So, 2025 is here, and if you’re involved in SEO, you’ve probably noticed things are changing. It feels like every other week there’s a new update from Google or a new AI tool popping up. It can be a lot to keep track of, and honestly, sometimes it feels like trying to hit a moving target. But don’t worry, we’ve sifted through all the latest seo news updates so you don’t have to. This is what you need to know to keep your site visible and your strategies on point.
Key Takeaways
- Google’s August 2025 Spam Update and the Preferred Sources Algorithm mean you need to focus on high-quality content and build trust signals, not just keywords.
- AI Overviews are becoming a bigger part of search results, so think about how your content can be used in these AI-generated answers.
- Don’t forget the basics: Core Web Vitals for a good user experience and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) are still super important.
- A mixed strategy is the way to go. Combine your usual SEO tactics with new AI-focused methods and automation.
- Think beyond just links. Being mentioned and trusted on other websites is becoming more important, especially with how AI tools gather information.
Navigating Google’s Latest Algorithm Updates
Okay, so Google’s been busy, right? It feels like every other week there’s a new update rolling out, and trying to keep up can feel like a full-time job. Let’s break down what’s been happening, especially with those big changes in August 2025.
Understanding the August 2025 Spam Update
Google dropped a pretty significant spam update in August 2025. This wasn’t just about the usual suspects in spammy niches; it was a broader crackdown. The goal? To tackle low-quality content and SEO tricks that try to game the system. If your site saw some weird ranking shifts around late August, this update might be the reason. It’s a good reminder that stuffing your site with thin content or using shady link-building tactics can really come back to bite you. The main takeaway here is to stick to ethical SEO practices.
- What to watch for: Expect ranking fluctuations for a few weeks. Sites with weak content or manipulative links might lose visibility.
- What to do: Don’t panic and make rash changes. Give the update time to settle. Keep an eye on Google Search Console to see if any pages are affected. Focus on creating genuinely good, original content and building links the natural way.
Adapting to the Preferred Sources Algorithm
This one specifically targets news and informational content. Launched mid-August 2025, it shifts the focus away from just how fresh your content is or how many times you use a keyword. Instead, Google is really zeroing in on editorial authority, credibility, and trustworthiness. So, if you’re running a blog, a news site, or any site that publishes a lot of informational articles, this is a big deal.
- Who’s affected: Publishers, bloggers, and sites competing in crowded informational spaces.
- What’s changing: Google is prioritizing sources it sees as reliable and authoritative.
- Your move: You need to really build up your site’s credibility. Think about citing sources, making authorship clear, and making sure your content truly adds something new and helpful for readers. It’s about proving you know your stuff.
Key Actions for SEO Professionals
So, what does all this mean for us SEO folks? It’s a mix of old and new. The spam update tells us that quality and ethical practices are more important than ever. The Preferred Sources update means we need to think harder about building our site’s reputation and demonstrating real expertise. It’s not just about keywords anymore; it’s about being a trusted source.
Here’s a quick rundown of what you should be doing:
- Review your content: Is it original? Does it offer real value? Is it well-researched?
- Check your backlinks: Are they natural and from reputable sites? Get rid of any spammy ones.
- Build your brand’s authority: Focus on clear authorship, citing sources, and creating content that shows you’re an expert in your field.
- Stay patient: Algorithm updates can take time to fully roll out. Avoid making drastic changes until you see the dust settle.
The Evolving Landscape of AI in Search
Okay, so AI is really shaking things up in the search world, and it’s not just a little bit. It feels like every day there’s something new. Google’s AI Overviews, which used to be called SGE, are popping up on a lot more searches now. Basically, instead of just a list of links, you get a summary right at the top, kind of like a chatbot answered your question. It’s pulling info from different sites to give you a quick answer. This is a pretty big deal because it changes how people find information online.
