It may feel late in the year to be publishing a deep-dive on SEO in 2025, but the timing is deliberate. The first half of the year has seen some of the most dramatic shifts in search in over a decade — from Google’s widespread rollout of AI Overviews to the explosive adoption of generative platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. By waiting until September, we can cut through speculation and instead provide a grounded analysis of how these changes have actually reshaped the SEO landscape in practice. This article is not theory; it’s a reflection on the real patterns, challenges, and opportunities businesses have faced throughout the year, and a practical guide to help SMEs position themselves firmly for 2026 and beyond.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has never stood still. From the early days of keyword stuffing to the rise of backlinks, from the explosion of social signals to the new world of AI-driven search, every era has changed how businesses get found online.
The SEO industry is now a growing and vital part of digital marketing, driving organic traffic and visibility for brands worldwide. With the global SEO industry forecast to reach $122.11 billion by 2028, its importance as a critical marketing channel continues to expand.

In 2025, artificial intelligence is not just another tool — it’s a disruptor. With technologies like ChatGPT, Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and other AI-powered platforms, how we search, consume, and trust information is changing fast. Billions of internet users rely on the web and search engines to access information, so effective SEO strategies are crucial to reach this massive and diverse audience. To get visibility, you also need to optimise for multiple search platforms as part of a holistic SEO approach. But while the methods change, one thing remains true: businesses still need visibility, and SEO is still the best and most cost-effective way to get it.
As AI-driven search engines and answer engines become more prominent, a new specialism – generative engine optimisation – is emerging to help brands adapt and thrive in this new landscape.

What Is SEO and Why Does It Matter in 2025?
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the art and science of making your website more visible in search engine results, connecting your business with people who are actively looking for what you offer. In 2025, as search engines become more AI-powered, SEO is more important than ever to get online visibility and organic traffic. Search is often the primary source of traffic for websites, making it essential to be search engine-friendly. Users bounce between platforms like ChatGPT, Google, Reddit, and YouTube before converting, so businesses must ensure their content is optimised for multiple touchpoints. Effective SEO helps businesses reach their audience at the exact moment they’re searching, increase brand awareness and drive qualified leads. By optimising for search engines, companies can rise above the competition in search results, get more clicks, engagement and ultimately revenue growth.
Modern SEO combines technical optimisation, content creation and link building to help search engines understand the relevance and authority of your website. In an AI-powered digital marketing landscape, investing in SEO is essential to stay visible, competitive and connected to your audience. Poor content structure and unclear messaging get left behind faster than ever, making it crucial to create well-organised and user-friendly content. SEO never ends; it requires ongoing monitoring and adaptation due to changing search algorithms and user behaviour.
Google Search in the Age of AI
Google Search has undergone significant changes with the introduction of AI-powered features, including Google’s AI Overviews and the BERT algorithm. These changes have altered how search results are generated and prioritised, placing greater emphasis on delivering information that truly serves user intent. SE Ranking’s AI Overview Tracker monitors the presence of websites in AI-generated answers and assesses competitor performance, providing businesses with insights to adapt their strategies effectively.
In this new era, Google Search doesn’t just match keywords; it interprets the context and meaning behind search queries, often providing direct answers through AI overviews. Mobile search and voice search are also changing how users interact with search engines, so businesses need to adapt their strategies.
To succeed, you need to create high-quality, informative content that answers what users are really looking for. Stay up to date with how Google Search works and understand the impact of AI-powered updates to improve your search engine rankings and get more relevant search traffic.

The History of Search Engine Optimisation: From Keywords to AI
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has continually evolved with technology, user behaviour and how we search online. Over the last two decades, it has moved from a technical exercise to a user-focused discipline driven by context, intent and trust.
The Keyword Era
In the early days of SEO, rankings were all about how many times a keyword was on a page. Success was about repetition, not relevance. Marketers used keyword research to find out what people were searching for and guide content creation. Keyword stuffing was once a common practice, but as search engines became smarter, these tactics started to lose their effectiveness.
The Backlink Era
As search technology improved, search engines started to value authority. Backlinks became the key signal of credibility, like votes of confidence for a site. Link building quickly became a core SEO strategy. But manipulative tactics like link farms and spammy directories soon appeared, and search engines cracked down. Over time, quality backlinks from reputable sites became more important than quantity.
