website SEOWebsite Traffic
Summary: Search ranking manipulation has died; serving users has won. Catering to human needs now trumps gaming algorithms for dominating search engine results pages (SERPs).
Even in 2025, SEO reigns as the undisputed traffic monarch — a dynasty that has ruled website strategies since Google burst onto the scene in 1998. But like all empires, its borders are beginning to crumble as users increasingly defect to AI-driven answer engines. Legacy search engines now wade through a toxic swamp of mediocrity, choking on algorithmically-optimized garbage that somehow still floats to the top of rankings. Users notice this pollution, and they’re voting with their clicks.
I predict that SEO will be replaced by “AI inclusion optimization” — the art of getting your content selected for AI answers and summaries. But SEO won’t vanish overnight; it’s like a massive oil tanker changing course, not a zippy speedboat. Its momentum alone guarantees a few more years of relevance. (Leonardo)
Search goes far beyond Google, but Google has such a dominant position on the search market in Western countries that it verges on a monopoly (and Google has indeed been investigated as such by anti-trust authorities in both the United States and the European Union). As of 2025, Google’s market share was estimated to be 88% of searches in the USA, 91% in the EU, 82% in Japan, and 98% in India. The only major economy where Google is small is China, where it is estimated to have a market share of 2% (whereas Baidu has 53%). Thus, I’ll mainly talk about the impact of Google’s design in this article, but you should absolutely not ignore the other search engines. They all work mostly the same anyway.
The evolution of Google’s algorithms has fundamentally changed what Search Engine Optimization (SEO) means in practice. Tactics that once worked can now hurt your site, and strategies focused on genuinely improving site quality have become the only sustainable way to rank well. Below, I outline modern SEO best practices and highlight how they differ from the “old school” approaches they’ve replaced, with an emphasis on how these changes have impacted websites’ strategies for attracting customers via search.
Early SEO was a digital snake oil racket. If those hacks ever worked, they’re now a one-way ticket to ranking oblivion. (Leonardo)
I mention outdated SEO advice in the following discussion because old advice is still rampant on the web. SEO is not a mystery, but many writers still present it as such. Today’s search engines aim to satisfy user intent to the extent they can divine it, and this means that ranking highly means creating content that satisfy that intent. Modern SEO is, therefore, mostly a matter of user experience and of understanding user needs.
Search has long been one of the main user behaviors on the web. Doing well in search is a user experience question, because search engines are driven by a requirement to satisfy user intent. (Midjourney)
Then (early 2000s): Websites operated as content factories, churning out digital sludge by the ton. Quality? An afterthought at best. “Content farms” sprouted like weeds across the digital landscape, mass-producing anemic 300-word articles that targeted every conceivable keyword combination but answered precisely nothing. Some even outright duplicated or scraped content from other sources. Keyword density was a key concept and SEOs believed that repeating a keyword often (or stuffing it into meta tags) would make a page rank higher. As a result, search results prior to 2011 often featured pages that were text-rich but insight-poor, which was bad for users.
Now: Quality crushes quantity. Google’s “Panda” update in 2011 was nothing short of an extinction event for content farms, rewriting the evolutionary selection principles of what content survives in search results. Today, thin or duplicate content is algorithmically downgraded, and sites with original, in-depth, and useful content are rewarded.
Modern best practice is to focus on user intent: before creating a page, ask “What is the user really looking for, and how can I provide the best answer/experience for that?” Content that satisfies the query tends to perform well. This often means longer, more comprehensive content, but length for its own sake isn’t the goal; usefulness is.
Keyword usage still matters, but it’s all about natural language now. Google’s semantic understanding means it can rank a page that doesn’t use the exact query phrasing, as long as it effectively answers the query. For example, an article titled “How to Fix a Leaky Faucet” might rank for “faucet drip repair” even if it doesn’t use that exact phrase, because Google recognizes that the article answers the user’s intent.
