SEO Wrapped: The Trends, Learnings, and Challenges of Everything SEO in 2025

Introduction: A Transformative Year in Search

2025 was a transformative year for SEO in New Zealand, and beyond. Search marketing evolved at breakneck speed – from major Google algorithm updates to sweeping changes in how people search (thanks to AI and large language models). Marketers had to adapt to new SERP layouts, a rise in zero-click searches, and shifting user behaviours influenced by AI assistants. Throughout it all, one constant remained: quality and trust. 

Google’s emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) only intensified, pushing SEO marketers to deliver real value and authority in their content. In this end-of-year wrap-up, we’ll unpack 2025’s biggest SEO trends, key learnings, and challenges, and prepare a game plan for 2026 with an eye on maintaining our edge in the New Zealand market.

Google Algorithm Updates in 2025: Quality Over Everything

Google kept SEOs on their toes in 2025 with a series of impactful algorithm updates. There were three broad core updates (in March, June, and December) and a notable spam-related update in August. Each core update reaffirmed Google’s mission to “better surface relevant, satisfying content” for searchers. 

In other words, sites with high-quality, people-first content tended to win, while those relying on thin or keyword-stuffed pages saw volatility. Google offered familiar advice: if rankings dropped, focus on making your content more helpful, reliable, and people-centric – there’s no quick technical fix beyond that.

One mid-year update in August (outside the core updates) specifically targeted spam and low-quality content, dovetailing with Google’s ongoing Helpful Content System. This update put many low-effort tactics on notice. 

Content created solely to game rankings – like mass-produced AI text with no human value-add, or pages rehashing what’s already widely available – was more likely to be filtered out. In contrast, content demonstrating genuine expertise, originality, and depth enjoyed better visibility. 

Google effectively told site owners: “write for users, not algorithms” – a theme echoed in every core update this year. Sites that invested in E-E-A-T signals – showcasing author expertise, citing trustworthy sources, and providing insightful, original information reaped the rewards. 

As one analysis noted, Google is actively de-ranking pages that read like they were “written by a robot for another robot,” especially if “raw AI output” was published without human oversight or unique insight added. The takeaway for 2025 is clear: use AI as a helper, not a crutch, and double down on content that genuinely satisfies user intent.

From a technical standpoint, Google’s algorithms in 2025 also reinforced the basics: strong technical SEO is non-negotiable. At zib digital, we observed that even the best content can fail if search engines (or AI systems) struggle to crawl or interpret it. For instance, site speed, mobile usability, clean HTML, and schema markup all influence how content is indexed and ranked. In fact, even AI-driven search crawlers depend on structured, accessible content – they need clear HTML structure, proper headings, and schema to “parse” meaning effectively. 

Sites that had neglected technical hygiene (slow load times, broken links, poor schema, etc.) found it harder to maintain rankings, especially as Google’s page experience expectations remain high. 2025 reminded us that great SEO is part art and part science: you need compelling content and a solid technical foundation.

SERP Evolution: Zero-Click Searches and New Layouts

Perhaps the most visible changes in 2025 happened on the Google search results page (SERP) itself. Google continued to experiment with its layout and features, which in turn impacted how users engage with search results. One major trend was the rise of “zero-click” searches, where users get the information they need from the SERP without clicking through to a website. 

Multiple studies this year confirmed that the proportion of zero-click searches keeps climbing – by early 2025, roughly 27% of Google searches in the U.S. ended without any click, up from about 24% a year earlier. In the UK and EU, zero-click rates similarly jumped to ~26% (from ~23% the year prior). 

Correspondingly, organic clicks on search results have dipped. For example, only about 40.3% of U.S. Google searches in March 2025 led to an organic click, down from 44.2% in March 2024. The story was similar in Europe (43.5% down to 47.1%). The trend is unmistakable: fewer searchers are clicking through to websites, because Google increasingly answers their queries directly – via featured snippets, Knowledge Panels, maps, dictionaries, calculators, and other rich results.

One area where this “no-click” dynamic is especially pronounced is local search. Google’s local packs and Google Business Profile (GBP) panels provide a wealth of info (address, hours, reviews, etc.) that often negates the need to visit a business’s website. Businesses across NZ likely noticed that while website clicks from Google might have plateaued or declined, yet their GBP impressions and engagements went up. 

The rest of the engagements happen on Google itself. Customers call the business, look up driving directions, read reviews, or ask questions without ever leaving the SERP. An industry study found that only 48% of actions on GBPs were website visits, while 21% were direct calls and 9% were direction requests. In other words, over half of potential customers take action from Google’s interface (call, drive, etc.) rather than clicking through to a site. 

This underscores how critical it is for local businesses to optimise their Google listings. It’s not enough to rank your website; you must ensure your Google Business Profile is complete, accurate, and enticing (good photos, updated hours, plenty of reviews) to capture those zero-click opportunities.

Google’s SERP layout changes in 2025 also included the expansion of continuous scrolling (eliminating the classic “page 1/page 2” boundaries on mobile and desktop), more interactive result types, and new filters. We saw Google introduce things like the “Perspectives” filter to surface forum and social content for some queries, more visual results for certain topics, and the integration of short-form videos in results (e.g., TikTok or Instagram videos for relevant searches). 

YouTube emerged as a big winner in traditional search: it’s now one of the top destinations people click after a Google search, even outranking some regular websites for many informational queries. In fact, YouTube links appear so often for tutorials, reviews, and “how-to” searches that Google is effectively sending a chunk of traffic to its own property (YouTube), one reason why the share of clicks staying within Google’s ecosystem (like YouTube, Maps, etc.) rose to 14–15% this year. 

