Marketing and advertising in 2025 are poised for another transformative year, driven by advances in artificial intelligence, data privacy initiatives and an increasingly immersive digital landscape. From social-first strategies that reshape audience engagement to predictive SEO and AI-enhanced user experiences, brands will need to adapt to stay ahead.
Our team of experts is here to help you navigate these pivotal shifts, providing insights and strategies to elevate your brand’s impact in 2025.
Patrick McCoy
Associate Director, Social Media Production
About Patrick: Patrick specializes in social media production, combining on-the-ground social coverage expertise with strong content creation skills to drive results. His collaborative approach ensures brands stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape.
Social-First Strategy Takes Center Stage: In 2025, a social-first approach is essential, as brands create content optimized for each platform’s nuances. Expect to see content that is highly interactive, engaging and shareable, aligning directly with user behavior on each social channel. Brands embracing this strategy will create personalized, engaging social experiences, drawing audiences through content tailored specifically to platform expectations and user intent.
Social Trends Over Content Themes: As social media trends move quickly, brands will increasingly pivot from rigid content themes to real-time, trend-responsive content. This approach allows social teams to respond to emerging conversations, creating fresh and timely content that resonates with audiences’ immediate interests and is ready for rapid deployment.
Boosting Top-Performing Organic Content: Paid budgets will increasingly support high-performing organic content, allowing brands to double down on what already resonates with audiences. By shifting ad spend to boost organic posts with proven engagement, brands will see improved cost-per-result metrics and higher overall engagement on their social content.
Mirroring Followers’ Content: Social media in 2025 will favor relatable, unpolished content that mirrors how followers communicate online. Brands adopting a conversational, less formal style, complete with emojis and misspellings, will create a sense of familiarity and authenticity, bridging the gap between brand and follower.
Product-Free Social Media: As consumers seek more genuine connections with brands, content will increasingly shift away from product promotion toward mission-driven and values-based storytelling. Brands can forge stronger relationships with audiences by focusing on purpose, community and company values, moving away from traditional product pushes to content that reflects brand ethics, inclusivity and positive social impact.
Embrace the Weird: In a crowded social space, unconventional content is cutting through the noise. Brands are embracing quirky, humorous and even surreal elements to stand out, creating memorable experiences that spark curiosity and discussion. From playful memes to unexpected collaborations, brands using humor and offbeat storytelling to engage audiences will find success in an oversaturated digital landscape.
TikTok’s Uncertain Future: With ongoing legal and political scrutiny, TikTok’s future, including a potential U.S. ban, remains uncertain in 2025. Social media strategists must prepare for multiple outcomes, from continued growth to possible restrictions in major markets like the U.S. Brands should develop contingency plans, redistributing TikTok audiences to platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Navigating these potential shifts with agility and adaptability will be crucial to sustaining engagement and reach across social media.
AI-Integrated Platforms: As platforms integrate AI, new opportunities for brands will emerge. AI-generated content creation tools, AR/VR filters, and enhanced personalization options will continue to transform user engagement in 2025. By embracing these tools, brands can streamline production and create immersive experiences that foster deeper connections with their audiences.
Proactive Community Management: In 2025, brands will shift from reactive to proactive community management, investing in engaging audiences through comments on trending content, initiating conversations and showcasing user-generated content. This proactive approach to community engagement can lead to organic growth and strengthen brand loyalty.
See how our expertise in social media can elevate your brand’s engagement in 2025. Contact us today.
Michael Hrizuk
Creative Director, Lead Photographer
About Michael: Michael is responsible for creating content from the beginning stages of creative development to the ending stages of execution and finalization. He leads all content and photo production aspects, including prop styling, lighting control, still and motion camera operation, digital tech, producing, directing, image editing, color correction and photo retouching.
Authenticity and Realness: Photography that captures unfiltered, candid moments will resonate with audiences seeking realism. By focusing on genuine, everyday experiences and avoiding over-staged poses, brands can create meaningful connections with audiences. Embracing documentary-style photography that emphasizes storytelling over perfection will highlight relatable, impactful narratives, building lasting audience loyalty.
Natural Light: With the growing appeal of natural, organic visuals, photographers will increasingly use natural light to capture authenticity in images. This approach minimizes post-processing and allows the subject’s true essence to shine, creating warmth and realism that resonates with viewers.
Documentary Style: Audiences appreciate stories told through visual narratives that mirror real life. In 2025, brands will leverage documentary-style photography to create immersive, relatable experiences, focusing on the broader context surrounding their subjects.
Minimal Editing: Less is more when it comes to editing. Expect brands to avoid heavy filtering and retouching in 2025, focusing instead on preserving the natural look of each image. This trend aligns with consumer demand for transparency and genuine, unaltered visuals.
Diverse and Inclusive Representation: Diversity in media representation will continue to grow, reflecting a broader range of voices and experiences. Casting inclusive talent and assembling diverse creative teams provides a more authentic portrayal of diverse cultures and identities. This commitment to inclusivity will foster even stronger connections with audiences and position brands as leaders in socially responsible media practices.
Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Practices: As environmental consciousness grows; brands will prioritize sustainable practices in photo and video production. From eco-friendly locations and minimal set design to waste reduction on set, photographers and brands alike are shifting toward lower-impact shoots. Sustainable choices help companies align with consumer values and demonstrate environmental responsibility, resonating deeply with modern audiences.
Contact us today to see how our creative direction can bring authenticity to your brand’s story.
Patti Mulligan
Director of Digital Experience
About Patti: Patti leads digital experience strategy, specializing in streamlining UX, development and quality control workflows through innovative tech solutions.