The Social Era
With the rise of social media, a site’s visibility was tied to its social presence. Likes, shares, comments and overall community engagement started to influence search rankings. This connected SEO more closely with brand credibility as social reputation increasingly shaped how visible and trusted a business was online.
The Mobile Era
The rapid adoption of smartphones changed how we access the internet. Mobile optimisation became essential, and in 2016, mobile usage surpassed desktop for the first time. Google responded with its mobile-first index, prioritising sites designed for smaller screens and faster load times. Businesses that didn’t adapt quickly lost visibility as user experience on mobile became a ranking factor.
The User Experience Era
As competition online intensified, Google’s algorithm updates brought quality and usability into sharper focus. Page speed, mobile responsiveness and content relevance all became major ranking signals. SEO was no longer just about keywords and links; it was about providing a genuinely valuable and seamless experience for users.
The Voice Search Era
Smart speakers and virtual assistants like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant brought conversational search into the mainstream. Queries got longer and more natural, like everyday speech. Content had to be written in more colloquial, user-friendly language to work. Featured snippets – quick answers at the top of search results – became super valuable as they were often the source for voice assistant responses.
The AI Era (Today and Beyond)
In 2025, SEO is being redefined by artificial intelligence. Generative search engines like ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews no longer rely on keywords but on context and intent. This has given rise to Search Experience Optimisation, where visibility is about creating structured, relevant, and user-focused content. Writing in a conversational tone, like how people naturally search, is key. Optimising for rich snippets and AI-generated answers is just as important as being in the blue links.

The Foundations: Technical Optimisation in Modern SEO
Technical SEO is the backbone of any successful SEO strategy in 2025. It ensures search engines can crawl, index and understand your website, laying the groundwork for higher rankings in Google and other search engines. AI tools can generate performance reports quickly, making it easier to visualise data and identify areas for improvement, streamlining the optimisation process. AirOps can automate SEO and content workflows at scale, combining the power of large language models with customizable templates, further enhancing efficiency and scalability.
Key elements of technical optimisation include refining your website’s architecture, optimising meta tags and strategically adding internal links to improve both user experience and search engine visibility. Ensuring your site is secure, mobile-friendly, and fast-loading is also essential, as these factors directly impact how search engines rank your site.
Use tools like Google Search Console to monitor your website’s health, identify technical issues and track improvements. Creating an XML sitemap helps search engines crawl and index important pages on a website efficiently. By prioritising technical SEO, you make a solid foundation that supports all other aspects of your SEO strategy and helps your site perform better in search engine results.
E-E-A-T Principles: Building Trust and Authority
E-E-A-T—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness—remains a key factor in how search engines evaluate websites in 2025. These principles guide search engines in determining which sites deserve higher visibility, especially for topics that impact users’ well-being or finances. Ranking is the process by which a search engine’s algorithm evaluates pages from its index to deliver the most valuable results based on hundreds of factors, making E-E-A-T a critical component of SEO success.
To build E-E-A-T, focus on creating content that demonstrates real-world experience and deep expertise. Show your credentials, showcase case studies and provide transparent information about your business. Authoritativeness can be reinforced through high-quality external links and positive reviews, while trustworthiness is built by being transparent and having a secure and user-friendly website.
By prioritising E-E-A-T, you not only improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results but also increase your online visibility and reputation with both users and search engines. Regularly updating old content can significantly boost organic traffic by maintaining relevance over time.


Keyword Research in 2025: Beyond Search Volume
Keyword research in 2025 is about more than just chasing high search volume. Today’s search engine algorithms are sophisticated and focus on understanding user intent, context and the nuances behind every search query. Long-tail keywords are generally less competitive and can be easier to rank for, making them a valuable part of modern keyword strategies. SEO aims to rank on the first page of search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords, ensuring visibility and engagement with the target audience.
Modern keyword research involves analysing keyword data with advanced tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush to uncover trends, patterns and opportunities that match your target audience’s needs. Techniques like keyword clustering, entity-based optimisation, and intent-based targeting help you create content that resonates and ranks. By going beyond basic search volume metrics, you can find the right keywords to create content that attracts visitors and serves their needs—driving more qualified leads and improving your search engine rankings in a competitive AI-driven landscape.
How AI Search Engines Are Disrupting SEO in 2025
The most significant change today is not just in algorithms but in how people search. Instead of typing keywords, users are asking conversational questions and expecting complete, instant answers.
- ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are offering AI-generated summaries, and AI-generated content is now common in search results.
- Google SGE is blending AI-generated answers and features like Google’s AI overviews into search results, impacting visibility.
- Voice search and image recognition are pushing SEO beyond text.
This means businesses must adapt. Content that once ranked because it matched a keyword may no longer appear if AI systems generate the answer directly. To stay visible, you must provide depth, authority and clarity that AI tools can recognise and surface.
Monitoring your presence in AI overview features is key to understanding and improving your search performance. Rankscale.ai tracks brand visibility across AI search engines for specific search terms, regions, and intervals, providing businesses with actionable insights to refine their strategies and maintain a competitive advantage.


Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO): The Next Frontier
A new term is emerging: Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO). This reflects the shift from ranking for keywords to being the chosen answer across multiple formats:
- Featured snippets in search results.
- AI-generated summaries.
- Voice assistants like Siri and Alexa.
- Video and image search results.
Optimising for AEO requires concise, structured content, precise definitions, Q&A sections, schema markup and multimedia assets. Tools like the Ahrefs AI content helper can help refine your content and generate compelling meta descriptions, which improve visibility and help search engines understand your webpage topics. Businesses must think beyond “ranking” and start thinking about “being quoted, cited and surfaced”. Prioritising human-written content is essential for quality, trust and compliance with search engine policies.
SEO Trends to Watch in 2025 for Organic Search Traffic
Looking ahead, the following trends stand out:
- E-E-A-T matters more than ever – Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust remain central to rankings.
- Zero-click results – AI summaries and snippets reduce clicks, so content must deliver value even when consumed indirectly.
- Structured data and schema – Markup like FAQ, Article and HowTo schemas help machines interpret content.
- Multi-format optimisation – Video, podcasts and visual content are being indexed and ranked.
- AI + human content balance – AI can draft, but human insight ensures originality, accuracy and brand voice.
- AI-powered SEO tools and SEO tools – These tools automate and enhance SEO workflows from content creation to technical audits.
- Comprehensive SEO tools are essential – Use SEO tools for keyword research, site audits and performance tracking to stay ahead.
- Free site audit offers – Many platforms now offer a free site audit so you can identify SEO issues and opportunities for free.
- Agencies using AI for client sites – Agencies are leveraging AI and advanced SEO strategies to deliver improved results for their client sites.

Why SEO Professionals Are Not Obsolete
Some ask if AI will make SEO redundant. The answer is no. AI can automate and draft, but humans are still needed for:
- Strategic planning.
- Understanding algorithm updates in context.
- Maintaining brand voice and compliance.
- Prioritising where to spend time and budget.
- Building relationships, authority and trust.
- Leveraging advanced tools and insights as SEO experts do to guide strategy.
An SEO expert plays a key role in navigating complex SEO challenges, using their experience to interpret data and make informed decisions that AI can’t. DataForSEO provides access to raw SEO data at scale, enabling the creation of custom tools for analysis that can further enhance the decision-making process and strategy development.
SEO in 2025 is not about replacing expertise with AI but combining them to stay competitive. Ongoing SEO research is crucial to adapt to algorithm and user behaviour changes to ensure strategies remain effective.


Practical SEO Tips for 2025
For businesses wondering what to do next, here are some practical steps:
- Write for people first, AI second – Your content should be genuinely helpful and backed by experience, but also optimised for both users and search engines to improve relevance and ranking.
- Add structured data – FAQ schema, Article schema and Breadcrumbs help AI engines and search engines understand your site, making it easier for your content to be indexed and surfaced in relevant results.
- Create scannable content – Use headings, bullet points and tables to answer questions quickly.
- Diversify formats – Include video, audio and visuals.
- Monitor performance closely – Track not just traffic but also organic search traffic and seo data to see engagement, conversions and how often your content is surfaced in snippets or AI overviews.* Understand how search engines work – Learn about web crawlers and web search to improve your site’s visibility.
- Align content with search intent – Ensure your content aligns with what users are looking for to boost organic search visibility and attract more qualified visitors.
The Four Pillars of SEO in 2025 (and AI’s Impact on Each)
In 2025, SEO has four pillars, each heavily influenced by AI.
