Introduction
SEO is constantly evolving, and the approach to 2025 is once again marked by a wave of new changes in Google's search algorithms. In recent years, Google has implemented numerous updates aimed at improving the quality of search results and integrating artificial intelligence technologies. Search results now increasingly include AI-generated answers and interactive blocks, while requirements for content and the technical condition of websites are becoming stricter. In this article, we will examine in detail the changes in Google's 2024–2025 algorithms and their impact on rankings, discuss effective SEO strategies for 2025, and look into the future to understand how to prepare for upcoming changes.
Overview of Google's Algorithm Changes
2024–2025 Algorithm Updates and Their Impact on Ranking
In 2024, Google released several major algorithm updates that significantly affected search results. In March 2024, a major core update took place, during which a new spam-fighting algorithm (Spam Update) was also launched. The primary goal of these changes was to cleanse search results of low-quality and generated content and elevate the positions of truly useful pages. According to Google's official statement, as a result of the new algorithms, the proportion of low-quality and unoriginal content in search results should decrease by approximately 40%.
One of the main targets of the 2024 algorithm was automatically generated content. Within the first weeks after the update, the SEO community noticed that many websites filled with texts written by neural networks that provided little real value to users lost their indexing. A study showed that about 1.7% of monitored sites were completely de-indexed by Google during the March core update. The reason was clear: analysis revealed that 100% of the de-indexed resources exhibited signs of being generated using artificial intelligence. In other words, Google confirmed its decision to combat automatic “content farming” – sites that mass-produce texts for traffic may lose their rankings or even disappear entirely from search results.
It is important to note that Google has tightened not only the evaluation of text quality but also its overall approach to page content. For example, since May 2024, the search engine has started to consider cases where insignificant and low-quality content is published on authoritative domains in an attempt to boost rankings. For instance, if a reputable educational website suddenly features weak reviews of credit products, that resource may be filtered. Such practices – including using outdated domains for new, unrelated projects – now directly contradict the guidelines. Google is learning to detect topic incongruence and intentionally devalue such pages. As a result, quality websites that previously could have suffered due to external spam are now protected, and attempts to “mask” as a reliable resource no longer work.
It is also worth noting the updates at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. Google traditionally releases a core update several times a year; for example, major algorithm updates were confirmed in September and December 2024. One of the changes was the improvement in clustering of similar queries: the algorithm has become better at recognizing when different search phrases have the same intent and displaying identical results for them. Thus, website owners are signaled that there is no need to create separate pages for every variation of a keyword – Google is increasingly understanding synonyms and paraphrases, focusing on satisfying user intent.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Search (AI Search, Google Bard, SGE)
Over the past two years, Google has integrated artificial intelligence into all aspects of search. Systems such as MUM (Multitask Unified Model) and other neural networks for content understanding have emerged, and in 2023 the search engine launched an experimental project called Search Generative Experience (SGE) – a generative search using AI. SGE is a block on the search results page where a neural network generates a summarized answer to the user's query by drawing on information from multiple websites. Simultaneously, a separate chatbot, Google Bard, is being developed to compete with ChatGPT by providing answers in a conversational format. All of this is changing user behavior: more and more queries now receive a direct answer on the page without the need to visit a website.
For SEO specialists, the impact of these technologies is twofold. On one hand, AI helps Google better understand semantic relationships: search has become “smarter” and no longer relies solely on exact keyword input. Algorithms can read text almost like a human, considering context, tone, and subjective evaluations. This means that high-quality content that thoroughly covers a topic wins out – primitive pages overloaded with repetitive phrases are a thing of the past. On the other hand, generative SGE responses create new competition: even pages that rank highly in organic search may see a reduction in clicks if an AI-generated answer is displayed above them. According to studies, approximately 86.8% of queries in the experimental SGE block were selected from 1000 commercial keywords. This is a huge scale: if Google fully implements SGE for a wider audience, a significant portion of traffic may shift to AI responses, bypassing websites. Analysts have noted that in the current SGE format, the value of organic positions may “dissolve like smoke.”
The experiment also showed that there are two response modes in SGE: a teaser (a short answer visible immediately) and a 'Generate Answer' button that expands the answer when clicked. The teaser appeared in about 34% of cases, while the button appeared in 66% of cases. In both scenarios, the organic results on the page are pushed down; if the user expands the full AI response, the first regular links in search are displaced by approximately 1500+ pixels. This reduces their visibility on the screen and, consequently, the number of clicks. Thus, AI-driven search is increasing the occurrence of zero-click scenarios – where the user obtains the information without clicking on any website. According to various estimates, more than half of all search sessions worldwide end without any clicks, and with the adoption of generative responses, this proportion will increase even further.
