Is Google going from SEO hero to zero?

It’s time for a frank discussion within the industry: It’s becoming increasingly challenging to drive significant organic traffic to websites. While your SEO team or agency may be doing everything right, the reality is that the playing field has drastically changed. Strategies and expectations for organic SEO need to be re-evaluated given the current state of search engine results pages (SERPs).

Here’s a breakdown of the key factors contributing to this shift:

• The Rise of Paid Search: Google’s SERPs are increasingly dominated by paid advertisements. A staggering 55% of search results now feature nine or more ads, significantly reducing organic visibility.
• The Proliferation of SERP Features: Google has introduced a plethora of new SERP features (35-55), including “People Also Ask,” short-form videos, top stories, shopping, and AI overviews. Many of these features aim to provide direct answers within the search results themselves, minimising the need to click through to a website.
• The Impact of AI Overviews (SGE): Google’s AI-powered overviews are effectively answering informational queries directly, further reducing the need for users to visit websites for information.
• Shifting Consumer Behaviour: Users are increasingly turning to platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, and LLMs for information and product discovery, leading to a decline in search volumes on Google.
• Off-Site Decision-Making: Many brand and product decisions are now made off-site, such as on social media or e-commerce platforms like Amazon. This shift indicates that Google is increasingly becoming a conversion channel rather than solely a discovery platform.
• The Rise of Social Commerce: Platforms like TikTok Shop and Amazon are rapidly gaining traction, capturing clicks and conversions that would traditionally have flowed through Google.

A new approach to SEO is essential

Given these significant changes, it’s crucial to recognise that SEO must now be an integral part of all marketing channels, including social media, public relations, and influencer marketing.

Key strategies for success in this evolving landscape include:

• Niche Targeting and Content: Focus on long-tail keywords and highly specific, valuable content that addresses the unique needs of your target audience.
• Prioritise Off-Site Trust Signals: Building strong brand authority and trust signals across various online platforms (social media, reviews, industry publications) is now more critical than ever. Research suggests that off-site signals contribute to around 60% of search engine rankings.

Are we hurtling towards a “zero-click world” on Google? It’s unthinkable, but especially from an organic standpoint, businesses should be prepared to see organic traffic change in 2025. Adapting to these new realities requires a comprehensive and integrated approach to digital marketing that goes beyond traditional SEO tactics.

Communicating this impact to clients or stakeholders is important to ensure time and consideration are given to other channels and drops in organic traffic are not seen as the result of poor SEO management.