The first pillar, technical SEO, is about making sure a website’s infrastructure is optimised for search engines to crawl and index. AI tools now play a significant role in automating crawl analysis, Core Web Vitals testing and intelligent site structure recommendations. These tools not only identify potential issues before they impact rankings through predictive analytics but also implement automated fixes to speed up site, mobile responsiveness and security. For agencies managing multiple sites, AI-powered platforms provide overall visibility, enabling you to monitor and manage numerous sites more efficiently.
Content SEO, the second pillar, has undergone significant changes with the introduction of generative AI tools that help create content relevant to user intent. While AI can speed up content creation, businesses need to balance this with human editorial oversight to maintain authenticity, avoid duplication and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). A significant advancement in this area is entity-based optimisation, which ensures content covers related topics and semantic relationships comprehensively. This approach improves visibility not just on traditional search engines but also on emerging AI search platforms, so content resonates with both algorithms and users.
The third pillar, on-page SEO, has become more dynamic with AI automation. Tasks like generating schema (structured data markup) are now automated based on page content, enabling search engines to understand the context and relevance of pages. AI also helps with keyword clustering, grouping semantically related keywords for more targeted content and automates internal linking strategies to distribute link equity across essential pages. These improvements send better SEO signals to search engines and improve the user experience through intuitive navigation and content discovery.
Off-page SEO, the fourth pillar, has adapted to the AI era by using AI tools to analyse backlink profiles to detect unnatural or spammy links and maintain a clean and compliant link profile according to Google’s guidelines. Digital PR strategies have also evolved to focus on earning authoritative mentions and citations that AI-driven search engines trust and reference in AI-generated answers and overviews. This means building absolute brand authority and relationships which support visibility not just in traditional search results but also in AI-powered answer engines.
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) vs Traditional SEO
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the new frontier of SEO, targeting AI-powered answer engines and chatbots like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. Unlike traditional SEO, which aims to rank web pages in search engine result pages (SERPs), GEO is about positioning content as the authoritative source selected by AI to answer user queries directly. This means businesses need to create “answer-friendly” content – concise, well-structured and easily digestible by AI algorithms.
To prepare for GEO, companies should focus on including credible citations, detailed author bios and trust signals within their content. These elements increase the chances of being referenced by AI answer engines, which are increasingly prioritising authoritative and trustworthy sources. Optimising content for multiple platforms and AI search environments broadens visibility and relevance across different AI-powered search experiences.
However, GEO presents challenges, particularly with the rise of zero-click searches, where AI-generated answers provide information without users clicking through to websites. To counter this, businesses must innovate by offering unique insights, engaging experiences, and value-added content that encourages users to go beyond the AI-generated snippets. Strategies like maintaining a strong author presence, using schema markup for structured data and demonstrating real-world expertise help build trust with AI systems and increase the chances of being cited prominently.
Voice and Visual Search in 2025
Voice and visual search technologies are changing how users interact with search engines. Voice assistants like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant can now handle complex tasks like shopping, bookings and local SEO queries. Optimising for voice search means creating conversational content that mirrors natural language patterns and addresses local intent effectively. This involves using long-tail keywords phrased as questions and providing short, direct answers that voice assistants can read out.
Visual search powered by tools like Google Lens, Pinterest Lens and TikTok Search enables users to search using images instead of text, opening up discovery opportunities. To capitalise on this trend, businesses must optimise images with descriptive alt text, meaningful file names and comprehensive metadata. Implementing speakable schema markup also helps voice assistants read content out loud naturally, improving accessibility and user engagement.
Practical optimisation for voice and visual search includes creating conversational content, tagging images properly and describing them, and structuring pages to support easy extraction of information by AI systems. These tactics not only improve visibility in emerging search modalities but also improve overall user experience by catering to different ways people seek information.
How to Future Proof Your SEO Strategy: Future Proof Your SEO in 2025
Instead of chasing every algorithm update, focus on building flexible frameworks that can adapt to new technologies and user behaviour. Privacy changes reduce tracking accuracy, making it even more essential to invest in first-party data collection to build a loyal community, gain valuable insights that surpass what third-party tools can offer, and make more personal and practical SEO efforts.
Blending SEO with UX and brand building creates a holistic digital presence that resonates with both users and search engines. This integrated approach increases engagement, trust and brand loyalty, which all contribute to better search rankings and sustainable organic traffic growth.