A few great pages that answer users’ questions will outweigh masses of low-quality content for getting your website ranked on the SERP (search engine results page). (Imagen)
Then: SEO practitioners worshipped at the altar of keyword density, cramming pages with repetitive phrases like desperate street vendors shouting the same product name at passing tourists. The concept of “optimal keyword density” — a myth I’ve been debunking since the early 2000s — led to robotic prose that human visitors found repellent but search engines briefly rewarded: for instance, a footer might list “buy cheap widgets, cheap widgets for sale, best cheap widgets” ad nauseam. Some sites even hid keywords (white text on white background) purely for search engines.
Another outdated practice was relying on the meta keywords tag in HTML; site owners would list dozens of keywords in the code, invisible to users. This actually worked in the late ‘90s, until it was abused to the point of uselessness. (By 2009 Google officially confirmed it “disregards keyword metatags completely” in ranking.) SEO advice circa 2005 might also include having separate pages for each slight keyword variation, resulting in lots of near-duplicate pages targeting “red widget, blue widget, green widget” separately.
Now: Effective keyword optimization resembles actual human communication rather than robot-speak. Intent and context reign supreme. Google has essentially developed a sophisticated BS detector that can distinguish between content written for humans and content manufactured for algorithms. Instead of trying to mention a keyword X times, today, you should aim to cover the topic comprehensively and use keywords in a natural, meaningful way.
Keyword research is still important to understand the language your audience uses. If users recognize words they know in page titles and links, they’re more likely to click. Usability heuristic number 2 advises “match between the system and the real world,” which to a great degree is a matter of speaking the user’s language. (And we discover users’ language by observational research such as user testing.)
It is also crucial to match the content format to the keyword intent. For example, if people search “running shoes review,” they likely want a list of top shoes or a detailed review, not a category page of products. Satisfying that intent has become the priority. Smarter search algorithms compelled this shift: since they understand synonyms and context, pages that read naturally and fully answer the query tend to outperform those that just mechanically match keywords.
To score high in SEO, guide users to helpful content that satisfies their intent, like a lighthouse guides ships at sea. (Midjourney)
Then: Backlinks were the hard currency of early SEO, hoarded and counterfeited with equal enthusiasm. The typical link profile resembled a digital flea market — quantity trumped quality, and legitimacy was optional. Tactics included submitting your site to hundreds of web directories, exchanging links with any willing site, or even running automated programs to drop links in forums and blog comments.
By the late 2000s, a whole industry of link farms and paid link networks had emerged. It wasn’t pretty, but it often worked: Google’s PageRank system was so influenced by link counts and anchor text that sites with massive link quantities (even if low-quality) could outrank better sites. Anchor text manipulation was another trick — e.g., if you wanted to rank for “best dentist NYC,” you’d try to get as many links as possible with that exact phrase as the anchor. This led to unnatural link profiles that Google eventually learned to detect.
Now: The link economy has matured. One editorial link from an authoritative source outweighs a thousand forum signatures, much like a single Michelin star means more than countless fast-food ratings. Google’s “Penguin” update in 2012 was the watershed that punished manipulative link building. Modern link building is therefore about earning or selectively building links from trusted, topically relevant websites — ideally those that genuinely vouch for your content. For example, a local dentist now would focus on getting links from local news features, dental association directories, maybe guest articles on health sites — not 10,000 comment spam links.
Google now ignores many low-quality links automatically, and it has a Disavow Tool for webmasters to tell Google to discount specific backlinks (commonly used if a site has a history of spammy links). Successful SEO strategies in recent years often involve content marketing and PR: creating shareable infographics, useful tools, or great blog posts that naturally attract backlinks.
Essentially, Google wants links to be “editorially given” as true votes of confidence. So the mindset shift for websites is to treat links as a result of good content and marketing, not a standalone goal. Many old tactics like directory submissions have little to no effect now. The impact on businesses has been significant: companies that invested in black-hat link building had to spend considerable resources cleaning up their backlink profiles after 2012, and some had to start over with new domains because the old one was too tainted.
