesn’t share its search volume data. However, approximations place it in the tens of billions, with HubSpot estimating over 22 billion searches per day. 

And how does Google meet that need? 

By indexing over 80 billion websites containing about 400 billion documents (and counting). 

 
With so many web pages, how does it know what results to display for each query? 
 
That, my friends, is done via a finely honed algorithm that relies on hundreds of ranking factors. The very same ranking factors that make up SEO. 

The Google leak in 2024 peeled back the curtain on those ranking factors, which include: 

• Chrome user data: Google uses data from Chrome, such as how users interact with websites (scrolling, clicking, time spent), to assess user experience and page quality. 

• Click data: Your site’s click-through rate (CTR) from search results plays a significant role. Higher CTR indicates relevance and user interest. 

• Authorship: Google considers the author’s expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Google also considers the E-E-A-T of the overall website, which includes factors like your online reputation, credentials, and previous work. 

• Link quality: Not all links are created equal. Google prioritizes links from high-quality, relevant websites. 

• Link diversity: A natural link profile includes links from various sources (i.e., blogs, directories, and news sites). 

• Link freshness: Continuously earning new links shows Google that your content is relevant and up to date. 

Many of those ranking factors are relatively evergreen—and will likely remain a big part of SEO going forward. 

But what about Google’s recent shift toward becoming an answer engine? In 2024, the search giant rolled out AI overviews, which leverage AI to synthesize information from multiple sources and deliver a concise answer to your query—right at the top of the search results.  

AI overviews are surely going to kill SEO, right? Well, they’re definitely shaking things up. But Google’s been moving toward this “answer engine” model for a while now. 

According to SmartInsights, the top 3 positions carry double-digit click-through rates, but these drop drastically for positions lower down the page. Just look at the chart below: 

This drastic drop highlights how Google’s been steadily moving toward a “zero-click” search experience.   

Features like featured snippets and answer boxes already provide concise information directly on the search results page, reducing the need for users to click through to websites. 

This trend is driven by the rise of “zero-click content”—content that’s so comprehensive and informative that it satisfies user intent right on the search engine results page (SERP). Essentially, users can find their answers without needing to visit a website. 

AI overviews take the zero-click approach to a whole new level providing even more content directly in the search results. 

While this may be true, organic traffic still has a massive presence. According to the 2024 Organic SEO Industry Benchmarks report by Conductor, organic search accounts for 33% of web traffic for the biggest industries.  

So, how do we come to grips with both truths—that zero-click search directly results in less engagement with SEO results and that organic search is still a significant driver of traffic? 

Instead of assuming SEO is dead, we should consider how SEO works today in conjunction with these trends. 

A common concern for marketers is that emerging AI engines, like ChatGPT, will kill the industry as we know it. But consider this: AI search engines still rely on Google and other algorithm-driven engines for information. 

If AI engines want to continue to improve, Google will feel that pressure. This will result in improving organic search results through—you guessed it—SEO.  

Paid vs. Organic

Now, let’s consider the threat of paid versus organic traffic. Take a look at the image below. It was the first banner ad on the Internet. 

 
Can you guess what company created that banner ad? It was AT&T. 

Of the people who saw it, 44% clicked on it. Today, banner ads generate an average click-through rate of about 0.05%. 

That’s an enormous drop. 

Social Paid vs. Organic

This now occurs with practically all channels, including social media. Instagram engagement rates show that with sponsored and organic posts, engagement on Instagram currently trends down by 30%. 

Just because something pops up on a screen doesn’t automatically mean people will like it or click on it. This is good for those ranking on SERPs. Your result will be the next most likely thing users may choose to view to find what they want. 

And marketers agree that organic search delivers the highest return on investment (ROI) of any marketing channel. 

Even as some channels perform better than others, there will always be fluctuations in ROI and performance. However, as long as search engines have impactful algorithms, SEO will continue to influence results significantly. 