A 2025 checklist includes:
- Keeping technical SEO up to date
- Producing E-E-A-T content
- Optimising for AI and voice search
- Monitoring in AI overviews
- Integrating SEO with social media and content marketing
Continuous learning, testing and adaptation is key as the search landscape evolves.
Ethical SEO in the Age of AI
The rise of AI in SEO brings ethical considerations to the forefront. Risks include spreading misinformation, plagiarism and over-automation that can damage user trust and search rankings. Google’s guidelines state that AI-generated content is only acceptable when it’s helpful, original and serves user intent and not just to manipulate rankings.
In this context, human accountability is a key trust signal. Transparent authorship, editorial oversight and ethical content creation practices are essential to maintain credibility in an AI-driven search environment. SEOs must balance AI efficiency with quality and integrity to build long-term authority and user trust.
SEO and Multi-Channel Marketing
SEO in 2025 is no longer a silo. It overlaps with other digital marketing channels, including social SEO on platforms like TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn, that can drive brand visibility and traffic from different audiences. Coordinating paid search campaigns (PPC) with organic SEO efforts increases overall search presence, especially as AI-generated search results blend paid and organic content.
Email marketing and community building support SEO by building loyalty, encouraging content sharing and amplifying reach. A cohesive digital marketing approach that integrates SEO with social media, paid advertising, email, and content marketing maximises effectiveness and ensures brand consistency across channels.
Advanced Technical Deep Dive (extra word count)
New technical standards, such as IndexNow, Core Web Vitals 2.0, and passage indexing, are changing website performance and ranking factors, so optimisation is ongoing. AI-driven site audits can now detect complex issues and recommend scalable fixes across multiple URLs and websites, making it more efficient for large-scale operations.
Multilingual SEO benefits from AI-powered translation tools that can optimise content across languages and regions, thereby expanding global reach and accessibility. SEOs must stay up to date and agile, incorporating the latest technology into their strategies to stay ahead.
The Human Edge: What SEOs Do That AI Can’t
Despite AI’s capabilities, human SEOs have an edge. They excel in strategic planning and prioritisation, as well as interpreting data and market trends to create tailored SEO strategies. Human-driven content ideation produces unique and engaging content that stands out from AI-generated content.
Understanding cultural nuances, brand tone and values ensures authentic and resonant messaging that AI can’t replicate. Relationship-driven link earning gets genuine and high-quality backlinks and brand authority, which are still ranking factors. The human touch is essential for navigating complex SEO challenges and maintaining ethical standards.
The Future of WordPress SEO in the Age of AI
WordPress remains the world’s most widely used content management system, powering around 43% of all websites globally (W3Techs, 2024). With such a dominant share, any shift in how search engines and AI platforms interpret content has a direct impact on millions of businesses that rely on WordPress to drive leads and revenue. Indexing involves analysing and storing discovered web pages in a vast database known as an index, a process that WordPress sites must optimise for to maintain visibility.
As we look to the future, several themes are shaping the evolution of WordPress SEO in the era of artificial intelligence.

AI and WordPress SEO Plugins
WordPress owes much of its SEO popularity to tools like Yoast SEO, RankMath, and All in One SEO. These plugins already integrate features such as schema markup, keyword analysis, and automated technical checks. The next wave is their deep integration with AI.
- AI-generated SEO suggestions – Plugins are beginning to analyse competitor content and suggest keyword clusters, FAQs, and meta descriptions dynamically.
- Automated content optimisation – Instead of simply flagging errors (e.g., missing alt tags), AI-enhanced plugins will propose or even write optimised text, speeding up implementation.
- Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) – Expect plugins to focus on formatting WordPress content in ways that AI search systems can easily extract, such as generating concise summaries or FAQ schema automatically.
For SMEs, this means less manual work. However, it also raises the stakes: competitors who embrace AI-enhanced WordPress SEO may move faster and gain visibility sooner.
Structured Data Becomes Non-Negotiable
AI search tools thrive on structured information. In 2025, having clean schema markup is no longer optional. WordPress is well placed here, as themes and plugins can automate schema generation.
- Rich snippets and AI Overviews – Pages that supply schema for FAQs, products, or reviews are more likely to appear in Google’s AI Overviews or voice assistant responses.
- Multi-format support – Plugins are starting to support not just Article or FAQ schema, but also VideoObject, HowTo, and Speakable markup. This means a WordPress blog can power multiple discovery channels at once.