AI Overviews Dominating Search Results
We’re seeing AI Overviews show up on a lot more queries. For example, back in January 2025, about 31% of "What is" type questions had an AI Overview. By December 2025, that number jumped to almost 80%. For local searches, like finding a "roofing company," it’s still pretty rare, but even there, we saw a small increase. This means that for informational queries, the game is changing. The big question is how this affects click-through rates to websites. Some studies suggest that only a small percentage of people actually click through to the original sources from these AI summaries. This could mean less traffic for some sites, but it also means we need to think about how to get our content into those AI summaries. It’s a shift from just ranking for blue links to being a source for AI. We’ve seen this kind of change before, like with mobile search or featured snippets, and while it felt scary at first, people adapted and found ways to still get traffic. This is kind of like that, but maybe a bit faster. It’s important to keep an eye on Google’s Year in Search to see what topics are trending, as this can influence AI Overview content.
The Rise of AI-Centric Browsers and Tools
It’s not just Google, either. People are starting to use other tools and browsers that are built around AI. Think about things like Perplexity, or even just using ChatGPT directly for answers. Google’s market share for search has actually dipped below 90% for the first time in a long time, partly because of these other AI tools. This means people are looking for faster, more direct answers, and they’re willing to go outside of the traditional search engine to get them. This trend is only going to grow, so we need to be aware of where people are getting their information.
Preparing Content for AI-Driven Answers
So, what do we do about all this? Well, first off, don’t panic. AI isn’t going to completely replace SEO, but it definitely changes the game. We need to start thinking about how our content can be used by AI. This means making sure our information is clear, accurate, and well-organized. Google is still rewarding brands that have a good reputation, so building your brand outside of just search results is going to be more important than ever. Think about having a strong presence on social media, creating videos, or even hosting events. The goal is to be seen as a trustworthy source, not just by users, but by the AI models themselves. It’s about creating content that’s not only good for humans but also easily digestible and usable by AI. This might involve:
- Clearly structuring your content with headings and subheadings.
- Providing factual data and citing your sources.
- Focusing on topics where you have real experience and can demonstrate expertise.
- Building your brand’s authority and trustworthiness across different platforms.
Core SEO Fundamentals Remain Crucial
Even with all the new AI stuff and algorithm changes, some basic SEO practices are still super important. Think of them as the foundation your whole online presence is built on. If these aren’t solid, nothing else you do will really stick. It’s not just about chasing the latest trend; it’s about making sure your website is actually good for people to use and easy for search engines to understand.
Prioritizing Core Web Vitals for User Experience
Remember how websites used to load super slowly? Yeah, nobody liked that. Google noticed, and now they really care about how fast your site loads, how quickly it responds when someone interacts with it, and if things jump around while it’s loading. These are called Core Web Vitals, and they directly impact how users feel about your site. A slow, clunky site makes people leave, and Google doesn’t want to send people to bad experiences. So, making sure your site is speedy and stable is a big deal for keeping visitors happy and improving your search rankings.
Here’s a quick rundown of the main ones:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): How long it takes for the main content on your page to load.
- First Input Delay (FID): How quickly your page responds when a user first interacts with it (like clicking a button).
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): How much unexpected movement of page elements happens during loading.
Strengthening E-E-A-T Signals
Google wants to show results from sources that are trustworthy and knowledgeable. That’s where E-E-A-T comes in: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It’s not enough to just have information; you need to show you know what you’re talking about. This means having clear author bios, citing your sources, and creating content that genuinely helps people. If you’re a medical site, you need actual doctors writing your content, not just someone who read a few articles. Building this credibility helps search engines (and users!) see your site as a reliable place to get information.
The Enduring Importance of Technical SEO
Beyond speed and content quality, the nuts and bolts of your website matter. Technical SEO covers things like your site’s structure, how easily search engines can crawl and index your pages, and making sure your site works well on mobile devices. Even with AI, search engines still need to be able to find and understand your content. Things like having a clear site map, using proper schema markup, and fixing broken links are all part of making sure your website is technically sound. It’s the behind-the-scenes work that makes everything else possible.
Embracing a Hybrid SEO Strategy
Okay, so we’ve talked about Google’s algorithm shake-ups and how AI is changing the search game. It might feel like a lot, but the good news is that you don’t have to pick a side. The smartest move for 2025 is to blend the old-school SEO tactics with these new AI-driven approaches. Think of it as having the best of both worlds.