Examples of SEO (Alive and Well) in Action

When you look at traditional search engines as a whole (including platforms besides Google or Bing), Google still dominates the market share with a whopping 90% of all searches. 

It’s clear people still widely use Google, even as they increasingly turn to social media and generative AI platforms to find answers.  

In other words, Google remains relevant. As do the time-tested SEO techniques you can use to increase your presence in the SERPs. 

Just look at how Lantern by SoFi—a financial marketplace connecting customers with a range of financial products—increased organic search traffic by 561 percent.  

Partnering with my marketing agency, NP Digital, Lantern was looking to rank competitively in a highly saturated financial services niche. Through strategic keyword research, content optimization, and technical SEO enhancements, the campaign achieved eye-opening results, including a 1,164 percent increase in position 1-3 rankings on Google year over year (YoY). 

A big driver of Lantern’s success came from building content depth through topic hubs and content clusters. This included more than 800 content pieces in total—everything from in-depth articles and guides to how-to pieces and calculators.  

This helped Lantern expand its keyword universe and score major E-E-A-T points, signaling to Google (and potential customers) that it’s an authority in the financial space.  

As a relatively new offshoot of SoFi at the time, these efforts did wonders for Lantern’s brand awareness, showing the persistent power of Google as a search platform. 

Now, let’s look beyond Google. 

Google is the blueprint of search engines. As platforms like YouTube, Amazon, and Pinterest developed their own search algorithms, they looked to the flagship search engine for inspiration. 

This means that a lot of the same SEO techniques we see working for websites also work for content on these platforms.  

Let’s look at a YouTube case study. 

An entertainment channel specializing in Bollywood content—with 250,000 subscribers—wanted to increase its footprint in this competitive niche. It wanted to do so without needing to produce new content. 

Blusteak, a digital marketing agency, proposed the following plan: 

1. An in-depth competitor analysis 

2. Optimization of video tags 

3. Optimization of the end card on videos 

4. An interlinking strategy within the description of videos 

5. A/B testing of video thumbnails 

6. Recycling content via YouTube Shorts 

In a month’s time, the channel saw a 53% increase in total view count from 2.29 million to 3.5 million. All without posting any new content beyond the recycled content used in YouTube Shorts. 

So, before you say “SEO does not matter,” remember how these brands leveraged SEO successfully to further their own goals. You can, too. 

How? 

Focus on taking up prime real estate on Google (or other platforms’) SERPs by creating content that specifically targets SERP features, like People Also Asked, featured snippets, and local pack.  

If you can increase the number of web pages (or videos, or posts, etc.) you have naturally, do so. This will only increase the odds of ranking. And, lastly, focus on getting high-quality backlinks (or mentions) to your site (or profile). 

SEO Isn’t Dying (It’s Just Changing)

So, is SEO dead? At this point, I think you know my answer. 

That would be a resounding no. 

SEO isn’t going anywhere. However, for brands to find success with SEO strategies, there are specific things to keep in mind when developing campaigns. 

We know Google functions more as a discovery engine but here is what else you need to know to dominate SERPs. 

1. Google Wants to Rank Sites You Want to See

Google’s focus isn’t backlinks, keyword density, or a specific SEO metric. Instead, the focus is on a seamless and enjoyable user experience. 

What metrics does Google use to gauge user experience?  

Using a clear navigation structure is a good place to start. If you want people to spend a lot of time on your site, you need to understand how users navigate. This includes using a clear URL structure, enabling breadcrumbs, and linking internally. 

Core Web Vitals—a set of standardized metrics Google uses to measure real-world page performance—is another good launchpad. These include: 

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): The time from when a user starts loading a page until the largest image or text block is visible in the viewport. Goal: 2.5 seconds or less.  

• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): The time between a user action, like a click or key press, and the next time it takes for the page to respond. Goal: 200 milliseconds or less.  

• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): How much a webpage’s layout unexpectedly shifts during loading. Goal: A CLS score of less than 0.1.  