Structured data adoption is already growing fast. According to Schema.org adoption surveys (2023), over 40% of indexed pages globally now use at least one form of schema. This percentage is expected to rise sharply as AI systems demand structured inputs.
Content Quality and EEAT Signals in WordPress
Google continues to stress Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) as ranking signals. WordPress gives businesses a flexible platform to demonstrate these attributes:
- Author bios and bylines – Plugins now let you display detailed author credentials across every post, reinforcing expertise.
- Case studies and testimonials – Custom post types make it easier to publish real client stories, which can be marked up with Review schema for credibility.
- Trust signals – Security, HTTPS, and mobile performance are built into modern WordPress themes, helping reinforce trustworthiness.
For SMEs, the lesson is clear: WordPress sites must not only be technically sound but also show who is behind the content, why they are qualified, and how their claims are verified.
Performance, Core Web Vitals, and AI
Technical SEO continues to matter, especially as AI search systems factor in user experience data. A slow or unstable WordPress site risks being excluded from premium visibility spots, such as featured snippets or AI-generated summaries.
- Core Web Vitals – Google reports that sites meeting Core Web Vitals benchmarks saw a 4% increase in conversions on average compared to those that did not (Google, 2023).
- Mobile optimisation – With 63% of searches now conducted on mobile devices (Statista, 2024), WordPress themes must be mobile-first, not mobile-friendly as an afterthought.
- AI-driven audits – Emerging WordPress tools will run continuous AI audits, flagging technical issues before they impact visibility.
The Rise of Voice and Visual Search
WordPress SEO will increasingly extend beyond text. AI systems are pushing search into voice and image recognition, and businesses must adapt.
- Voice search – WordPress plugins will soon auto-generate Speakable schema, ensuring content can be read aloud by voice assistants like Alexa or Siri.
- Visual optimisation – With visual search engines like Google Lens gaining traction, image alt-text, captions, and structured galleries in WordPress will directly impact search visibility.
A Gartner report (2024) projected that by 2027, 40% of consumer searches will be conducted via voice or visual platforms. WordPress sites that adapt early can secure long-term visibility.
AI Content and WordPress Publishing
The elephant in the room is AI-generated content. WordPress makes publishing effortless, but that also means the platform risks being flooded with low-value AI content. Google has already warned that unedited, purely machine-generated articles can be penalised if they fail to demonstrate real expertise.
The future lies in a hybrid approach:
- AI generates drafts, outlines, or keyword clusters.
- Humans refine, fact-check, and add personal insight.
- WordPress plugins enforce quality checks, flagging thin or duplicate content before publication.
This hybrid model gives SMEs the best of both worlds — the efficiency of AI with the trust of human expertise.
Multi-Channel SEO Through WordPress
In 2025, SEO no longer lives in isolation. WordPress increasingly acts as a hub for multi-channel optimisation:
- Social SEO integration – Plugins now ensure metadata (OpenGraph, Twitter cards) is consistent across social platforms, helping content surface in TikTok or Instagram search.
- Video SEO – By embedding YouTube or Vimeo videos with proper schema in WordPress posts, you can help reach AI discovery engines.
- Email and community SEO – WordPress integrations with CRMs and newsletter platforms enable businesses to build owned audiences, reducing reliance on Google rankings alone.
The Road Ahead for WordPress SEO
Looking forward, WordPress SEO will be defined by three key dynamics:
- AI-driven tools and audits that automate much of the optimisation process.
- Structured, multi-format content that powers AI summaries, voice assistants, and visual search.
- Human expertise layered on top of AI to provide the trust signals that search engines and customers demand.
For SMEs, this means SEO on WordPress is not only still relevant — it is more critical than ever. Businesses that adapt early will continue to thrive, while those that treat WordPress SEO as a box-ticking exercise risk invisibility in a world where AI decides what answers get shown.
Case Studies: Real-World SEO Success and Challenges
To illustrate how SEO strategies and AI integration play out in practice, we present two insightful case studies. The first highlights a local business successfully adapting to AI-driven search changes, while the second explores the challenges faced by a publisher relying heavily on AI-generated content. These examples provide valuable lessons on balancing technology with human expertise to achieve sustainable SEO results. Updating existing content can give a higher return on investment than creating new content from scratch.
Case Study 1: Winning Leads from Generative AI Platforms with AEO
The Challenge
A Webflow-focused SEO agency realised its clients’ websites were losing traditional organic visibility. With users turning to ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews, standard keyword rankings are no longer guaranteed to drive traffic. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) working with the agency wanted reassurance that SEO still delivered leads in this new AI-driven search landscape.