Integrating Traditional and AI-Optimized Tactics
Gone are the days when just focusing on keywords or just building links was enough. Now, you really need to do both, and then some. We’re seeing AI tools get really good at pulling information from all sorts of places. This means your brand needs to be visible not just on your own site, but across the web. It’s about being where people are looking, whether that’s a traditional search result or an AI-generated answer. This shift means your SEO strategy needs to be more holistic than ever before.
The Necessity of Technical, Content, and AI SEO
So, what does this hybrid approach actually look like? It’s a mix of things:
- Technical SEO: This is your site’s foundation. We’re talking about making sure your site loads fast (Core Web Vitals are still a thing!), is easy for search engines to crawl, and has the right structure. Don’t forget about things like schema markup to help search engines understand your content better.
- Content SEO: This is about creating great content that people actually want to read and that answers their questions. It still involves keyword research, but it’s also about demonstrating your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Think about who wrote the content, where your information comes from, and if it truly helps the user.
- AI SEO: This is the new frontier. It involves understanding how AI models like ChatGPT pull information and how to get your content included. It also means optimizing for AI Overviews, which are becoming super common at the top of search results. We need to prepare content that AI can easily digest and cite.
Leveraging Automation for Keyword Planning and Content
AI isn’t just for the search results; it’s also a powerful tool for us SEO folks. Automation can really speed things up. Think about using AI tools to:
- Identify keyword opportunities: AI can sift through massive amounts of data to find new or related keywords you might have missed.
- Generate content ideas: Stuck on what to write about? AI can suggest topics based on trending searches or gaps in your current content.
- Analyze performance: Some tools can help monitor your rankings and identify areas for improvement, freeing you up to focus on strategy. This is especially helpful when you’re trying to stay informed about SEO trends.
By combining these elements, you create a robust strategy that covers all the bases, making sure you’re visible now and ready for whatever search looks like next year.
Third-Party Signals and Brand Presence
Okay, so we’ve talked a lot about Google’s algorithms and AI, but what about what happens outside of Google? For a while now, SEO folks have really focused on getting backlinks. That was the big thing. But honestly, links have always been just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Now, with AI models pulling information from all over the place to answer questions, it’s becoming super clear that you need to be seen in more spots than just your own website. Think about it: when you ask an AI about a product or service, it doesn’t just pull from the company’s site. It looks at reviews, forums, comparison sites – all sorts of places.
Beyond Link Building: A Broader Web Presence
This shift means we need to think bigger than just getting other sites to link to us. We need to be present where people are actually talking about things. This includes:
- Getting mentioned on relevant industry sites: If you offer a service, being cited as an example or a solution on a respected blog or news site is huge.
- Participating in online communities: Being active and helpful in forums or social media groups where your target audience hangs out can build awareness.
- Encouraging reviews and testimonials: Positive feedback on various platforms acts as a strong third-party signal.
Your brand needs to be visible across the web, not just on your own domain. This is how AI models and search engines see you as a credible source.
Understanding LLM Information Sources
Large Language Models (LLMs) are getting their information from a wide array of sources. When they answer a query, they might consult dozens of different websites. This can include:
- Direct company websites (like Stripe or QuickBooks).
- Review aggregators and comparison sites.
- Community forums like Reddit.
- Educational or research platforms.
It’s important to do some digging to see where LLMs are pulling their data when people ask questions related to your industry. This helps you figure out where you should be showing up. For example, if you search for "best invoicing software," you’ll likely see a mix of direct software sites, tech review sites, and even forum discussions. If your brand isn’t appearing in these varied results, you’re missing out on a big opportunity.
Developing Content and Outreach Plans
So, what’s the game plan? First, you need to figure out where the LLMs are getting their info. Use tools or simply experiment with prompts yourself to see what sources are being cited. Once you know this, you can start to build a strategy.
- Create unique data or research: Putting out original studies or surveys can make your brand a go-to source for journalists and other websites. This is a great way to build your brand’s credibility over time.