Other important user experience metrics include dwell time, time spent on page, bounce rate, and exit rate. You can find these metrics in Google Analytics. 

So, how can you improve user experience? There are a few steps you can take that will positively impact the metrics mentioned above: 

• Improve site speed: The faster your site loads, the better experience the user will have. You can gauge site speed with tools like PageSpeed Insights and Pingdom.  

• Optimize for mobile: You can’t afford to not optimize for mobile, as it accounts for more than 50% of web traffic. Tools like PageSpeed Insights can give you the information you need to start, like eliminating render-blocking resources or reducing unused code. You will also want to consider a responsive design if you’re not already using one. 

2. People Don’t Only Use Google

Google remains a powerful tool, but, as we’ve established, it’s no longer the sole player in search and discovery. 

Platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and even voice search engines—such as Alexa and Siri—are reshaping SEO. The question is: Are you reshaping your strategies to match them? 

When Google is deciding what to rank and where to rank it, it looks past its own dataset toward other spots online, like the platforms mentioned above.  

All these platforms have one thing in common: They cater to users who prefer quick, conversational, or visual content. 

So, how can you optimize your content strategy to leverage these platforms, expanding your visibility in SERPs (and on these platforms themselves)? 

• TikTok: Create engaging, short-form videos with trending hashtags. 

• Reddit: Participate in relevant subreddits and provide value without overtly promoting. 

• YouTube: Create a combination of long-form and short-form videos, targeting different users on the platform. 

• Voice search: Focus on conversational keywords and provide clear answers to common questions. 

You may be asking, why don’t users just use those platforms to find what they need? 

They do, but before you say “SEO does not matter,” remember while Google is a search engine, it can provide results from other platforms, making them relevant. 

As younger audiences use social media or videos more for discovery, Google will continue to update and adapt to meet user needs. And since Google pulls from so many different spaces (not just social), it still offers more reliable results on topics people want to find. 

Take Reddit, for example. It shows up in a whopping 97.5 percent of Google search queries for product reviews. 

3. Google Loves Brands

As your brand grows, you’ll find your rankings climb because Google takes authority, trustworthiness, and relevance into account. Typically, well-established brands have a higher authority and level of trustworthiness. Branded search volume is the number of searches for keywords containing your brand name on a search engine. This is one of the metrics for tracking growth because it reflects user’s interest and awareness of your brand.  

Let’s consider what happens when you type “men’s running shoes” into Google’s search bar. Here is an example of what you might get: 

Brands, brands, and more brands. 

If you search my name, Google assumes you want to look at my website, businesses, and information about me or my social accounts. 

Often, Google assumes that people searching for these terms already know what they want (and likely plan to make a purchase). This is especially the case if a customer is searching for an already well-established brand.  

So, how do you establish your brand?  

Aligning with the E-E-A-T framework is a good start. When your brand exudes Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, Google will notice (and so will users).  

• Invest in content that showcases expertise, like in-depth guides or case studies. 

• Take part in PR campaigns to generate backlinks from authoritative sources. 

• Engage with your audience in ways that foster authenticity, like listening forums and panels.  

While some argue SEO is dead, building brand authority proves otherwise. In the age of AI and zero-click searches, it’s your ticket to higher rankings and increased visibility. 

To be clear, E-E-A-T doesn’t only help for branded terms. Be sure to optimize for branded and non-branded terms to get in front of the most users. 

4. Focus on a Niche

Your niche is where your product or services fit in the market. What do you offer, and who do you target? 
 
If you want to do well in today’s world of SEO, focus on one niche. Google prefers topic-specific sites that provide specialized expertise. 

Think about it. As a user, would you rather read medical advice on a blog that also discusses finance, home improvement, and cooking over WebMD? Just like other users, probably not. 

Focus on a specific offering to position yourself as an expert in the industry. 

If you’re reading this, chances are you already have a niche. Now, ask yourself: How can I use niche SEO to dominate that niche? 