The Strategy
The agency pivoted to Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO):
- Structured Data: Implemented rich schema (FAQ, Article, Local Business) so AI engines could extract clear, authoritative answers.
- Conversational Prompts: Reframed web copy around natural queries such as “best Webflow SEO agency for startups” to match the way users speak to AI tools.
- Summaries & FAQs: Added TL;DR summaries and Q&A sections on service pages, making content easier for AI platforms to pull into answer boxes.
- Machine-Readable Content: Leveraged Webflow’s semantic HTML structure to ensure clarity for both Google’s crawlers and AI systems.
The Results
- Within 90 days, 10% of all organic traffic came directly from generative AI platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.).
- 27% of that traffic converted into qualified leads — showing AI-sourced visitors had strong commercial intent.
- Time on site and engagement from AI-referred traffic were higher than Google organic averages, proving these users were more engaged.
The Lesson for SMEs
AI is not replacing search — it’s reshaping it. SMEs that optimise their sites for AI assistants and answer engines can capture high-quality leads where competitors may not even be visible. For small businesses, early adoption of AEO means winning market share before rivals catch up.
Source: Broworks AEO Case Study, Search Engine Land
Case Study 2: Boosting Visibility in Google’s AI Overviews
The Challenge
Another SEO agency, The Search Initiative, noticed their clients weren’t appearing in Google’s AI Overviews — the AI-generated summaries Google now places above traditional search results. Without inclusion, SMEs risked losing prime visibility at the very top of page one.
The Strategy
They engineered a campaign to secure AI Overview visibility:
- Mapped AI Triggers: Researched which keywords and niches most often generated AI Overviews.
- Content Alignment: Optimised pages to answer questions concisely in 40–60 word snippets — the sweet spot for AI extractions.
- Trust Signals: Strengthened author bios, citations, and external references to build E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).
- Monitoring: Set benchmarks and tracked AI Overview appearances using specialised tools.
The Results
- Monthly AI referral traffic grew by 2,300%.
- Their client’s site began appearing in 90+ AI Overview results — where previously they had zero exposure.
- SMEs in this programme reported more inbound leads despite flat traditional rankings, showing AI traffic compensated for declining click-throughs from blue links.
The Lesson for SMEs
In 2025, appearing in AI Overviews can deliver a competitive edge that even outranks #1 Google results. For SMEs, this means adapting content to AI-friendly formats (FAQs, structured answers, explicit schema) is now just as vital as targeting traditional keyword rankings.
Source: The Search Initiative / Diggity Marketing Case Study, Xponent21 Insights
Case Study 3: D2C Skincare Brand Misses AI Shift (and Learns Fast)
The Challenge
A mid-sized direct-to-consumer skincare brand had invested heavily in traditional SEO — keyword targeting, backlinks from lifestyle publishers, and influencer collaborations. For a while, this worked. But by 2024, traffic flatlined even though search demand in the skincare sector was rising. The reason? Users were increasingly finding answers directly in Google’s AI Overviews or by asking ChatGPT rather than clicking through to websites. (Reported by Business Insider, May 2024)
The Strategy
To regain lost ground, the brand pivoted to Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). They:
- Audited all content to ensure it was structured for AI systems to parse easily.
- Added schema markup, such as FAQ and Article tags, to give AI overviews clearer signals.
- Rewrote content around conversational prompts like “best natural moisturiser for dry skin” instead of just short keywords.
- Introduced bite-sized summaries to enable direct quoting of answers in AI responses.
The Results
While no exact figures were published, industry analysis (NoGood Agency, Broworks Blog) shows that brands making these changes are more likely to be cited in AI-generated summaries. The skincare brand began appearing again in AI search answers and saw a steady recovery in impressions from generative search platforms.
Lesson for SMEs
Ignoring AI means invisibility. For small and medium businesses, optimising content so that AI engines can quote you directly is becoming just as important as traditional keyword rankings.
Sources: Business Insider, NoGood Agency Blog, Broworks Blog
Case Study 4: Class Composer’s EdTech Boost with AI Overview Visibility
The Challenge
Class Composer, an education-technology SaaS platform, faced a common SME problem: a small website with limited content. Despite having a strong niche product, organic visibility was modest. To expand reach, they partnered with Boulder SEO Marketing.
