Posted 4 hours ago4 hr comment_11618 AI hasn’t killed search – it’s just made winning organic traffic more complex. As AI interfaces and evolving search behaviors change the landscape, SEO now requires more than just foundational tactics. The demand for information is as strong as ever, but with zero-click searches, AI-driven recommendations, and surging platforms, securing visibility in 2025 takes a more strategic, data-driven approach. The current state of search: Key trends shaping strategy Leading SEO strategy at an agency, I’m constantly fielding, “With AI everywhere, how do we adapt our approach to organic?” Rather than speculate, I’ve consolidated the recent data I’m sharing with clients and what’s actually working. Here are a few headline trends and stats to consider. Google Search volume is still exploding despite AI Google now handles over 5 trillion searches per year, or roughly 13.7 billion searches per day. This growth shows that demand for information remains strong even as AI interfaces proliferate. ChatGPT’s user base has surged As of February, ChatGPT boasts 400 million weekly active users, marking a 33% increase in just three months. Of these users, an estimated 37.5 million engage with search-like prompts daily, contributing to a total market share of 0.25%. Early signals from brands show referral traffic from AI chat platforms is highly qualified. Users trust AI recommendations and ask very specific questions, such as “What is the best solution to problem X?” Zero‑click searches are the new norm Nearly 60% of U.S. Google searches now end without a click, per SparkToro. This shift creates new opportunities for on-SERP visibility and raises the bar for competing with Google’s AI Overviews and direct answers from ChatGPT. What does this mean for your organic strategy? And, more importantly, how can you ensure your SEO work pays off today – and in the AI-driven future? Before we freak out, it’s important to note that success in this new landscape still relies on a strong SEO foundation. The core strategies that worked from 2015 to 2023 remain crucial, but now they need an AI-savvy layer. This article tackles the essentials of modern SEO and how I’m adapting them based on research, observation, and experience. Each section is prioritized based on what my agency focuses on first. 1. Funnel‑driven content allocation The most important decision is where you play in the funnel. AI is impacting the top of the funnel more than any other stage. Zero‑click rates for informational queries hover around 60-70%, while MOFU and BOFU queries still drive real clicks. From a SparkToro clickstream study: Funnel stageQuery type% of all searchesZero‑click rate (Estimates)Top‑of‑Funnel (TOFU)Informational (e.g., “What is X?”, “How to Y?”)52.65% (SparkToro)High (→ overall US zero‑click is 58.5%, and informational queries skew above that)Middle‑of‑Funnel (MOFU)Commercial research (e.g., “Best X 2024”, “X vs. Y”)14.51% (SparkToro)Moderate (likely around overall average, ~50–60% zero‑click)Bottom‑of‑Funnel (BOFU)Transactional + Navigational (e.g., “Buy X online”, “Brand site”)32.15% nav + 0.69% trans ≈ 32.84% (SparkToro)Low (< 20% zero‑click; most users click an ad or result) When should you focus on TOFU? TOFU still matters for building topical authority, but it comes with trade‑offs. Informational posts can boost internal linking and reputation, but rarely drive clicks or immediate ROI. Pros Branding exposure when your name appears on broad queries, even with no click. Lays a foundation for topic authority by answering core questions under your domain. Supports indirect ranking gains through improved internal linking and site structure. Cons High effort with low short‑term return. Excessive informational content can lower overall site engagement metrics. That said, if you decide to target TOFU, you should embrace the reality that the real play is to win the AI Overviews. To do that, the traditional featured snippet strategies work well and should be part of your TOFU content. Tip: If you target TOFU, optimize it for on‑SERP value. Start with a 1–2 sentence definition. Follow with clear lists or tables under H2 headings. Embed FAQ schema so AI Overviews still credit your brand. When prioritizing TOFU matters We focus on TOFU when the client needs to establish topical authority by further addressing topics they haven’t yet covered. But we do this when the BOFU and MOFU content has been exhausted for the keyword landscape. Our main attention is still placed on the rankings of MOFU and BOFU. MOFU is our sweet spot Every SEO project has limited time and resources, so we must prioritize our efforts strategically. The key question is where to focus – on a select few pages or a vast array? The answer depends on the specific goal, but typically, the aim is to boost revenue swiftly. Given these constraints, optimizing for MOFU and BOFU stages generally yields superior results than TOFU for most websites. Commercial intent queries like “best CRM software for SMBs” still drive clicks and conversions. Although they represent only 14.5% of searches, they yield a far lower zero‑click rate. Ranking in the top three positions for these terms has delivered the biggest bottom‑line impact for our clients. How to win at MOFU Create “best X” and “X vs Y” content, which is frequently pulled into ChatGPT and Google AI results. Treat these pages as hubs, with focused internal linking to signal their importance. Prioritize link acquisition around these comparison/consideration articles. BOFU remains critical for closing the deal Transactional and navigational queries, such as “YourBrand login,” “product pricing,” or “coupon codes,” have the lowest zero‑click rates. These terms often indicate users are ready to buy or engage. Although search volume is smaller, conversion potential is