Strengthening E-E-A-T Factors (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
Google has long used the concept of E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) to evaluate website quality, and at the end of 2022 an additional component – Experience – was added. This expanded concept became known as E-E-A-T. Although the E-E-A-T acronym itself is not a direct ranking factor, it reflects the principles upon which algorithms and evaluators base their assessment of content. In 2024–2025, E-E-A-T requirements will become even stricter. They are especially critical for YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) pages—topics related to health, finance, law, etc.—where the quality of information impacts users' well-being.
What does each element of E-E-A-T include in relation to website content?
- Experience: The author or organization demonstrates personal experience in the topic. For example, a travel article is rated higher if written by someone who has actually visited the country, and is supplemented with personal photos and impressions rather than merely rehashed from others' reviews.
- Expertise: The level of the author's knowledge and competence. The content must comprehensively and accurately cover the topic, demonstrating an understanding of its nuances. It is important that the content is thoroughly developed: superficial texts yield to detailed guides, research, and analyses. Expertise is also supported by formal indicators—such as the author's professional education, certifications, and work experience. In practice, this often appears in author blocks on the site: the author's name, position, achievements, and profiles on professional networks.
- Authoritativeness: The reputation of the source on the topic. If a website has earned recognition, other reliable resources will reference it, experts will mention it, and the brand is well-known – in such cases, the content is ranked higher.
- Trustworthiness: The degree to which the content and the website inspire trust. Here, the accuracy and reliability of the information (especially in YMYL topics), the transparency of sources, and the absence of contradictions or fraud are crucial. Technical aspects such as a secure connection (HTTPS), the absence of intrusive ads or malicious scripts, clear contact details, and privacy policies also affect trust. Google particularly emphasizes the value of genuine reviews and user experience-based content. For example, for an online store, customer reviews accompanied by product photos enhance trust – this is dynamic content that is hard to fake on a mass scale.
As E-E-A-T evolves, new requirements for the format and presentation of content are emerging. Google evaluates structure and transparency: high-quality articles typically have a clear structure (headings, subheadings, lists), include an “About the Author” section, and provide links to sources. Information blocks such as FAQs, term definitions, and a table of contents are not only user-friendly but also signal to the search engine the depth of the topic. It is no coincidence that evaluation guidelines note that long content does not always equate to quality; rather, usefulness and trustworthiness are more important. Therefore, Google continues to update the so-called Helpful Content Update. Recent changes are clearly aimed against clickbait and empty texts: pages that promise “answers to all questions” or have enticing headlines but provide little useful information are consistently demoted. Instead, content with added value – such as original research, exclusive data, and deep expertise – wins.
New Requirements for Content and Its Structure
In recent years, algorithmic updates have also dictated the approach to content creation. First of all, there is a clear trend toward comprehensive coverage of the topic. Whereas previously successful SEO might have involved writing ten narrowly focused articles for various similar queries, it is now better to write one complete guide that covers several related questions at once. Google is capable of ranking not only the entire page but also specific fragments of text within it. This means that well-structured long articles with subheadings and logical divisions can appear in search results for different related keywords. This is also why the semantic core (list of keywords) expands through synonyms and similar expressions: the algorithm increasingly understands that, for example, “how to cook” and “recipe” essentially mean the same thing, and rewards content that covers both aspects. For 2025, marketers are advised to pay attention to LSI keywords (Latent Semantic Indexing keywords) – related terms that enhance topic relevance.
Secondly, structured data (Schema.org and microdata) have become practically a mandatory part of the content strategy. Markup helps the search engine understand precisely the type of content (article, recipe, review, product, etc.) and display enhanced snippets in search results. With the rise of voice search and generative responses, the usefulness of markup increases further: structured data are often used to compile concise summaries. For example, FAQ markup may result in a Q&A from your site being displayed directly in Google Assistant or in the “People Also Ask” block. Attention should also be paid to the technical markup of content – the proper use of H1–H6 headings, lists, and tables. Readability and logical structure are more important than ever: in the era of AI search, texts that are easily analyzable by algorithms (from which clear facts or instructions can be quickly extracted) prevail.
New requirements also concern the multimedia aspect of content. Google prefers pages that do not consist solely of dry text, but offer users a multifaceted experience: images, videos, infographics, and interactive elements. Such pages hold users’ attention longer, are more frequently saved and shared – all of which indirectly impact SEO. Moreover, the search engine is capable of directly analyzing multimedia content: for several years now, Google has been learning to understand videos and even indexes video fragments. In search results, video carousels and image blocks are increasingly appearing, and with the development of Google Lens, the importance of visual content is growing. By 2025, a text without additional media may rank lower compared to text enriched with multimedia elements – on par with all other factors. Therefore, for every important piece of content, it is advisable to choose high-quality illustrations (with alt text for SEO), create short videos or animations when possible, and add diagrams. Special attention should be paid to the uniqueness of these materials: original product photos are preferable to stock images, and custom graphics of your research findings are more valuable than generic templates.
