People keep asking about SEO. It’s a bit of a mess, isn't it? Google keeps changing things. Now there's AI everywhere. So, what’s the actual deal for 2025? I’ve been looking into it, and here are some thoughts—not a definitive guide, because those don't really exist in SEO, but more like thinking out loud.
The Big Thing Google Keeps Saying: Be Genuinely Useful
If there’s one thread through all of Google’s recent talk, it’s this: they want content that actually helps people. They have this acronym, E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It sounds like corporate jargon, but the idea is simple.
Imagine you need to fix a leaky tap. You’d want advice from someone who’s actually fixed one, right? Not someone who just read a manual. That’s the "Experience" part. Then you'd want them to know what they're talking about—that's "Expertise." You'd prefer if they were a known plumber, not some random person—that's "Authoritativeness." And you’d need to trust their advice won't make your kitchen flood—that's "Trustworthiness."
Content that ticks these boxes seems to be what Google is trying to reward. It’s less about gaming the system and more about being genuinely good.
So, What About AI Writing Everything?
AI can write. It can write a lot, and quickly. But can it have experience? Can it have genuine expertise that isn’t just a mashup of what’s already out there? Probably not, at least not yet.
Google’s official line is that they don’t inherently penalize AI-generated content; they care about the quality. But—and this is a big but—if AI is used to churn out low-quality, unoriginal stuff just to get clicks, that’s a problem. John Mueller from Google has also pointed out that AI-driven search and LLMs actually depend on well-structured content, so the underlying technicals still matter a great deal.
The smart way to use AI, it seems, is as an assistant. Let it help with research, outlines, or first drafts. But a human—a real expert—needs to be there to add the E-E-A-T, the unique insights, the actual value.
The "Barbell Strategy" – An Interesting Idea
I came across this idea from an analysis of HubSpot's traffic shifts by Alitu, called the "barbell strategy". The thought is that content is getting squeezed in the middle. What seems to work now is content that’s either:
Pure Utility: Extremely useful, factual, structured. Think technical docs, direct answers. Stuff AI can parse easily and users can get quick facts from.
Pure Human: Deeply personal, experience-driven, unique insights. Stuff AI can't do. This builds connection.
The content in the middle—kinda useful, kinda personal—might be losing out. It’s an interesting thought. It suggests you need to be deliberate: are you making a tool, or are you sharing a unique human perspective?
Don’t Forget the Basics: User Experience and Technical Stuff
If your website is slow, confusing, or just plain annoying to use, people will leave. Google notices this. Things like fast loading speeds (Core Web Vitals), being mobile-friendly, and having clear navigation are still super important. This isn't new, but it's foundational.
And technical SEO? John Mueller keeps saying it’s vital. Especially with AI trying to understand your site, making sure it’s crawlable, indexable, and uses things like schema markup (which helps Google understand what your page is about) is key. Google has even said structured data helps their AI systems.
Links: Still a Thing, But Quality Wins
Good backlinks—links from other trustworthy, relevant websites to yours—still seem to matter. But the emphasis is on quality, not just getting a ton of links from anywhere. One good link from a respected source is worth more than a pile of junk links.
Things to Probably Stop Wasting Time On
Some old tactics are just bad now. Everyone knows about keyword stuffing (writing like a robot to jam keywords in) – Google’s been onto that for ages. Same with buying loads of dodgy links.
But here are a few others that seem less effective now:
Mass-producing thin content: Google’s "Helpful Content System" is specifically designed to combat this. If you’re just pumping out shallow articles hoping some will stick, you might be in for a surprise.
Ignoring mobile: Google uses mobile-first indexing. If your site is terrible on a phone, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. This should be obvious by now, but it’s surprising how many sites still get it wrong.
Obsessing over SEO scores from tools: Those scores you see (Even from our very own tool) in tools like SEMrush or Yoast? They can be helpful guides. But blindly chasing a perfect score, even if it makes your content sound unnatural, is a mistake. Use your judgment.
PageRank sculpting with "nofollow": This was an old trick to try and control how link value flowed around your site. It’s largely ineffective now. Focus on a logical site structure for users.
Some Common Mix-Ups (Misconceptions)
The SEO world is full of myths. Here are a few that seem to persist:
"AI-generated content will get you penalized." Not automatically. Google says they care about the quality and helpfulness, not how it was made. The problem is, AI alone often produces low-quality, unoriginal stuff.
"More keywords or more backlinks automatically mean higher rankings." Nope. It’s about relevance and quality. Ten great, relevant links beat a thousand spammy ones.
"SEO is a one-time fix." Definitely not. Algorithms change, competitors adapt, user behavior shifts. It’s an ongoing thing.
"Longer content always ranks better." Only if it needs to be long to be comprehensive and helpful. Don’t add fluff just for word count. John Mueller has said short content can rank perfectly well if it answers the user's query effectively.
"Startups must have a blog for SEO." John Mueller’s answer to this was a simple "no". A blog can be good for SEO, but it’s not a magic bullet. The important thing is creating valuable content, whatever the format—guides, tools, case studies, etc.
"Technical SEO is becoming less important." John Mueller says it’s still vital, maybe even more so with AI trying to understand web pages.
So, What to Do?
It feels like SEO is growing up. The tricks and shortcuts are fading. What’s left is the harder, but more sustainable, work of creating genuinely good, valuable, and user-friendly experiences.
If I had to boil it down, I’d say:
Focus on your users. Understand what they really need and give it to them in the best way possible.
Show your work (E-E-A-T). If you have experience and expertise, make it obvious.
Use AI as a smart intern, not your replacement.
Keep your technical house in order.
Stay curious and keep learning. This stuff changes. As John Mueller often implies, there's no simple secret; it takes ongoing effort.
And maybe don’t listen too much to anyone who claims to have the definitive answer to SEO. It’s more about understanding principles and adapting.
Disclaimer: This blog post is based on my interpretation of available research and expert opinions as of early-mid 2025. The SEO landscape is always evolving.