- Target niche queries: Instead of just broad topics, create content that answers very specific questions. LLMs often stitch together answers from these detailed pages. Think about creating content for a specific use case, like "simple invoicing tool for a solo graphic designer." This kind of specific content is exactly what AI models need to build custom answers.
- Plan your outreach: Once you have great content, reach out to sites that are already being referenced by LLMs. See if they’d be interested in mentioning your new research or unique perspective. This is how you get those valuable third-party mentions that boost your visibility. You can also look into local business visibility by focusing on industry-specific signals.
Impact on News and Local Businesses
Ranking Changes for News Content
So, Google’s made some shifts in how they handle news and informational stuff. It’s not just about getting a story out fast or stuffing keywords anymore. They’re really looking at who’s behind the content – are they a trusted source? Do they know their stuff? This means publishers and anyone writing about popular topics need to really focus on showing their credibility. Think about building a solid reputation over time, not just chasing the latest trend. It’s about being seen as a reliable voice in your niche.
Google Discover’s Role in Traffic Generation
Google Discover is still a big deal for getting eyeballs on your content, especially for news sites. Some publishers are seeing more traffic from it, which is great. Others? Not so much, traffic’s actually gone down. It seems like a bit of a mixed bag right now. If you’re a news publisher, paying attention to Discover is probably a good idea, but don’t put all your eggs in that one basket. It’s a piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture.
Optimizing for Local Search Visibility
Local businesses have seen some changes too. It’s gotten a bit trickier to rank well in both the map results and the regular search listings. Plus, with more AI summaries popping up, it can change how people find you. What does this mean for your corner store or local service? Double down on your Google Business Profile. Make sure it’s updated, get those reviews coming in, and keep your info accurate. Also, think about building your local brand. If people think of you when they think of your service in your area, you’re more likely to show up when AI tries to answer questions. It’s about being the go-to name locally.
So, What’s the Takeaway for 2025?
Alright, so we’ve talked a lot about what’s new and what’s changing in the world of SEO for 2025. It’s clear things aren’t standing still, especially with AI popping up everywhere and Google tweaking its algorithms. The big picture? You can’t just do the same old thing and expect results. Core stuff like good user experience and trustworthy content is still super important, but you’ve also got to think about how AI is changing how people search. It’s a bit like trying to keep up with a fast-moving river – you need to adjust your boat as you go. Staying on top of these updates might seem like a lot, but it’s how you keep your website visible and connect with people looking for what you offer. Don’t get left behind; keep learning and keep adapting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the big deal about Google’s August 2025 Spam Update?
This update is like a stricter security guard for Google Search. It’s designed to catch and lower the rank of websites that use sneaky tricks or have really unhelpful content. The goal is to make sure people see the best, most trustworthy results. You should focus on making great content and avoid quick fixes.
How does the ‘Preferred Sources’ update change things for news websites?
Instead of just looking at how new an article is or how many times a word appears, Google now cares more about whether the source is trustworthy and has real experts. Think of it as Google wanting to show you articles from places that truly know their stuff and are reliable, not just any random blog.
What are AI Overviews and why do they matter for SEO?
AI Overviews are like a quick summary Google shows at the top of search results, powered by artificial intelligence. It answers your question right away without you needing to click on other websites. This means websites might get fewer visitors, so SEO needs to focus on being helpful and clear enough to be included in these AI answers.
Are old SEO tricks still useful, or is it all about AI now?
Even with all the new AI stuff, the basics of SEO are still super important! Things like making your website load fast (Core Web Vitals) and showing that you’re an expert (E-E-A-T) are more important than ever. AI is just another layer on top of these solid foundations.
What is a ‘Hybrid SEO Strategy’?
A hybrid SEO strategy is like using both a map and a GPS. You still use the tried-and-true methods like making good content and having a technically sound website, but you also add in new ways to work with AI tools and get your content seen by AI. It’s about using all the tools available to be found everywhere.
How should local businesses prepare for these SEO changes?
Local businesses should really focus on their Google Business Profile – keeping it updated, getting reviews, and making sure all info is correct. It’s also important to build a strong local reputation so people know and trust your business, which helps you show up better in local searches and even in AI answers.
