SEO has dominated the digital marketing landscape for years. Over time, Google has improved its algorithms, naturally evolving SEO into a sophisticated element of content creation. With artificial intelligence (AI) disrupting the search space once again, the year 2024 has proved to be yet another turning point in the search engine optimization landscape.

Here’s the thing. 2024 hasn’t led to the end of SEO. On the contrary, things like AI Overview (Google’s AI-generated answers) and ChatGPT have altered the role and impact of SEO once again — and it’s up to marketers and content creators to keep up with the change.

The digifora team has had some resounding SEO success this year despite the changing landscape. We’re seeing great results, even if we’re learning about the new state of SEO as we go. Here’s what we’re seeing work right now — along with some insights into what’s coming down the pike.

What We’re Seeing in 2024

Content strategy matters, folks. Planning your content from a 10,000-foot view gives it a comprehensive structure that is organized and search engine friendly.

When we built out a 25,000-word project for a client earlier in the year, we focused on pillars and clusters that were linked (both figuratively and literally). Each piece supported others and consistently aligned with the brand’s core messaging and keywords, which they quickly started to rank for. In fact, within a few months, they had 10x-ed their impressions and nearly 4x-ed their click-through rate.

If you want to rank in the SERPs, make sure you’re doing more than throwing stuff out willy-nilly. Build a framework. Then, use it to create a library of core content that leans heavily on the keywords and unique selling points that live at the core of your brand and resonate with your target audience.

Keep Adding Content

When you put all that effort into killer core content, it’s tempting to let it do its thing. What we’re seeing in 2024, though, is that you can’t just stop publishing content. Once you have those central pillars and clusters of content in place, you need to keep feeding the fire. Otherwise, we’ve noticed that the buzz, even around content-rich accounts, drops off over time.

To be clear, the decline is slow, so don’t panic. You don’t have to add a huge amount of new content, either. However, there should be a consistent flow of relevant, high-quality pieces. 

This can be new articles. It can also be a press release or third-party post that points back to an older piece. Sharing content on socials and email lists helps maintain that synergy, too.

There isn’t a single answer here. Usually, the best success seems to come from an amalgamation of channels and content formats that best meet a brand’s audience. Use A/B testing as you go, too, so you can tweak things over time.

What We’re Testing Moving Forward

So, where does this leave us heading into 2025? For now, we’re continuing to build on this past year’s success. We’re working on content strategy formulas that adapt to ongoing changes while building on past success.

We like to put it in musical terms. We’re trying to be “classical” in our approach while maintaining a “jazz” element in our content creation process. 

No matter what we do, we’re trying to stay holistic. That means following the SEO Golden Rule: Keeping readers first and search engines second.

SEO Trends for 2025 and Beyond

So, where is all of this new SEO knowledge taking us? If anyone gives you a solid answer to that question, don’t believe them. No one could have seen how the past 12 months were going to play out. The future is even harder to predict.

Still, there are some trends popping up, and we’re following them closely. (You should, too!) Here are some of the biggest ones:

High-Quality Content Is Now King

Whether it’s a gated white paper or a 500-word guest article, every piece of content you create must be high-quality. We’re not just talking about how well it’s written or if it has a killer infographic. We’re talking about the value of the information. Always position your takeaways as a thought leader with something unique to add to the conversation. (If you’re interested in learning more, look up BBQ Content…)

GEO Is the New Buzzword

We all know about search engine optimization. What about generative engine optimization? Also called GSO or generative search optimization, GEO is a new concept that addresses tailoring your content to perform well with AI search tools. It’s the future, folks. You can find a great breakdown from Search Engine Land about GEO here…

Google in the Dock

Google has had a monopoly on the search experience from day one. That may not be the case for much longer. The tech giant is currently in the dock right now for a monopoly ruling. If the powers that be break up the search giant, it will probably take years. Still, the result could impact SEO (though there’s no telling how at the moment). It’s a situation worth monitoring. Read more on the DOJ’s intentions here…

Google’s Competitors

Google may have an iron grip on traditional search, but it has countless rivals rising in the area of AI. OpenAI, the creator of ChatGP, announced its own search engine in the early summer. Others are in the market, too. This is another area to watch closely. You can read more about OpenAI’s upcoming AI search tool here…

The SEO Future Is Confusing …But Bright

SEO has been thrown for a loop this year. The results have been tough for some (although digifora’s approach has held up and even thrived in the current conditions.)

We’re still watching, learning, and testing. If you create content (and who doesn’t these days?), you should be, too.

If you want to work with our veteran team of growth marketers to optimize your online content strategy or address any other areas of your marketing, we’d love to talk. Together, we can come up with a path forward to make the most of the present and position your brand to thrive in the future.