The Strategy
The agency took a multi-pronged approach:
- Founder-led content: Articles authored by the company’s founder added credibility and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust).
- Structured data: Pages were enhanced with schema markup and optimised images.
- AI Overview focus: Content was designed to answer queries concisely (40–60 word answers) to increase chances of being pulled into Google’s AI Overviews.
The Results
According to Boulder SEO Marketing, Class Composer achieved:
- A 32% increase in organic clicks.
- A 43% increase in search impressions.
- Consistent #1–#2 rankings for high-value keywords like “class list software”.
- Placement in Google’s AI Overview, including both text and images — a huge visibility boost.
Lesson for SMEs
Even with limited content, clarity and structure win. By focusing on AI-friendly formats, niche businesses can leapfrog larger competitors.
Sources: Boulder SEO Marketing, Broworks Blog, Xponent21 Insights
Case Study 5: Xponent21’s AI SEO Domination and 4,162% Traffic Surge
The Challenge
Xponent21, a digital agency, had little visibility in the emerging field of AI search. They aimed to establish themselves as leaders in AI SEO, capturing referral traffic from generative platforms such as Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Google AI Mode.
The Strategy
The agency went all in with an AI-first content ecosystem:
- Published a flagship AI SEO guide optimised for readability by generative engines.
- Built a network of supporting assets: blog clusters, glossaries, FAQs, webinars, and podcasts.
- Developed a 14-step AI SEO framework, embedding structured metadata and explicit internal linking.
The Results
- Within three weeks, their content was the #1 cited answer on Perplexity for “How to rank in AI search results.”
- Within a year, they achieved a 4,162% increase in AI referral traffic.
- Their content now appears consistently in Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT-generated results, cementing their authority.
Lesson for SMEs
AI SEO rewards depth and structure. By creating content ecosystems rather than standalone blog posts, SMEs can establish their authority and dominate AI-driven search.
Sources: Xponent21 Insights, Diggity Marketing Case Study
Why SMEs Should Care
These real examples prove that:
- AI is not replacing SEO, it’s redefining it.
- Businesses that adapt early — adding schema, FAQs, summaries, and structured ecosystems — win visibility where it matters most.
- Ignoring AI’s role in search could mean competitors dominate the channels your customers are already using.
The Road Ahead: Predictions for 2030
Looking toward 2030, search engines may increasingly be replaced by AI assistants that dominate user interactions, shifting how information is discovered and consumed. Search itself could evolve into personalised recommendation engines, delivering tailored content based on individual preferences and behaviour.
Brands will need to invest in durable assets such as high-quality content, trust, and reputation to thrive in this environment. Building lasting brand equity and authoritative content will be key to withstanding algorithm changes and leveraging AI advancements for sustained digital success.
Conclusion
SEO in 2025 isn’t dead — it’s evolving. AI may change search, but the need for visibility, relevance, and trust remains. Businesses that adapt, adopt AEO and combine AI with human expertise will win.
As search engines become AI-powered platforms, traditional SEO practices are being supplemented by new strategies like generative engine optimisation and search experience optimisation. This means optimising content not just for keywords but for how AI reads and surfaces information across multiple formats and devices.
To succeed, businesses must focus on creating high-quality, authoritative content that matches user intent and demonstrates E-E-A-T. Technical SEO remains crucial for ensuring that multiple URLs and client websites are crawled and indexed by search engines, including Google’s index.
Plus, using AI SEO tools can streamline keyword research, on-page optimisation, and performance tracking so that SEOs can focus on strategy and creative tasks. Integrating SEO with social media and content marketing amplifies brand visibility and engagement across channels.
In this ever-changing landscape, continuous SEO research and adaptation are key. Those who adopt a holistic approach — balancing AI with human insight — will stay ahead of the game, drive sustainable organic traffic and achieve long-term digital success.
About the Author
Fari Peyman is the Managing Director and founder of Notting Hill Web Design, established in 1998. With nearly three decades of business and online technology experience, he leads a team specialising in creating websites that are easy to manage and deliver real results for small and medium-sized businesses. A seasoned business consultant and networker, Fari thrives on helping companies grow through innovative web design and organic SEO.
When he’s not working with clients, Fari enjoys martial arts and photography. Connect with him on LinkedIn to explore how your business can benefit from expert web design and SEO.