A multiplayer game: Search Engine Optimization in 2025

For a long time, SEO was largely synonymous with Google Search Optimization. SEO tactics and strategies didn’t only apply to Google, of course. They were (and are) relevant for Bing, Yahoo!, DuckDuckGo, etc. But, by and large, we all think about Google first and foremost.

That has to stop in 2025. Get ready for the new multiplayer game.

Generative AI: Start Now

ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Claude – We are all familiar with generative AI tools. People already use these tools the same way they used to use search engines, and that will continue in 2025. This means you need to make sure you’re showing up. Let’s take a look at how optimizing for gen AI is similar to and different from SEO.

Differences:

• These tools usually list only a handful of sources, and sometimes only one. You’re either in or you’re out. There’s no hope of someone scrolling and finding you.
• These tools aren’t updated every millisecond. It can take them a long time to ingest new data, understand it, and regurgitate it when queried. It could be a year before you start showing up. This is why you need to start now.

Similarities:

• The way you present yourself matters: be clear, concise, and consistent with all messaging, social profiles, metadata, web content, etc. Make it easy for LLMs and gen AI to understand who you are and what you do.
• Good content still matters because authority still matters – you want to be included / featured on authoritative sites that gen AI will use to cite responses, in addition to having your own brand viewed as an authority.

As you make your plan for 2025, perform a gen AI audit to see how you fare.

1. Type in search queries relevant to your organization
2. Review responses – are you included? Are you not?
3. If not, which sites are included? Are they sites that you could target for future features?
4. Based on the response provided, do you need to edit any metadata or write new content that more clearly aligns your business with the response gen AI thinks people want to see?

Find Your Audiences: Look at TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Discord, etc.

In certain contexts, younger audiences (Gen Z and Gen Alpha) turn to platforms like TikTok and Instagram for answers to search queries instead of traditional search engines.

Performing searches on these sites is different than it would be on Google, and so optimizing for searches is also different. You’ll need to find relevant and popular trending or niche hashtags as well as keywords, and work on making your profile a favorite of your target audience so that you regularly appear on their homepages, discover pages, feeds, etc.

Be interesting. Be relevant. Be authentic.