Monitoring and Performance Testing: In 2025, brands will leverage advanced AI tools to proactively address performance issues before they impact users. This predictive approach to monitoring resource usage, responsiveness and load times is poised to become a standard in ensuring smooth, high-quality user interactions. Expect seamless digital experiences as brands adopt this forward-looking, satisfaction-focused strategy to prevent disruptions.
Automated Testing: Automated testing will redefine quality assurance, with platforms like BrowserStack using AI to streamline previously manual tasks and accelerate deployments. By allowing repetitive testing to be handled automatically, brands are shifting resources toward higher-priority projects. As automated testing becomes essential, brands will deliver more reliable digital experiences that minimize errors and optimize functionality.
Penetration Testing: Cybersecurity strategies are evolving as brands integrate AI-driven penetration testing to stay ahead of digital threats. In 2025, expect more brands to implement proactive AI security assessments that simulate cyber-attacks, quickly identifying and addressing vulnerabilities. Regular, AI-powered security checks will establish robust digital protections, bolstering consumer trust and safeguarding data integrity.
User Testing: AI-driven user testing will reach new depths in 2025, as brands analyze behavior patterns through heat maps, click tracking and usability insights. These advanced tools help brands pinpoint friction points, streamline user flows and refine experiences to be more intuitive and satisfying. By acting on these insights, brands will anticipate and exceed user expectations with more user-friendly digital journeys.
AI-Enhanced Workflows: AI is set to transform digital workflows, from creative development to quality control, allowing brands to work faster and more intelligently. Automation of repetitive tasks, real-time optimization suggestions and continuous insights will empower teams to deliver consistent, high-quality user experiences. As brands adopt these AI enhancements, they’ll achieve heightened levels of efficiency and productivity.
Contact us today to see how we can elevate your brand’s digital experience.
Cory Hedgepeth
Senior SEO Specialist
About Cory: Cory specializes in data-driven SEO, using his extensive expertise in search engine optimization to maximize brand visibility and engagement.
Predictive SEO: For years, SEO has remained somewhat mysterious due to Google’s opaque algorithm, which shields search mechanics from manipulation by bad actors. However, with AI, predictive SEO is now possible, bridging the gap between algorithmic opacity and proactive trend forecasting. AI-driven tools can now process massive datasets from keyword platforms like SEMRush or Ahrefs, identifying steady increases in niche or long-tail search terms. By recognizing these trends early, businesses can optimize content strategies before competition peaks, positioning themselves for higher visibility and engagement in emerging areas.
Authenticity and Expertise: With AI-generated content becoming more common, the demand for authentic, human-driven content is rising. Authenticity in marketing goes beyond buzzwords; it differentiates brands in an era where AI can rapidly produce content at scale. As Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) prioritize authentic content, brands must showcase real-world expertise and unique insights. SEOs will benefit from adopting a holistic approach, involving clients closely in content creation to capture valuable on-the-ground insights that resonate with users and align with search algorithms.
Alternative Search Engines: With the rise of AI-powered engines like SearchGPT, the search landscape is seeing major shifts. These new engines, blending conversational AI with traditional queries, streamline responses, sometimes prioritizing direct answers over source visibility. For brands, this means adapting SEO to appeal to these platforms, focusing on unique, engaging content that fosters deeper engagement and stands out from basic responses. As AI-driven engines gain traction, prioritizing click-worthy, informative content will be essential for maintaining visibility across platforms.
Get in touch to discover how our SEO strategies can elevate your brand’s digital visibility and drive sustainable results.
Jenny Brenner
Group Director, Digital Strategy + CRM Solutions
About Jenny: Jenny leads MarTech strategy with a focus on CRM solutions that cultivate strong, data-driven customer relationships.
Technology Expansion + Growth: The MarTech ecosystem is expanding rapidly, fueled by the rise of AI-powered solutions. New tools are enhancing existing categories and creating new ones, allowing brands to streamline and reimagine data management and application. In 2025, brands will prioritize technologies that allow for seamless integration across systems, enabling marketers to expand and deepen their understanding of consumer behavior and orchestrate unified campaigns across digital ecosystems.
Increased Emphasis on Data Privacy: Data privacy will remain a top concern for key consumer groups. Brands that deliver privacy-focused, transparent practices will build trust and reinforce brand loyalty among data-conscious consumers. This trend, in parallel with third-party cookies phasing out, will push brands to even further collect and leverage first-party data. By prioritizing data ownership and investing in identity resolution solutions, brands can maintain meaningful engagement without relying as heavily on external data sources.
Even More Mobile: Mobile engagement is at an all-time high, particularly with younger audiences like Gen Z. 2025 will see more MarTech solution providers focused on delivering engaging, responsive mobile experiences that resonate. SMS will also likely take on greater significance in channel mix and marketing automation programming, providing low-barrier-to-entry ways to connect with customers as brands evolve their efforts in mobile.
Reach out to see how our MarTech expertise can advance your brand’s digital efforts.
Pamela Pacheco
Senior Social Media Influencer Strategist
About Pamela: Known for her strategic partnerships with influencers, Pamela excels at creating campaigns that boost visibility and resonate with targeted audiences.
The Era of Long-Term Partnerships: Brands are shifting from short-term influencer collaborations to ongoing partnerships that promote trust and consistency. By integrating influencers into broader marketing strategies, they gain authentic advocacy and refined messaging. These continuous relationships strengthen the bonds between influencers and their audiences, fostering genuine brand loyalty and amplifying brand messaging through a trusted voice.
Long-term collaborations also enable brands to improve their messaging by gaining ongoing insights from influencers, allowing them to tailor their strategies to resonate more deeply with their target demographic. As influencers become true advocates representing brands authentically within their communities, they foster long-term brand loyalty and enhance audience engagement.