Finally, the changes have also affected the indexing and crawling of websites. Google is improving its search crawler (Googlebot) and its approach to navigating pages. Since 2021, all sites have transitioned to mobile-first indexing, and by 2025 all sites will be indexed based on their mobile version. This means that mobile responsiveness is crucial: content that is hidden or abbreviated on the mobile version may not be taken into account by the algorithm. Google has also updated its crawler to the latest versions of Chromium, improving its understanding of JavaScript. However, heavy SPA applications or dynamically loaded content may be indexed less effectively – by 2025, it will still be advisable to use server-side rendering or, at the very least, ensure that important content is immediately accessible.
Google has begun to use crawl budget more intelligently – a limit on how much of a site can be crawled. If a resource contains many duplicates and useless pages (for example, endless combinations of filters in an online store without proper canonical URLs), the crawler will scan them less frequently. With the help of the Spam Update, the crawler learns to better recognize spam during its crawl. For example, if thousands of automatically generated pages suddenly appear on a site, Googlebot will detect this and reduce the crawl depth. Therefore, by 2025 it is important to keep your site "clean": exclude technical sections from indexing, eliminate duplicates (for example, by using rel="canonical" or redirects), and monitor what the server returns (correct response codes, Last-Modified headers, Sitemap).
Finally, Core Web Vitals and overall performance on mobile devices depend on real user data. Google uses performance measurements under real-world conditions, so it is important to test your site on various smartphones, especially budget devices. A lightweight and fast site that responds instantly receives a positive rating and helps avoid delays caused by excessive scripts and ads.
In addition, technical SEO also includes error resolution. In Search Console, it is easy to identify 404 errors (broken links), issues with Core Web Vitals, and errors related to a lack of mobile-friendliness. By 2025, search engines will strive not to penalize but to ignore problematic elements. For example, if a page has good content but a certain button does not work, the page may still remain correctly ranked even though the user experience suffers. Therefore, today SEO is closely tied to user experience: an optimizer must think like a product manager, ensuring that the site is convenient, fast, and logical – and search algorithms will reward that.
Link Building for 2025: What Works and What is Outdated
Link building remains one of the fundamental aspects of ranking, but the approach to it by 2025 has evolved significantly. Google continues to fight against spammy links. Thanks to the AI-based SpamBrain system, Google has learned to recognize not only spam itself but also sites that buy or sell it. In other words, if a site is involved in mass link building through certain schemes, Google will likely nullify the value of those links. This confirms the trend in which the quantitative aspect of links is losing importance while quality and trustworthiness become more important.
By 2025, effective links will be those that are natural and community-based. A quality link is earned when a satisfied customer adds a link referring to your successes; when a specialized publication mentions your research or local media writes about your event. Such links are difficult to obtain solely through traditional SEO methods – here, content marketing and PR come into play. Digital PR is practically becoming a substitute for outdated link building: create informational resources, conduct interesting research, or produce infographics so that journalists and bloggers are inclined to talk about you and reference your site.
Of course, guest posts and traditional external links have not lost their significance, but they should be used with caution. Choose platforms that are relevant to your niche and have a genuine audience. A guest article should provide value to the site’s readers rather than being merely promotional text. Ideally, establish long-term relationships with reliable resources to regularly receive links, for example, through interviews, expert commentary, or other forms of collaboration.
Special attention should also be given to internal linking. By 2025, when obtaining external links becomes more challenging, you must maximize the use of the links you control – that is, internal linking. It should not only connect pages but also distribute “link juice” to the most important pages. Conduct an audit to determine which pages are the most valuable (for example, those that lead to conversions or answer key queries) and ensure that other pages link to them. Use anchor texts wisely, but avoid excessive repetition.
What in link building loses effectiveness or may be risky:
- Directories and link collections – previously, sites were registered in hundreds of directories, but today this provides little benefit except in cases of highly specialized directories.
- Massive link exchanges – “you for me, me for you” style exchanges on a large scale are tracked by algorithms and such schemes may lead to a loss in link value.
- Forum and comment spam – links added in forum signatures or comments in a “SEO spam” style are generally nofollow or are removed; they should only be used if they genuinely satisfy user needs.
- PBN (Private Blog Networks) – creating a network of such sites for mutual support is risky, as Google identifies related sites and may impose sanctions.
Overall, link building in 2025 is shifting from a quantitative approach to a qualitative one. It is increasingly focused on developing reputation and partnerships, with SEO specialists working closely with PR and content marketers to create valuable informational resources and obtain natural links.