Updates to Google’s ranking algorithm with codenames like Panda (2011) and Penguin (2012) changed the best practices for SEO from chasing tricks to chasing user experience and satisfying user intent. Those cute animals reordered the search engine results pages in a major way. (Midjourney)
Then: Technical SEO was often overlooked in the early days beyond the basics of having a crawlable site. Many sites were not well-structured — they might have broken links, missing meta tags, etc., but could still rank if they had enough backlinks and keywords. Mobile usability wasn’t on the radar before smartphones (pre-2010s). Sites would sometimes have clunky designs or slow load times (remember those nasty Flash sites?), yet if they had the right keywords and links, they could rank. Also, the idea of optimizing user experience by helping users quickly finding information was seen as separate from “SEO.” As a result, a lot of older websites that ranked well offered mediocre user experiences: cluttered layouts, too many ads, slow-loading pages, etc.
Now: Technical excellence and great UX are integral to SEO. Google has repeatedly emphasized “make pages primarily for users, not for search engines” in its guidelines, and it has backed that up by introducing ranking factors related to user experience. A few key areas:
Mobile Optimization: With Google’s mobile-first indexing and mobile ranking boosts, a site must be mobile-friendly to perform well on search (given the dominance of mobile searches). This means responsive design or a dedicated mobile site, using modern web practices so that text is readable without zooming, links/buttons are easily tappable, and content isn’t cut off. Sites that ignored mobile have seen their mobile rankings plummet, directly losing out on traffic/customers as users shifted to mobile search. Today, ensuring a seamless mobile experience is one of the first checklist items in an SEO audit.
Page Speed: Speed matters because users hate waiting, and Google wants to keep users happy. Google has made page speed a ranking factor. In any case, a slow site often means users bounce back to Google, which doesn’t just mean losing that visitor’s potential business but also lower SEO rankings through reduced engagement signals. Many websites have invested in site speed optimization as part of their SEO strategy, whereas a decade ago, that might have been purely an IT concern.
Site Structure & Indexability: Modern SEO places a high value on having a logical, crawlable site architecture. This includes clear navigation links and a good information architecture (IA). If search engine spiders can’t efficiently crawl or understand your site, it’s unlikely to rank well. As search indexes have grown, they’ve also become pickier and may not index every single low-value page on a site. So, practices like consolidating similar content, using pagination and category structures smartly, and pruning truly unnecessary pages have emerged.
Overall UX Design: Google has algorithms that indirectly evaluate user satisfaction and user engagement signals. For example, high bounce rates could correlate with “thin” content. Having a clean design, useful internal search, easy-to-find information, and not bombarding users with ads or pop-ups contributes to better engagement and, thus, better SEO outcomes.
In practice, the websites that have thrived have often been those that invest in their technical foundations. For example, sites that optimize their mobile pages and employ lightweight design have an edge. On the other hand, sites with sluggish, outdated tech have seen competitors leapfrog them.
Google has evolved from a naive link-counter into a sophisticated judge of character. Who provides your content matters immensely, as Google’s algorithms increasingly mimic human skepticism: “Why should I trust you on this topic?” This is especially true for topics that can significantly impact a person’s life (health, finance, legal, etc.), which Google calls “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) topics. Over the years, Google has refined algorithms to favor sources that demonstrate expertise, authority, and trust — often abbreviated as E-A-T.
Does the site or content have clear authorship? High-quality sites now typically have author bylines, bios, and about pages that establish who is behind the content. If an author is a known expert (e.g., a doctor writing a medical article), that likely helps the content’s credibility.
Are there authoritative references or sources cited? Content that backs up claims with evidence (and links out to authoritative sites) can indirectly signal trustworthiness.
What is the site’s reputation? Google can glean this from the link graph (do other authoritative sites link to or mention this site?), from reviews (for businesses), and even from user behavior (do people seem to trust and spend time on this site. Some affected sites improved after adding things like expert author profiles, getting more positive testimonials, or being mentioned by more trusted sites.