Transparency and Authenticity: As regulations tighten, brands must focus on clear, transparent influencer collaborations. Governments worldwide are enacting stricter guidelines around influencer disclosures, making FTC-compliant, authentic partnerships essential. By adhering to transparency standards, brands demonstrate ethical responsibility, protecting their reputations and building audience trust.
360 Content Strategy: Influencers will play a role across multiple marketing channels, from social media to digital ads and experiential events. This multi-channel approach enhances reach and engagement, meeting consumers where they are. By leveraging influencers in diverse contexts, brands can amplify visibility and deepen audience connections, extending impact beyond traditional social media posts.
Hyper-Personalized and Niche Targeting: As platforms grow more sophisticated, brands will increasingly work with influencers who cater to specific, niche audiences. Partnering with micro- and nano-influencers allows brands to connect with highly engaged followers in focused content areas, achieving effective targeting and stronger connections.
Virtual and AI Influencers: The rise of virtual influencers will offer new engagement opportunities. By partnering with or creating virtual personas, brands can consistently convey their messaging while engaging audiences in creative, memorable ways. Interactive AI elements, such as chatbot engagements or virtual events, will further set these brands apart in the digital landscape.
Learn how our approach to influencer marketing can amplify your brand’s visibility in 2025 — contact us today.
Jenna Bender
CRM Manager
About Jenna: Jenna enhances customer engagement through personalized CRM strategies, guiding brands from concept to multi-channel execution.
AI-Powered Marketing Automation: AI will redefine marketing automation, personalizing campaigns across every stage of the customer journey. By analyzing vast amounts of real-time data, AI is poised to allow brands to deliver hyper-personalized content, predictive product recommendations and optimized offers, ultimately creating timely and relevant engagement. This data-driven personalization boosts customer satisfaction, driving retention and conversions.
Interactive Brand Experiences: Interactive elements like gamification and experiential rewards will redefine brand engagement in 2025. Brands will incorporate interactive components in loyalty programs, encouraging participation through activities like points for completing challenges, unlocking exclusive rewards and personalized experiences. Engaging customers through interactive, value-driven rewards reinforces brand loyalty and sets brands apart in a crowded marketplace.
iOS 18 Update Optimizations: Apple’s latest update introduces inbox tabs that segment email types, impacting email engagement rates. With promotional content less visible, email marketers will need to prioritize audience segmentation and tailor subject lines to increase primary tab placement. These updates call for adjustments to benchmarks as brands optimize email strategy to maintain engagement and ensure their content stands out across Apple Mail’s new inbox structure.
Contact us to learn how our CRM expertise can elevate your customer engagement.
Michael Lawrence
Lead Digital Developer
About Michael: Michael brings extensive experience in web and mobile development, specializing in enterprise CMS and efficient, AI-driven solutions.
AI-Powered Coding Assistants: Intelligence tools like GitHub Copilot are reshaping the coding process, enabling developers to work more efficiently by providing code suggestions, auto-completion and real-time debugging. By automating repetitive tasks, these tools empower developers to focus on innovation, creativity and high-level problem-solving.
Automated Performance Optimization: AI will continue to revolutionize how performance issues are detected and resolved, with tools now capable of identifying bottlenecks and suggesting real-time optimizations. This means brands can proactively enhance site functionality, ensuring smooth user experiences and high performance across all devices.
Code Quality and Security: Cybersecurity will be more critical than ever, and AI is elevating code analysis by identifying vulnerabilities and automating risk assessments. AI-enhanced security tools help developers conduct thorough security audits, protecting brand integrity and consumer data while maintaining compliance with best practices.
Want to bring innovation to your brand’s digital presence? Contact us today.
Jeff Kerekes
Director of UX
About Jeff: Jeff specializes in user-centric design, optimizing UX for usability and ADA compliance.
Universal Design: Inclusive design is essential in 2025, ensuring accessibility for all users from the outset. Implementing universal design principles early reduces costly rework, fosters positive user experiences and minimizes legal risks associated with ADA compliance. This proactive approach demonstrates a brand’s commitment to all users and aligns with best practices in digital accessibility.
Minimalist Design: Simplified, minimalist design will continue to enhance user experience by stripping away unnecessary elements and focusing on clarity. In the coming year, this will be critically important because users are increasingly prioritizing seamless, fast-loading experiences that don’t overwhelm with information or visuals.
This design approach improves usability across devices, reduces load times and makes it easier for users to navigate content. Brands embracing minimalist principles will see improved engagement, as clean layouts provide an optimal environment for content.
AI-Driven Personalization: With AI advancements, UX design will become highly personalized, adapting interfaces to individual user preferences and behaviors. By delivering dynamic content, customized UI and relevant recommendations, brands can create deeply engaging digital experiences that evolve with each user’s needs, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty.
Reach out to learn how our UX expertise can enhance your brand’s digital experience.
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The Ultimate Marketer Generative AI Wishlist – CMSWire.com
/in website SEO, Website Traffic/by Team ZYTThe Ultimate Marketer Generative AI Wishlist CMSWire.com
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Google Warns Against Over-Reliance On SEO Tool Metrics – Search Engine Journal
/in website SEO, Website Traffic/by Team ZYTDownload your cheat sheet and checklist to start building content that works harder.
Large AI Overviews on SERPs are affecting visibility and causing a dramatic decrease in traffic.
Join us for a data-backed session where we break down how to detect, diagnose, and eliminate unnecessary branded ad spend.
Large AI Overviews on SERPs are affecting visibility and causing a dramatic decrease in traffic.
This template is your no-nonsense roadmap to a flexible, agile social media strategy.
Large AI Overviews on SERPs are affecting visibility and causing a dramatic decrease in traffic.
Google’s John Mueller says don’t obsess over SEO tool numbers. Instead, make great content people actually want.