Here’s how to get started: 

1. Segment your audience: Understand their unique needs, preferences, and pain points. You can then create niche-specific content that fits their needs. For example, if you have a home improvement website, you could create content on “aging in place” for your older, DIY-savvy readers. 

2. Use keyword research tools: Tools like Ubersuggest or Ahrefs can help uncover niche keywords with high search volume and low competition. 

3. Publish relevant content: Create topic-specific articles, videos, or infographics to establish expertise. 

Still hesitant to settle into a niche?  

Consider how well a niche website performs on competitive niche keywords versus a non-niche website in the same category. 

Let’s look at bananadiaries.com, a vegan dessert and baking blog. It ranks in the second position for terms such as “pizza for vegan,” “vegan pizza,” and “vegan cake.” 

How highly do you think general recipe sites, like loveandlemons.com, rank for these terms? 

Try fourth: 

That may not seem like a big difference, but consider that the second position on Google has a click-through rate of 18.7 percent vs. a CTR of only 7.2 percent for the fourth position. 

Don’t be afraid to go all-in on your niche. In fact, it will likely pay off. 

5. Future Is Personalization

Have you noticed that when you search on Google, your results are different than those of your friends? 

It’s because Google is trying to personalize your specific results based on activity. 

 
Google Search and Google devices, such as Android smartphones or Google Home, gather data to provide more specific results to each user. The aim is to deliver results that make sense for your preferences, location, search terms, and other factors. 

To ensure you’re keeping up with Google, your website should do the same. 

You don’t need the resources of a Google to achieve this, though. Personalization trends, like dynamic content and AI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT), make it possible to personalize your website—big or small. 

Here’s how: 

• Incorporate dynamic content from end to end: Incorporate personalized recommendations from home page to checkout, and even with your email marketing campaigns, to deliver a fully customized experience for each user. 

• Use AI-powered chatbots: Provide real-time customer support and customized solutions using tools like Wonderchat or Sendbird. 

• Create geo-targeted campaigns: Optimize for local SEO by tailoring content to specific regions. 

Here is an example. Imagine a user visits an online clothing store. Based on their past browsing history, location, and purchase patterns, the website dynamically updates the homepage to showcase items they’re most likely interested in—like winter coats if they’re in a colder region or trending items based on their previous searches. 

Google’s goal is the same, which is why personalization in search exists in the first place. 

6. Intent Is More Important Than Ever

Search intent is crucial because Google wants users to have a good experience. When a person searches specific keywords and can’t find a good result, the user blames Google for not finding what they want. 

This is part of why Google has chosen to lean into personalization. It wants people to be happy with the results they get. 

Instead of wringing your hands and questioning whether SEO is dead, you have to figure out how to fulfill user search intent by focusing on SEO elements, like keywords and high-quality content. Otherwise, Google will not rank you in the coveted ranking positions for searches (even if it matches your content) because it can’t tell if your posts truly meet those users’ needs. 

To rank well on Google, you have to make your content useful with the four primary types of user intent in mind: 

1. Transactional: The query suggests the user is planning to make a purchase. Example: Keywords like “buy,” “discount,” or “free trial.” 

2. Informational: The query suggests the user is seeking information on a topic. Example: Keywords like “how to bake a cake” or “who was the 15th president of the US.” 

3. Navigational: The query suggests the user is attempting to locate a specific webpage. Example: Keywords like “Facebook login” or “Amazon.” 

4. Commercial investigation: The query suggests the user is trying to narrow down purchase options. Example: Keywords like “best laptops under $1,000.” 

Match your content to the type of intent you’re aiming to satisfy. Let’s say you’re a tech retailer getting a lot of traffic for the long-tail keyword “best laptops under $1,000,” but conversion is low. While many brands would target this keyword as transactional, it’s actually a commercial investigation. 

That is, the consumer is still exploring their options. 

Unless you’re capturing the comparative nature of the query, you’re likely not giving the customer what they need. 

