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When most people hear the term SEO—search engine optimization—they think of things like making sure keywords are properly incorporated, that blogs have strong title tags and meta descriptions, and that there are a reasonable number of external and internal links to help demonstrate credibility and let readers learn more. But all of these tactics are part of what we can on-site SEO—those things you do on the page to help more eyeballs find your content.
There is more to SEO than those things you do on the page. One of the most important and necessary things to manage is your technical SEO. This includes all those things that happen behind the scenes so that search engines can discover, crawl, interpret, and index your website pages.
In this article, LAMA Marketing will give you insights into new trends coming for technical SEO in 2025 and how these tactics can give you a competitive edge in those search engine rankings.
AI & Machine Learning’s Increased Impact on SEO
To properly discuss those trends, we need to first chat about how artificial intelligence—aka AI—and machine learning have been impacting SEO. AI-driven systems like Google’s RankBrain and MUM (Multitask Unified Model) are totally changing how search engines understand user intent and context. These tools analyze individual keywords and the entire query, including semantics and relationships between words. This allows search engines to deliver more nuanced and relevant results, even for complex or conversational searches.
This shift means optimizing for AI-driven algorithms is now a top priority for businesses and content creators. Content must be tailored to meet user needs while aligning with search engines’ advanced capabilities to interpret meaning and intent. Structured data, for instance, plays a big role in helping AI understand context.
AI tools can also support SEO efforts by automating time-intensive tasks like audits, identifying optimization opportunities, and using predictive analytics to anticipate future trends. This gives businesses an edge by helping them stay proactive in adapting to changes in search behavior.
Understanding these AI advancements sets the stage for deeper discussions on how other key aspects of technical SEO, like core web vitals, mobile-first indexing, zero-click and voice search, and video and visual search, are evolving to align with this AI-driven landscape. Let’s take a look at some of those trends now.
Core Web Vitals in 2025
As we move into 2025, updates to Core Web Vitals metrics are expected to build upon their current framework, focusing wholly on user experience and website performance. The three primary metrics will continue to be super important for measuring website quality and influencing SEO rankings. Here’s what those metrics are:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures how quickly the largest visible content on a page loads. This indicates the overall speed of your website’s content delivery.
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP) gauges responsiveness by tracking how long it takes for a page to respond to user inputs like clicks or taps.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) focuses on visual stability, assessing how much the elements on a page shift unexpectedly during loading.
With the focus on improving responsiveness and visual stability, websites must prioritize flawless experiences to stay competitive.
Actionable tips for optimizing Core Web Vitals metrics:
- Optimize server response times by implementing a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
- Reduce layout shifts by specifying size attributes for images and videos.
- Minimize JavaScript execution to prevent delays in interactivity.
- Use modern image formats like WebP to speed up load times.
The Continued Trend Toward Mobile-First Indexing
Any marketers know that today’s consumers practice a mobile-first approach. In fact, research suggests that mobile devices represent 50.48% of web traffic, and we expect that as mobile devices continue to improve, that number will grow.
Thus, search engines will continue to prioritize mobile-first indexing. This approach means that search engines predominantly evaluate the mobile version of a website to determine its rankings. With mobile devices accounting for over half of global web traffic, this emphasis is no surprise, and the shift is expected to deepen as mobile technology evolves.
Emerging best practices for mobile optimization focus on creating fast, lightweight, and user-friendly experiences. Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are gaining popularity for their app-like functionality and offline capabilities. Additionally, alternatives to Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), such as server-side rendering and lazy loading, offer improved performance without compromising design flexibility.
Tips for prioritizing mobile user experience:
- Use responsive design to adapt your site to all screen sizes.
- Optimize images for faster loading on mobile devices.
- Keep text readable by avoiding small fonts or dense layouts.
- Simplify menus and navigation for one-handed browsing.
- Minimize unnecessary pop-ups that can frustrate mobile users.
- Test your site on various devices and operating systems to identify potential issues.
The Shift Toward Zero-Click + Voice Search
Have you ever used the voice option on your mobile device to search for something? And why wouldn’t you give it a try? Voice provides convenience and speed, perfect for finding quick answers or information on the go. That same mindset is driving the rise of zero-click search results, where users get their answers directly on the search results page without needing to click multiple times to navigate a website. Featured snippets, knowledge panels, and instant answers have become increasingly common as search engines aim to deliver information more efficiently.
Creating content that mirrors natural language is non-negotiable for optimizing voice search. People tend to phrase spoken searches as questions or complete sentences, so crafting content around questions like “What are Core Web Vitals?” or “How do I optimize for mobile-first indexing?” helps align with this trend.
The challenge lies in balancing visibility within zero-click results with generating website traffic. While snippets offer exposure, they often satisfy users without prompting further clicks. Using structured data and concise, valuable answers within your content can help secure a spot in these results while encouraging deeper engagement on your site.
The Increased Importance of Video & Visual Search
We all know how video content engages users, so we won’t belabor that point here. But what you may want to know is that visual search technologies, including tools like Google Lens and Pinterest Lens, are becoming more advanced. These technologies allow users to search by uploading or capturing images, shifting how people interact with online content. Optimizing images by using descriptive alt text, clear file names, and structured data can make them more discoverable for marketers.
For video content, optimization is just as important. Search engines rely on metadata, captions, and transcripts to understand video content, making these elements critical for visibility.
Strategies for video SEO:
- Add captions to improve accessibility and keyword relevance.
- Include transcripts to provide searchable text for search engines.
- Create video sitemaps to help search engines discover and categorize video content.
Platforms like YouTube and Google Discover offer excellent opportunities to expand your reach. By hosting videos on YouTube, you tap into its built-in audience and SEO benefits, while Google Discover helps you connect with users based on their interests, even before they actively search. These platforms can work together to amplify your visibility and drive more engagement from your target audience.
Need Help Managing the Shifting Nature of Technical SEO?
Managing all of that technical stuff behind the scenes of your website can quickly get overwhelming, not to mention confusing. That’s why so many marketers and small business owners turn to digital marketing agencies to take that work off their plate. At LAMA, we’re a full-service marketing agency and can manage your technical SEO to help you maintain that competitive advantage and get more of the right consumers to your website.
Ready to learn more? Contact the team at LAMA Marketing today.