In a recent discussion on Reddit’s r/SEO forum, Google’s Search Advocate, John Mueller, cautioned against relying too heavily on third-party SEO metrics.
His comments came in response to a person’s concerns about dramatic changes in tool measurements and their perceived impact on search performance.
The conversation was sparked by a website owner who reported the following series of events:
The owner, who claimed never to have purchased links, is concerned about the impact of these spammy links on their site’s performance.
Mueller addressed these concerns by highlighting the limitations of third-party SEO tools and their metrics.
He stated:
“Many SEO tools have their own metrics that are tempting to optimize for (because you see a number), but ultimately, there’s no shortcut.”
He cautioned against implementing quick fixes based on these metrics, describing many of these tactics as “smoke & mirrors.”
Mueller highlighted a crucial point: the metrics provided by SEO tools don’t directly correlate with how search engines evaluate websites.
He noted that actions like using disavow files don’t affect metrics from SEO tools, as these companies don’t have access to Google data.
This highlights the need to understand the sources and limitations of SEO tool data. Their metrics aren’t direct indicators of search engine rankings.
Mueller suggested a holistic SEO approach, prioritizing unique value over specific metrics like Domain Authority or spam scores.
He advised:
“If you want to think about the long term, finding ways to add real value that’s unique and wanted by people on the web (together with all the usual SEO best practices as a foundation) is a good target.”
However, Mueller acknowledged that creating unique content isn’t easy, adding:
“Unique doesn’t mean a unique combination of words, but really something that nobody else is providing, and ideally, that others can’t easily provide themselves.
It’s hard, it takes a lot of work, and it can take a lot of time. If it were fast & easy, others would be – and probably are already – doing it and have more practice at it.”
Mueller’s insights encourage us to focus on what really matters: strategies that put users first.
This helps align content with Google’s goals and create lasting benefits.
Featured Image: JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock
Matt G. Southern, Senior News Writer, has been with Search Engine Journal since 2013. With a bachelor’s degree in communications, …
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Copyright © 2025 Search Engine Journal. All rights reserved. Published by Alpha Brand Media.
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AI and email marketing: All hype or real game-changer? – MarTech
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MarTech » MarTech special reports » Email marketing buyer’s guide » AI and email marketing: All hype or real game-changer?
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Is AI truly revolutionizing email marketing, or is it just another overhyped technology?
If you’ve been wondering how AI can (or should) fit into your email marketing strategy, you’re not alone. Marketers everywhere are evaluating whether AI-powered tools can genuinely improve their campaigns, streamline their workflows and drive better results — or if they’re just expensive add-ons with little impact.
In our latest MarTech Intelligence Report, Email Marketing Platforms: A Marketers Guide, we take a deep dive into how AI is shaping the next generation of email platforms. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s changing — and what you need to know before investing in your next email marketing solution.
The role of AI in email marketing is evolving beyond simple automation. Today’s top platforms leverage AI for:
It’s clear that AI is transforming how email campaigns are created, optimized, and delivered — but is it delivering measurable ROI? The answer depends on how well you integrate AI into your strategy and which platform you use.
Marketers who embrace AI-driven platforms report:
✔️ Higher open rates and conversions thanks to AI-optimized subject lines and personalization.
✔️ More efficient workflows, reducing the time spent on content creation and segmentation.
✔️ Better customer insights that allow for more relevant and engaging campaigns.
However, not all AI tools are created equal. Many platforms claim to offer AI-powered features, but some are more sophisticated than others. That’s why choosing the right email marketing platform in 2025 is crucial.
Email marketing helps organizations acquire and retain customers, build businesses and make more money. Explore the platforms essential to email marketing in the latest edition of this MarTech Intelligence Report.
Click here to download!
If you’re considering switching or upgrading your email marketing platform, look for these AI must-haves:
✅ Advanced personalization capabilities – Can the platform generate dynamic, AI-driven content tailored to individual users?
✅ Automated optimization – Does it offer AI-powered A/B testing, predictive analytics, and optimized send times?
✅ Seamless integration – Can it easily sync with your CRM, ecommerce platform and other marketing tools?
✅ User-friendly AI implementation – Is the AI intuitive, or is there a steep learning curve?
✅ Proven results – Does the platform provide case studies or data showing how AI improves performance?
AI is no longer a futuristic concept — it’s shaping the next era of email marketing. The key is knowing which platforms truly leverage AI for results and which ones are just adding AI as a buzzword.
Our 2025 MarTech Intelligence Report on email marketing platforms breaks down the top platforms, their AI capabilities, and how they compare on key performance metrics. Whether you’re looking to enhance personalization, automate content creation or boost engagement, this guide will help you choose the best AI-powered email solution for your business.
Download the full report now and discover how AI can transform your email marketing strategy in 2025.
Email marketing helps organizations acquire and retain customers, build businesses and make more money. Explore the platforms essential to email marketing in the latest edition of this MarTech Intelligence Report.
Click here to download!
MarTech is owned by Semrush. We remain committed to providing high-quality coverage of marketing topics. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc.
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Google Messages is getting another wave of updates – here are 8 you can expect to see soon – TechRadar
/in website SEO, Website Traffic/by Team ZYTGoogle Messages is getting another wave of updates – here are 8 you can expect to see soon TechRadar
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State Of SEO Report: Top Insights For 2025 Success – Search Engine Journal
/in website SEO, Website Traffic/by Team ZYTDownload your cheat sheet and checklist to start building content that works harder.
Large AI Overviews on SERPs are affecting visibility and causing a dramatic decrease in traffic.
Join us for a data-backed session where we break down how to detect, diagnose, and eliminate unnecessary branded ad spend.
Large AI Overviews on SERPs are affecting visibility and causing a dramatic decrease in traffic.
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Large AI Overviews on SERPs are affecting visibility and causing a dramatic decrease in traffic.