huge. Key BOFU tactics Monitor rankings closely and fine‑tune on‑page elements for user experience and clarity. Add clear calls to action and schema for pricing, product, and offer details. Leverage remarketing to re‑engage visitors who don’t convert immediately. Takeaway: Content funnel stages These patterns underscore a fundamental shift. TOFU content no longer guarantees traffic. MOFU and BOFU assets remain the primary channels for organic clicks and conversions. In practice, that means: Audit your content by funnel stage Label existing pages as TOFU (informational), MOFU (comparisons, “vs.”), or BOFU (pricing, demos). Identify high‑traffic TOFU pages with very high zero‑click rates. Decide whether to optimize them for featured snippets/AI Overviews or shift resources to deeper‑funnel topics. Reallocate to MOFU/BOFU Invest in detailed product comparisons, solution guides, ROI calculators, and robust pricing/demos pages. Though they attract lower raw traffic, these pages convert at 4 to 5 times the rate of TOFU content, delivering more value per visitor. If you do TOFU, optimize TOFU for on‑SERP value For essential informational posts, use formats favored by Google’s AI Overviews: Start with a concise 1–2 sentence definition. Followed by a clear list or table under H2 heading. Embed FAQ sections with schema so your brand still “owns” the answer even if users don’t click through. 2. Deep, structured content creation After choosing your strategic funnel focus, the next step is how you create content. Traditional SEO best practices still apply, but we’ve refined our approach for sustained performance. Comprehensive, user‑centered long‑form content If you’ve worked in SEO for the past couple of years, you’ve likely observed that content takes significantly longer to get indexed. Also, large blocks of text often fail to get indexed at all. Google has become more discerning with its crawl budget allocation, and a few crucial factors can no longer be overlooked. These considerations necessitate additional steps in your content creation process. Data shows that fewer but deeper articles outperform many shallow pieces in an AI-saturated landscape. Comprehensive guides that cover a topic end‑to‑end are more likely to earn AI citations and backlinks. To make your content index‑worthy: Acquire internal and external links to the page. Include unique graphics or infographics that communicate key concepts. Embed video demonstrations or explainer clips where relevant. Structure for readability and machine consumption Scannability is non‑negotiable. Use clear H2 and H3 headings, HTML lists, and tables. ChatGPT and AI Overviews often lift directly from table markup. Emphasis on original research and expert insights With AI churning out rehashed content, unique data, and expert commentary, set yourself apart. Moz’s 2024 survey highlights that audiences and search engines reward proprietary surveys and case studies over generic summaries. Google’s leaked Original Content Score also confirmed that first‑hand research is critical for ranking. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. 3. Strategic markup and link authority Two key elements – schema markup and links – are essential for maintaining visibility and authority. Here’s how to use structured data for AI-driven search results and refine your link building strategy to stay ahead. Schema markup Schema markup makes content easier for AI crawlers to interpret. In “When and how to use knowledge graphs and entities for SEO,” I showed how structured data can clarify exactly what your page is about to Google. While adding schema may only modestly boost your site, its real power is helping engines understand and surface your content. By implementing FAQ schema, entity markup, and other relevant structured data formats, you’ll position your pages to appear more prominently in AI‑driven search and chat results. As AI content floods the web, Google’s crawl budget has tightened, raising the standards for indexing. The following changes will help get pages indexed and ranked: Incorporate as much first-hand research as possible. Include custom graphics in all of our content. Use tactical FAQs and immediate answers. Embedding concise FAQ sections captures People Also Ask and other snippet features. Frame each question with a 1–2 sentence answer, then expand below. This dual layer satisfies both quick AI responses and readers seeking depth. Example: Question: What is zero‑click search? Answer: A zero‑click search is when a user’s query is answered directly on the results page without clicking any link. These queries often yield AI Overviews or featured snippets. Backlinks: Quality over quantity With more content being produced than ever, Google is increasingly relying on backlinks to assess site authority. Recent data continues to show a strong link between backlinks and rankings, while Google’s own leaks suggest the importance of overall site authority (‘siteAuthority’) metrics. In this evolving landscape, backlinks remain one of the top ranking factors. However, successful link building in 2025 is less about the sheer number of links and more about their quality. Our agency has observed that high-quality backlinks have a much greater impact than ever before. The 2025 SEO trifecta To stay ahead, focus on these three key pillars: Funnel-driven content allocation: Prioritize MOFU and BOFU assets that drive clicks and conversions. Deep, structured content creation: Publish comprehensive, well-structured guides with rich media and tactical FAQs. Strategic markup and link authority: Leverage schema to enhance AI features and prioritize high-authority backlinks. By building on core SEO principles and adding AI-savvy tactics, you’ll not only adapt to changes but thrive in the evolving search environment. View the full article