So, what does optimization look like? 

In this example, you could create a dedicated comparison guide that includes a table (comparing specs, price, and reviews), FAQs, and even SEO keyword-targeted sections with designations like “Best Laptops for Students and Professionals.” 

7. Prepare for the Impact of Machine Learning

Machine learning is a field within AI involving algorithms that help computers learn. It’s an excellent way to better understand user intent, voice search, and personalization. 

Since people expect results instantaneously, companies like Amazon, Google, and Apple rely on machine learning technology to keep up with this demand and serve their customers. Google, in particular, uses advanced AI like MUM (Multitask Unified Model) and Gemini to analyze user behavior, context, and content, influencing how results are ranked. 

This doesn’t mean SEO does not matter. It means that AI is now an integral part of SEO, and SEO professionals must pivot if they want their websites to stay relevant.  

So, how can you ensure you’re optimizing with machine learning technology in mind? 

For one, businesses can use structured data (i.e., schema markup) on their websites. Markup is an additional layer of code that provides more context and meaning to your content. It’s like a label that provides extra information about your content to the search engines. 

Markup such as “product” or “review” schema, for example, helps AI tools understand the content—and its context—more efficiently. 

This page on Neutrogena contains markup for “product” so it can be categorized more effectively by search engines and even included in Google product feed results: 

Second, businesses should always prioritize in-depth, original, and well-researched content. You can never go wrong—in the eyes of AI, search engines, or users—with high-quality content. 

SERPs will change as machine learning becomes more and more widely used, and providing accurate, precise, and fast results will become increasingly important. Machine learning will help SEO by making search query comprehension easier, allowing professionals to focus on creating better content experiences. 

Search Everywhere Optimization: The New SEO

Search engines no longer corner the market on search. Non-search platforms, like social media and generative AI engines, are increasingly being used for search and discovery, disrupting traditional SEO norms. 

This is what search everywhere optimization is all about.  

You can no longer assume that users are only using search engines to find services and products that they need. They’re also using marketplaces (e.g., Amazon, Walmart), social media (e.g., TikTok, Pinterest), and generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT).  

This means you need to expand your search optimization efforts, well, everywhere! Here’s how: 

• Social media: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram prioritize engaging, visual content. Optimize by using trending hashtags, creating shareable posts, and collaborating with influencers. 

• Generative AI engines: Tools like ChatGPT are shaping search behavior by delivering conversational and context-aware responses. Businesses should focus on producing concise, relevant, and authoritative content to rank within these engines. 

• Marketplaces: Amazon and similar sites act as search engines for product discovery. Ensuring optimized product titles, descriptions, and reviews is crucial. 

While some claim SEO is dead, this shift demonstrates that it’s evolving but still very much alive. 

FAQs

 

How long will SEO exist?

SEO is here to stay, but it continues to evolve. As long as search engines and discovery platforms—including social media and generative AI—exist, SEO will remain essential to connect users with relevant content. 

Will SEO be replaced by AI?

AI won’t replace SEO; it will transform it. Search engines can use AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini to enhance search results by focusing on intent and context. This makes SEO more dynamic than ever. 

How is SEO changing?

SEO is expanding beyond traditional search engines to include social media, generative AI platforms, and e-commerce marketplaces. Search everywhere optimization is now critical to staying competitive. 

Conclusion

It’s true that SEO has changed from what it previously was. That doesn’t mean it’s dead. Instead, SEO is alive and constantly evolving.  

From zero-click searches to search everywhere optimization, SEO professionals have a lot to learn if they want to keep up. Regardless, SEO will be around just as long as the platforms we use for search because it helps pinpoint what a person wants. 

So, what can you do to maintain a semblance of control? 

Instead of worrying about factors you can’t change, focus on modifying your SEO strategies—like expanding your reach on non-search platforms or following new seasonal keyword trends. 

Adaptation takes time and effort, but it’s well worth it if you want to future-proof your content plans.