Discover the State of SEO in 2025. Uncover the pressing challenges, emerging trends, and strategies that SEO professionals are implementing for success.
What opportunities are other SEO professionals taking advantage of? Did other SEO professionals struggle with the same things you did this year?
Our fourth annual State of SEO Report is packed with valuable insights, including the most pressing challenges, emerging trends, and actionable strategies SEO practitioners like you have faced over the last year and what they see on the horizon.
Find out how top search teams are tackling challenges. Download the full report today.
In 2023, 13.8% of SEO pros said content creation was the top challenge for SEO professionals. However, in 2024, 22.2% (up from 8.6% in 2023) of all SEO practitioners surveyed revealed that algorithm changes have become the primary concern.
In fact, 30.2% of those we asked pointed to core and general algorithm updates as the main source of traffic instability over the last 12 months. This finding is in stark contrast to 2023, where 55.9% of SEO pros felt algorithm updates helped their efforts at least a little.
Why?
Simply put, creating the most helpful and expert content no longer guarantees a top spot in the SERPs.
To complicate matters, Google’s algorithms are constantly evolving, making it crucial to adapt and stay updated.
Our survey revealed that budget limitations (cited by 19.4%) are the number one barrier to SEO success and the primary reason clients leave (by 41.0% of SEO professionals surveyed.)
With everyone feeling the financial squeeze, how can you gain an edge?
Learn how to overcome budget barriers with even more insights in the full report.
SEO Industry Changes:
Performance Disruptions:
As you explore the data in the report, you’ll find that 20.0% of State of SEO 2025 respondents indicated that keyword rankings and organic pageviews (11.7%) are the top tracked SEO metrics.
However, when these metrics fluctuate due to uncontrollable factors, it’s essential to build business value into your tracking.
Focus on the quality of your traffic and prioritize efforts that bring in high-quality users.
The most challenging skills to find in SEO professionals are technical SEO (18.9%) and data analysis (14.8%).
Meanwhile, 18.2% of respondents indicated that the most desired skills in candidates are soft skills and 15.7% said the ability to build and execute SEO strategies.
Want to grow as an SEO professional?
Develop rare and desirable skills.
SEO is increasingly integrated with other marketing disciplines, so cultivating exemplary collaborative skills and learning the languages of other fields will make you highly valuable.
The State of SEO 2025 Report is your go-to resource for understanding and mastering the current SEO landscape.
Download your copy today to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and insights that will shape SEO in the coming year.
Stay informed, stay ahead, and make 2025 your best year in SEO yet!
Angie Nikoleychuk is the Content Marketing Manager at Search Engine Journal. Along with social media, copy, and marketing, she has …
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Copyright © 2025 Search Engine Journal. All rights reserved. Published by Alpha Brand Media.
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Google AI Overviews: Reshaping Search and SEO Strategies – CMSWire.com
/in website SEO, Website Traffic/by Team ZYTGoogle AI Overviews: Reshaping Search and SEO Strategies CMSWire.com
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Top 2025 Marketing Trends You Need to Know – Little Black Book | LBBOnline
/in website SEO, Website Traffic/by Team ZYTMarketing and advertising in 2025 are poised for another transformative year, driven by advances in artificial intelligence, data privacy initiatives and an increasingly immersive digital landscape. From social-first strategies that reshape audience engagement to predictive SEO and AI-enhanced user experiences, brands will need to adapt to stay ahead.
Our team of experts is here to help you navigate these pivotal shifts, providing insights and strategies to elevate your brand’s impact in 2025.
Patrick McCoy
Associate Director, Social Media Production
About Patrick: Patrick specializes in social media production, combining on-the-ground social coverage expertise with strong content creation skills to drive results. His collaborative approach ensures brands stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape.
Social-First Strategy Takes Center Stage: In 2025, a social-first approach is essential, as brands create content optimized for each platform’s nuances. Expect to see content that is highly interactive, engaging and shareable, aligning directly with user behavior on each social channel. Brands embracing this strategy will create personalized, engaging social experiences, drawing audiences through content tailored specifically to platform expectations and user intent.
Social Trends Over Content Themes: As social media trends move quickly, brands will increasingly pivot from rigid content themes to real-time, trend-responsive content. This approach allows social teams to respond to emerging conversations, creating fresh and timely content that resonates with audiences’ immediate interests and is ready for rapid deployment.
Boosting Top-Performing Organic Content: Paid budgets will increasingly support high-performing organic content, allowing brands to double down on what already resonates with audiences. By shifting ad spend to boost organic posts with proven engagement, brands will see improved cost-per-result metrics and higher overall engagement on their social content.
Mirroring Followers’ Content: Social media in 2025 will favor relatable, unpolished content that mirrors how followers communicate online. Brands adopting a conversational, less formal style, complete with emojis and misspellings, will create a sense of familiarity and authenticity, bridging the gap between brand and follower.
Product-Free Social Media: As consumers seek more genuine connections with brands, content will increasingly shift away from product promotion toward mission-driven and values-based storytelling. Brands can forge stronger relationships with audiences by focusing on purpose, community and company values, moving away from traditional product pushes to content that reflects brand ethics, inclusivity and positive social impact.
Embrace the Weird: In a crowded social space, unconventional content is cutting through the noise. Brands are embracing quirky, humorous and even surreal elements to stand out, creating memorable experiences that spark curiosity and discussion. From playful memes to unexpected collaborations, brands using humor and offbeat storytelling to engage audiences will find success in an oversaturated digital landscape.
TikTok’s Uncertain Future: With ongoing legal and political scrutiny, TikTok’s future, including a potential U.S. ban, remains uncertain in 2025. Social media strategists must prepare for multiple outcomes, from continued growth to possible restrictions in major markets like the U.S. Brands should develop contingency plans, redistributing TikTok audiences to platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Navigating these potential shifts with agility and adaptability will be crucial to sustaining engagement and reach across social media.