Is the content accurate and up-to-date? For YMYL topics, there’s a strong emphasis on accuracy. Websites now often perform regular content audits, updating or removing outdated info. Google itself introduced a “content freshness” component (not exactly E-A-T, but related to keeping information current).
Websites have adapted by being more transparent and highlighting their expertise. For example, many financial blogs that used to just churn out articles under anonymous “Staff” accounts now have certified financial planners writing or reviewing content. Health sites have doctors or PhDs review articles (with a note like “Medically reviewed by Dr. X”). E-commerce sites ensure their customer service info and business address are easily found (trust signals for shoppers and Google alike). Additionally, technical security and user trust (no deceptive ads or downloads) feed into a site’s overall trustworthiness.
Trust and credibility have become key SEO currencies. If your website looks spammy or untrustworthy, users won’t click or stay — and Google won’t rank it well. Modern SEO best practices include auditing your site’s content and presentation for trust factors, and improving them (e.g., add an FAQ to address customer concerns, highlight your credentials, get endorsements from respected entities). Websites that recognize this have adjusted by aligning their content and site features with what a skeptical user (or Google) would want to see before trusting the site.
Perhaps the most significant overall shift is that SEO is not about quick hacks or one-time optimizations. It’s an ongoing, holistic process of making your site the best it can be for users and search engines. Major search engines now update their algorithms hundreds of times a year (most minor, some major), meaning that chasing algorithm loopholes is a risky and short-lived strategy. Instead, the enduring strategy is to align with the search engines’ goal of delivering relevant, high-quality results.
The evolution of Google’s algorithms reads like a Darwinian textbook: manipulative tactics that once thrived have been hunted to extinction, while authentic value creation has emerged as the dominant survival trait. This isn’t accidental mutation but intelligent design — Google relentlessly pursuing its prime directive to deliver what users actually want, not what SEO tacticians try to trick them into serving.
What worked in the old days might get you penalized today. Savvy websites have adapted by focusing on quality content, user-centric site improvements, and ethical optimization techniques. Moving forward, it’s reasonable to expect that Google and other search engines will continue refining their ranking signals, but the direction remains consistent: search results will favor websites that provide authoritative, relevant information and a satisfying user experience. SEO best practices will continue to follow that lead, meaning the best way to “optimize” is to make your site truly excellent for your visitors.
Your SEO checklist:
Digital visibility: evolved beyond manipulation.
Quality trumps quantity.
Intent supersedes keywords.
Trust outweighs volume.
User experience defeats tricks.
The path forward: authentic value creation.
Short video explainer about SEO and UX (YouTube, 4 min.): give to people who need this info but don’t have time to read a full article
SEO, the Music Video (YouTube, 3 min.): fun overview of SEO that is also useful for training purposes to see how students connect the song lyrics to SEO best practices.
Jakob Nielsen, Ph.D., is a usability pioneer with 42 years experience in UX and the Founder of UX Tigers. He founded the discount usability movement for fast and cheap iterative design, including heuristic evaluation and the 10 usability heuristics. He formulated the eponymous Jakob’s Law of the Internet User Experience. Named “the king of usability” by Internet Magazine, “the guru of Web page usability” by The New York Times, and “the next best thing to a true time machine” by USA Today.
Previously, Dr. Nielsen was a Sun Microsystems Distinguished Engineer and a Member of Research Staff at Bell Communications Research, the branch of Bell Labs owned by the Regional Bell Operating Companies. He is the author of 8 books, including the best-selling Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity (published in 22 languages), the foundational Usability Engineering (28,083 citations in Google Scholar), and the pioneering Hypertext and Hypermedia (published two years before the Web launched).
Dr. Nielsen holds 79 United States patents, mainly on making the Internet easier to use. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Human–Computer Interaction Practice from ACM SIGCHI and was named a “Titan of Human Factors” by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
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· Read: article about Jakob Nielsen’s career in UX
· Watch: Jakob Nielsen’s first 41 years in UX (8 min. video)
Great Article – surely a great SEO example in itself!
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