SEO in 2025: What We Learned in 2024 and Where We're Headed Next

As 2024 wraps, search has never felt more dynamic. From back-to-back Google core updates to the growing influence of AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity, the rules of the game are shifting. And fast.

Here’s a breakdown of the most important updates to close out the year, plus our take on the trends shaping SEO in 2025—and how your brand can stay competitive.

Search Updates to Know: December 2024

Google’s Fastest Core Update Yet

The December 2024 core update finished rolling out on December 18, just six days after it began. While fast, it brought substantial ranking volatility, with many sites seeing sharper fluctuations than the longer November update. Expect continued turbulence as Google experiments with SERP features, AI integration, and how results are evaluated.

Google Proposes Its Own Search Monopoly Fix

In response to antitrust scrutiny, Google offered a less disruptive alternative to forced breakups—allowing partners like Apple to change their default search engine annually. This move is clearly aimed at preempting stricter regulation, and the outcome could shape the competitive search landscape in 2025.

ChatGPT Search Is Now Free

Previously only available to paid users, ChatGPT’s Search feature is now open to all logged-in users. This change, paired with projections that GPT-powered search could reach 1% market share next year, means brands will need to start tracking AI search visibility in addition to traditional search rankings.

AI Crawlers Now Account for 28% of Googlebot Activity

AI crawlers like GPTBot and Claude’s bots are now fetching content at nearly a third of Googlebot’s scale. While Google still dominates crawling activity, the increase in AI scraping underlines the need to consider how your content is being used, and potentially repurposed, in LLM training and AI answers.

“AI at Search Scale” Raises Ethical Flags

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt warned about the unprecedented scale of AI in search, noting it will surpass the scope of any previous computing advance. For brands, this is another signal that transparency, data ownership, and content quality will only grow in importance as AI-generated experiences expand.

Three Trends to Watch in 2025

1. AI Will Reshape Search (and Our Strategy)

AI-powered platforms like Gemini, Perplexity, and GPTSearch are redefining how users access content. Brands will need to build strategies that optimize for generative answers and AI search assistants, not just traditional SERPs.

What to do: Make structured data a priority. Focus on key traits that AI uses to summarize or cite content, such as clarity, quality, and helpfulness.

2. Search Is Becoming Multi-Modal

Search is evolving beyond text. Voice queries, visual search, and interactive answers are rising fast, especially on mobile and assistant devices.

What to do: Make sure your content strategy includes optimized images, video metadata, and voice-friendly FAQs to improve visibility across new search formats.

3. Standing Out Requires Intent-Led Experiences

Keyword targeting alone won’t cut it. In a world of zero-click results, personalized AI responses, and dynamic SERPs, the brands that win will be those that design content for real user intent—fast-loading, authoritative, and useful.

What to do: Invest in UX, improve site speed, and continuously align your content with what users actually want to know.

A Message to Marketers

2025 will challenge old assumptions about SEO. But it also presents a massive opportunity. Brands that evolve their approach by leaning into innovation, AI-readiness, and intent-first content will not just keep up. They’ll lead.

As we look to the new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on your roadmap:

• Are you optimizing for AI search platforms?
• Do your content strategies reflect new SERP behaviors and modalities?
• Have you audited your site for technical gaps or outdated structures?

If not, now’s the time to start. We’re excited to partner with brands that are ready to do things differently—and do them better—in 2025.

Let’s make the next 12 months your best yet.