AI-Integrated Platforms: As platforms integrate AI, new opportunities for brands will emerge. AI-generated content creation tools, AR/VR filters, and enhanced personalization options will continue to transform user engagement in 2025. By embracing these tools, brands can streamline production and create immersive experiences that foster deeper connections with their audiences.
Proactive Community Management: In 2025, brands will shift from reactive to proactive community management, investing in engaging audiences through comments on trending content, initiating conversations and showcasing user-generated content. This proactive approach to community engagement can lead to organic growth and strengthen brand loyalty.
See how our expertise in social media can elevate your brand’s engagement in 2025. Contact us today.
Michael Hrizuk
Creative Director, Lead Photographer
About Michael: Michael is responsible for creating content from the beginning stages of creative development to the ending stages of execution and finalization. He leads all content and photo production aspects, including prop styling, lighting control, still and motion camera operation, digital tech, producing, directing, image editing, color correction and photo retouching.
Authenticity and Realness: Photography that captures unfiltered, candid moments will resonate with audiences seeking realism. By focusing on genuine, everyday experiences and avoiding over-staged poses, brands can create meaningful connections with audiences. Embracing documentary-style photography that emphasizes storytelling over perfection will highlight relatable, impactful narratives, building lasting audience loyalty.
Natural Light: With the growing appeal of natural, organic visuals, photographers will increasingly use natural light to capture authenticity in images. This approach minimizes post-processing and allows the subject’s true essence to shine, creating warmth and realism that resonates with viewers.
Documentary Style: Audiences appreciate stories told through visual narratives that mirror real life. In 2025, brands will leverage documentary-style photography to create immersive, relatable experiences, focusing on the broader context surrounding their subjects.
Minimal Editing: Less is more when it comes to editing. Expect brands to avoid heavy filtering and retouching in 2025, focusing instead on preserving the natural look of each image. This trend aligns with consumer demand for transparency and genuine, unaltered visuals.
Diverse and Inclusive Representation: Diversity in media representation will continue to grow, reflecting a broader range of voices and experiences. Casting inclusive talent and assembling diverse creative teams provides a more authentic portrayal of diverse cultures and identities. This commitment to inclusivity will foster even stronger connections with audiences and position brands as leaders in socially responsible media practices.
Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Practices: As environmental consciousness grows; brands will prioritize sustainable practices in photo and video production. From eco-friendly locations and minimal set design to waste reduction on set, photographers and brands alike are shifting toward lower-impact shoots. Sustainable choices help companies align with consumer values and demonstrate environmental responsibility, resonating deeply with modern audiences.
Contact us today to see how our creative direction can bring authenticity to your brand’s story.
Patti Mulligan
Director of Digital Experience
About Patti: Patti leads digital experience strategy, specializing in streamlining UX, development and quality control workflows through innovative tech solutions.
Monitoring and Performance Testing: In 2025, brands will leverage advanced AI tools to proactively address performance issues before they impact users. This predictive approach to monitoring resource usage, responsiveness and load times is poised to become a standard in ensuring smooth, high-quality user interactions. Expect seamless digital experiences as brands adopt this forward-looking, satisfaction-focused strategy to prevent disruptions.
Automated Testing: Automated testing will redefine quality assurance, with platforms like BrowserStack using AI to streamline previously manual tasks and accelerate deployments. By allowing repetitive testing to be handled automatically, brands are shifting resources toward higher-priority projects. As automated testing becomes essential, brands will deliver more reliable digital experiences that minimize errors and optimize functionality.
Penetration Testing: Cybersecurity strategies are evolving as brands integrate AI-driven penetration testing to stay ahead of digital threats. In 2025, expect more brands to implement proactive AI security assessments that simulate cyber-attacks, quickly identifying and addressing vulnerabilities. Regular, AI-powered security checks will establish robust digital protections, bolstering consumer trust and safeguarding data integrity.
User Testing: AI-driven user testing will reach new depths in 2025, as brands analyze behavior patterns through heat maps, click tracking and usability insights. These advanced tools help brands pinpoint friction points, streamline user flows and refine experiences to be more intuitive and satisfying. By acting on these insights, brands will anticipate and exceed user expectations with more user-friendly digital journeys.
AI-Enhanced Workflows: AI is set to transform digital workflows, from creative development to quality control, allowing brands to work faster and more intelligently. Automation of repetitive tasks, real-time optimization suggestions and continuous insights will empower teams to deliver consistent, high-quality user experiences. As brands adopt these AI enhancements, they’ll achieve heightened levels of efficiency and productivity.
Contact us today to see how we can elevate your brand’s digital experience.
Cory Hedgepeth
Senior SEO Specialist
About Cory: Cory specializes in data-driven SEO, using his extensive expertise in search engine optimization to maximize brand visibility and engagement.
Predictive SEO: For years, SEO has remained somewhat mysterious due to Google’s opaque algorithm, which shields search mechanics from manipulation by bad actors. However, with AI, predictive SEO is now possible, bridging the gap between algorithmic opacity and proactive trend forecasting. AI-driven tools can now process massive datasets from keyword platforms like SEMRush or Ahrefs, identifying steady increases in niche or long-tail search terms. By recognizing these trends early, businesses can optimize content strategies before competition peaks, positioning themselves for higher visibility and engagement in emerging areas.
Authenticity and Expertise: With AI-generated content becoming more common, the demand for authentic, human-driven content is rising. Authenticity in marketing goes beyond buzzwords; it differentiates brands in an era where AI can rapidly produce content at scale. As Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) prioritize authentic content, brands must showcase real-world expertise and unique insights. SEOs will benefit from adopting a holistic approach, involving clients closely in content creation to capture valuable on-the-ground insights that resonate with users and align with search algorithms.