Local SEO and Its Development
For companies that operate offline or target specific regions, local SEO will become an indispensable tool by 2025. The main element of local SEO is the Google Business Profile – which now allows publishing news, campaigns, answering user questions, and accepting bookings directly through the profile. A regularly updated profile with photos, reviews, and responses from the owner improves visibility in local search results.
Local search results typically include the Local Pack – a block consisting of a map and the three most relevant businesses according to the query. The goal is to appear in the top 3. Here, factors such as user proximity, relevance (matching category and keywords), and review ratings play an important role. By 2025, the influence of reviews will increase, so it is important for companies to encourage satisfied customers to share their experiences and actively respond to negative feedback.
In addition to Google, other platforms such as Yandex and Apple Maps should be considered, as well as working with local citations (name, address, phone) to confirm the company’s reliability.
Another trend for local SEO is search in social networks – especially as younger audiences may search for companies directly on social media. Therefore, it is important to be active on these platforms as well, using geolocation tags.
By 2025, local SEO will be closely linked with mobile user experience and voice search. Many local queries are performed using voice commands, and assistant responses rely on business profiles. Therefore, all information must be accurate and up-to-date, and the website should make it easy to find contact details or location.
Ultimately, local SEO also means in-person conversions – the user must be able to easily contact you or reach your location. Clear contact details, location maps, and, if necessary, online chat contribute to increasing both search traffic and the actual flow of customers.
Future Outlook
SEO Trends in the Coming Years
In the future, it is expected that the main SEO trends that emerged in 2024–2025 will continue to evolve. Artificial intelligence will be integrated even deeper into search. It is likely that Google will transform SGE or similar AI responses into a full-fledged element of search results in 2025–2026, and optimizers will have to continuously adapt to this. A new format of snippets—more interactive and multimedia responses directly on the search page—may also emerge. For example, short video responses or animations are already being tested for some queries. Additionally, AI may lead to personalized search results, taking into account the user's history, preferences, and even language style. In such a context, SEO becomes more complex, as the same query may yield different results for different audiences.
Another anticipated trend is the fight against disinformation and inaccurate content. Google will undoubtedly find new metrics for assessing the factual accuracy of pages and will pay more attention to source referencing – pages that rely on official data and research may receive a ranking advantage.
Voice search and screenless search (for example, via smart speakers in cars) are becoming popular, meaning more answers will be displayed as a single result. Here, the so-called position 0 plays a role – that is, the distinct piece of information an assistant conveys. Competing with this is challenging, but it can be achieved through effective content structuring, Q&A schemas, and enhancing E-E-A-T. In the future, we may also see new entry points into search, such as through augmented reality glasses that could make visual search commonplace. In such cases, optimizers will need not only text and links but also a compelling visual representation of the company.
How to Prepare Your Website and Retain Traffic
To avoid losing traffic due to upcoming changes, it is important to adhere to several principles. First, continuous monitoring and learning – stay informed about developments in the SEO industry, follow official announcements, and participate in professional conferences. Early awareness of updates will give you an advantage before they are fully implemented.
Secondly, analytics and prompt action. Use web analytics and SEO tools to track rankings, traffic, and conversions. If you notice a drop in traffic after an update, analyze which pages or queries have been affected and adjust your content or link strategy accordingly. The key is flexibility: SEO is not a one-time solution, but a continuous process of adaptation.
Thirdly, diversification of traffic sources. Do not put all your eggs in one basket – although organic search often provides the highest and most cost-effective traffic, relying solely on it is risky. Develop other channels as well, such as social media, email marketing, and branded traffic, to ensure a steady flow of visitors even if search traffic fluctuates.
Fourth, user-centricity. All of Google's algorithms are designed to provide maximum benefit to the user. Always consider what the user truly needs, and ensure that your website is convenient, fast, and informative. The best defense against algorithm changes is to offer your audience a better experience than your competitors.
Finally, prepare your website technically for the future: scalability and clean code. Websites are becoming increasingly complex every day, so it is important to keep your code lightweight and well-structured to facilitate future modifications. Also, stay up-to-date with the latest trends in design and technology, as they affect both user experience and rankings.
Conclusion: In 2025, SEO will be a combination of multiple measures, where content and technical condition go hand in hand with external factors and even offline marketing. Google's algorithms are becoming more complex, but their goal remains the same – to select the best content for the user. To stay at the top, you must continuously improve your website, content, and service by adhering to the principles of usefulness and integrity. This way, your sites will be able to weather even the most complex algorithmic storms, and traffic will not only be maintained but will also grow thanks to a high-quality SEO strategy.