Alternative Search Engines: With the rise of AI-powered engines like SearchGPT, the search landscape is seeing major shifts. These new engines, blending conversational AI with traditional queries, streamline responses, sometimes prioritizing direct answers over source visibility. For brands, this means adapting SEO to appeal to these platforms, focusing on unique, engaging content that fosters deeper engagement and stands out from basic responses. As AI-driven engines gain traction, prioritizing click-worthy, informative content will be essential for maintaining visibility across platforms.
Get in touch to discover how our SEO strategies can elevate your brand’s digital visibility and drive sustainable results.
Jenny Brenner
Group Director, Digital Strategy + CRM Solutions
About Jenny: Jenny leads MarTech strategy with a focus on CRM solutions that cultivate strong, data-driven customer relationships.
Technology Expansion + Growth: The MarTech ecosystem is expanding rapidly, fueled by the rise of AI-powered solutions. New tools are enhancing existing categories and creating new ones, allowing brands to streamline and reimagine data management and application. In 2025, brands will prioritize technologies that allow for seamless integration across systems, enabling marketers to expand and deepen their understanding of consumer behavior and orchestrate unified campaigns across digital ecosystems.
Increased Emphasis on Data Privacy: Data privacy will remain a top concern for key consumer groups. Brands that deliver privacy-focused, transparent practices will build trust and reinforce brand loyalty among data-conscious consumers. This trend, in parallel with third-party cookies phasing out, will push brands to even further collect and leverage first-party data. By prioritizing data ownership and investing in identity resolution solutions, brands can maintain meaningful engagement without relying as heavily on external data sources.
Even More Mobile: Mobile engagement is at an all-time high, particularly with younger audiences like Gen Z. 2025 will see more MarTech solution providers focused on delivering engaging, responsive mobile experiences that resonate. SMS will also likely take on greater significance in channel mix and marketing automation programming, providing low-barrier-to-entry ways to connect with customers as brands evolve their efforts in mobile.
Reach out to see how our MarTech expertise can advance your brand’s digital efforts.
Pamela Pacheco
Senior Social Media Influencer Strategist
About Pamela: Known for her strategic partnerships with influencers, Pamela excels at creating campaigns that boost visibility and resonate with targeted audiences.
The Era of Long-Term Partnerships: Brands are shifting from short-term influencer collaborations to ongoing partnerships that promote trust and consistency. By integrating influencers into broader marketing strategies, they gain authentic advocacy and refined messaging. These continuous relationships strengthen the bonds between influencers and their audiences, fostering genuine brand loyalty and amplifying brand messaging through a trusted voice.
Long-term collaborations also enable brands to improve their messaging by gaining ongoing insights from influencers, allowing them to tailor their strategies to resonate more deeply with their target demographic. As influencers become true advocates representing brands authentically within their communities, they foster long-term brand loyalty and enhance audience engagement.
Transparency and Authenticity: As regulations tighten, brands must focus on clear, transparent influencer collaborations. Governments worldwide are enacting stricter guidelines around influencer disclosures, making FTC-compliant, authentic partnerships essential. By adhering to transparency standards, brands demonstrate ethical responsibility, protecting their reputations and building audience trust.
360 Content Strategy: Influencers will play a role across multiple marketing channels, from social media to digital ads and experiential events. This multi-channel approach enhances reach and engagement, meeting consumers where they are. By leveraging influencers in diverse contexts, brands can amplify visibility and deepen audience connections, extending impact beyond traditional social media posts.
Hyper-Personalized and Niche Targeting: As platforms grow more sophisticated, brands will increasingly work with influencers who cater to specific, niche audiences. Partnering with micro- and nano-influencers allows brands to connect with highly engaged followers in focused content areas, achieving effective targeting and stronger connections.
Virtual and AI Influencers: The rise of virtual influencers will offer new engagement opportunities. By partnering with or creating virtual personas, brands can consistently convey their messaging while engaging audiences in creative, memorable ways. Interactive AI elements, such as chatbot engagements or virtual events, will further set these brands apart in the digital landscape.
Learn how our approach to influencer marketing can amplify your brand’s visibility in 2025 — contact us today.
Jenna Bender
CRM Manager
About Jenna: Jenna enhances customer engagement through personalized CRM strategies, guiding brands from concept to multi-channel execution.
AI-Powered Marketing Automation: AI will redefine marketing automation, personalizing campaigns across every stage of the customer journey. By analyzing vast amounts of real-time data, AI is poised to allow brands to deliver hyper-personalized content, predictive product recommendations and optimized offers, ultimately creating timely and relevant engagement. This data-driven personalization boosts customer satisfaction, driving retention and conversions.
Interactive Brand Experiences: Interactive elements like gamification and experiential rewards will redefine brand engagement in 2025. Brands will incorporate interactive components in loyalty programs, encouraging participation through activities like points for completing challenges, unlocking exclusive rewards and personalized experiences. Engaging customers through interactive, value-driven rewards reinforces brand loyalty and sets brands apart in a crowded marketplace.
iOS 18 Update Optimizations: Apple’s latest update introduces inbox tabs that segment email types, impacting email engagement rates. With promotional content less visible, email marketers will need to prioritize audience segmentation and tailor subject lines to increase primary tab placement. These updates call for adjustments to benchmarks as brands optimize email strategy to maintain engagement and ensure their content stands out across Apple Mail’s new inbox structure.
Contact us to learn how our CRM expertise can elevate your customer engagement.
Michael Lawrence
Lead Digital Developer
About Michael: Michael brings extensive experience in web and mobile development, specializing in enterprise CMS and efficient, AI-driven solutions.
AI-Powered Coding Assistants: Intelligence tools like GitHub Copilot are reshaping the coding process, enabling developers to work more efficiently by providing code suggestions, auto-completion and real-time debugging. By automating repetitive tasks, these tools empower developers to focus on innovation, creativity and high-level problem-solving.
Automated Performance Optimization: AI will continue to revolutionize how performance issues are detected and resolved, with tools now capable of identifying bottlenecks and suggesting real-time optimizations. This means brands can proactively enhance site functionality, ensuring smooth user experiences and high performance across all devices.
Code Quality and Security: Cybersecurity will be more critical than ever, and AI is elevating code analysis by identifying vulnerabilities and automating risk assessments. AI-enhanced security tools help developers conduct thorough security audits, protecting brand integrity and consumer data while maintaining compliance with best practices.
Want to bring innovation to your brand’s digital presence? Contact us today.
Jeff Kerekes
Director of UX
About Jeff: Jeff specializes in user-centric design, optimizing UX for usability and ADA compliance.
Universal Design: Inclusive design is essential in 2025, ensuring accessibility for all users from the outset. Implementing universal design principles early reduces costly rework, fosters positive user experiences and minimizes legal risks associated with ADA compliance. This proactive approach demonstrates a brand’s commitment to all users and aligns with best practices in digital accessibility.
Minimalist Design: Simplified, minimalist design will continue to enhance user experience by stripping away unnecessary elements and focusing on clarity. In the coming year, this will be critically important because users are increasingly prioritizing seamless, fast-loading experiences that don’t overwhelm with information or visuals.
This design approach improves usability across devices, reduces load times and makes it easier for users to navigate content. Brands embracing minimalist principles will see improved engagement, as clean layouts provide an optimal environment for content.
AI-Driven Personalization: With AI advancements, UX design will become highly personalized, adapting interfaces to individual user preferences and behaviors. By delivering dynamic content, customized UI and relevant recommendations, brands can create deeply engaging digital experiences that evolve with each user’s needs, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty.
Reach out to learn how our UX expertise can enhance your brand’s digital experience.
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New AI and accessibility updates across Android, Chrome and more – Google Blog
/in website SEO, Website Traffic/by Team ZYTMay 15, 2025
In honor of GAAD, we’re rolling out new accessibility updates across Android and Chrome.
Advances in AI continue to make our world more and more accessible. Today, in honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we’re rolling out new updates to our products across Android and Chrome, as well as adding new resources for developers building speech recognition tools.
We’re building on our work and integrating the best of Google AI and Gemini into core mobile experiences customized for vision and hearing.
Last year we brought Gemini’s capabilities to TalkBack, Android’s screen reader, providing people who are blind or low-vision with AI-generated descriptions for images, even when there’s no alt text. Today, we’re expanding this Gemini integration so people can ask questions and get responses about their images. That means the next time a friend texts you a photo of their new guitar, you can get a description and ask follow-up questions about the make and color, or even what else is in the image. People can now also get descriptions and ask questions about their whole screen. So if you’re shopping for the latest sales on your favorite shopping app, you can ask Gemini about the material of an item or if a discount is available.
Use TalkBack’s Gemini powered capabilities to get a description of what’s on your screen.
With Expressive Captions, your phone provides real-time captions for anything with sound across most apps on your phone — using AI to not only capture what someone says, but how they say it. We know one of the ways people express themselves is by dragging out the sound of their words, which is why we developed a new duration feature on Expressive Captions, so you can know when a sports announcing is calling out an “amaaazing shot” or when the video message is not “no” but “nooooo.” You’ll also receive even more labels for sounds, so you know when someone is whistling or clearing their throat. This new version is rolling out in English in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia for devices running Android 15 and above.
With Expressive Captions new duration feature, get even more context of what’s being said in the audio and video on your phone.
In 2019, we launched Project Euphonia to find ways to make speech recognition more accessible for people with non-standard speech. Now we’re supporting developers and organizations around the world as they bring that work to even more languages and cultural contexts.
To improve the ecosystem of tools globally, we’re providing developers with our open-source repositories via Project Euphonia’s GitHub page. They can now develop personalized audio tools for research or train their models for diverse speech patterns.
Earlier this year we partnered with Google.org to provide support to the University College London in their creation of the Centre for Digital Language Inclusion (CDLI). The CDLI is working to improve speech recognition technology for non-English speakers in Africa by creating open-source datasets in 10 African languages, building new speech recognition models and continuing to support the ecosystem of organizations and developers in this space.
Accessibility tools can be particularly helpful for students with disabilities, from using facial gestures to navigate their Chromebooks with Face Control to customizing their reading experience with Reading Mode.
And now when you use your Chromebook with College Board’s Bluebook testing app (which is where students can take the SAT and most Advanced Placement exams) you’ll have access to all of Google’s built-in accessibility features. This includes ChromeVox screen reader and Dictation, along with College Board’s own digital testing tools.
With more than 2 billion people using Chrome each day, we’re always striving to make our browser easier to use and more accessible for everyone with features like Live Caption and image descriptions for screen reader users.
Previously, if you opened a scanned PDF in your desktop Chrome browser, you wouldn’t be able to use your screen reader to interact with it. Now with Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Chrome automatically recognizes these types of PDFs, so you can highlight, copy and search for text like any other page and use your screen reader to read them.
Page Zoom now lets you increase the size of the text you see in Chrome on Android without affecting the webpage layout or your browsing experience — just like how it works on Chrome desktop. You can customize how much you want to zoom in and easily apply the preference to all the pages you visit or just specific ones.
Page Zoom works with Chrome on Android, letting you customize how you see pages
To start using this feature, just tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner on Chrome and set your zoom preferences.
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