All these shifts mean that winning in SEO now isn’t just about “rank #1 and get the  click.” It’s also about earning visibility within Google’s rich features, whether that’s getting your content featured in a snippet, your video shown in a carousel, or your business info prominent in a local panel. SEO service agencies have had to broaden their approach to account for this new reality of the SERP: a place where being seen often matters as much as being clicked.

AI and LLMs Disrupting Search Behaviour

If 2024 was the year AI chatbots burst onto the scene, 2025 is the year they started reshaping search behaviour in earnest. The hype around AI-driven search – from OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Bing Chat to Google’s own experiments with generative AI in search has led many to wonder if the traditional search engine was on its way out. The data, however, tells a nuanced story. 

Users did begin adopting conversational AI tools for certain tasks, but Google’s dominance barely wavered in our region and globally. According to Q1 2025 research by SparkToro and Datos, the vast majority of people still turn to traditional search engines first. In the U.S, for instance, only 0.55% of web users’ searches were on AI tools like ChatGPT, compared to 10.5% on search engines in that period. A similar pattern held in Europe. 

Here in New Zealand, Google’s market share remains comfortably above 90% meaning Google is still the starting point for most online research, despite the buzz around AI alternatives. In short, AI hasn’t killed “Googling”… far from it, people are searching more than ever (Google even reported query volume growth in their earnings, which independent data backs up).

That said, AI has undeniably changed searcher expectations and habits. Google itself rolled out its Search Generative Experience (SGE), essentially an AI “overview” at the top of search results for complex queries to all US users by May 2025, and began testing it in other markets. (While SGE isn’t formally live in NZ yet, we anticipate it soon.) 

Instead of the familiar list of blue links, users who enable this feature see an AI-generated summary of answers first, with citations linking to source sites. The goal is to give users a quick, synthesised answer, complete with follow-up questions. Initial reception was mixed: many users appreciate faster answers, but others voiced concerns about accuracy. 

Early on, about 25% of people reported major errors in AI summaries, with the biggest complaint being “flat-out inaccuracy” in some responses. Google has however been refining these systems to improve factuality. By year’s end, a majority of everyday users hadn’t noticed serious issues with AI results, and marketers grew cautiously optimistic. 

In one survey, 74% of marketing professionals said generative AI results could improve the search experience if done right. Crucially, however, everyone recognises that AI-driven results increase the prevalence of zero-click behaviour. When Google’s AI can answer a question directly, users may have even less reason to click through to websites. It’s telling that 44% of sites reported flat or declining traffic after Google launched AI overviews in search. Simply put, if your content was primarily serving up basic information, AI might now siphon off those queries by providing the answer on the SERP.

For SEO experts, the rise of AI in search means adapting strategies. Like at zib digital, many have started optimising not just for the traditional 10 blue links, but for the “answer engine” as well. In 2025, 43% of marketers surveyed said they changed their content approach in response to generative AI results on Google. 

The focus is shifting to clear, scannable content that answers questions upfront, anticipating what an AI summary might pull. 

Structured data (schema markup), which helps machines understand and excerpt your content, became more critical than ever. We also saw a premium on freshness and authority. Google’s SGE prioritises very up-to-date information and often prefers content from known authoritative sites. 

Brand mentions and external credibility have new weight too. In fact, in the AI realm, having your brand or content referenced by other reputable sources is gold: one report noted that AI search engines cite independent, third-party content far more often than a brand’s own self-published content. 

In other words, to be visible in AI answers, you want others talking about you (news articles, reviews, Wikipedia, etc.). This aligns with the idea that brand authority is the new link building in an AI-driven landscape, large language models verify facts by cross-checking trusted data and “knowledge” on the web, not just by counting backlinks.

Another behavioural shift in 2025 was the trend of “search everywhere.” Users, especially younger demographics, are increasingly conducting searches outside of traditional search engines. They might start with a question on TikTok, YouTube, or Reddit to get more human or visual answers. (It’s now common to see Gen Z users treat TikTok like a search engine for product recommendations or how-tos.) 

Voice search and multimodal search (like Google Lens for visual search) also gained more traction. Google reported that Gen Z, for example, uses Google Lens in 1 out of 10 of their searches, a significant chunk of which are shopping-related or local queries. All of this means that businesses must meet customers on whichever platform or format they’re searching. 

The concept of Search is no longer confined to just Google or Bing, it’s an ecosystem that spans social media, video platforms, AI assistants, maps, app stores, and more. Here at zib digital, we often say “search is an action, and the ‘engine’ can be anywhere.” 2025 really proved that point: to stay visible, you needed a holistic presence. 

Optimising for Google is priority #1 (since Google still drives the bulk of search traffic), but it’s wise to also consider SEO beyond Google – what we have dubbed “Search Everywhere Optimisation”. 

This could mean ensuring your videos are optimised for YouTube’s algorithm, your content is formatted to get picked up as a snippet in an AI chat answer, your products are showing up in online marketplaces or local shopping searches, and even that your brand’s social profiles and reviews help bolster your overall online authority.

Content, Links, and Technical SEO: Adapting Strategies for 2025

The standard SEO playbook of past years – publish lots of content, build a bunch of backlinks, and call it a day became increasingly inadequate in 2025. That approach, still offered by many agencies in NZ, has been facing diminishing returns. Several trends this year highlighted that what you publish and how you optimise it matters far more than sheer volume.

First, content quality and authenticity emerged as the true differentiators. With generative AI making content creation easier, the web saw a deluge of new content in 2025, but much of it was undifferentiated “AI boilerplate.” Users (and Google) grew savvier at detecting content that lacked a human touch or original insight. 

In fact, audiences can often tell when an article is just generic fluff, and they tend to ignore it. Google’s algorithms, through updates like the helpful content update, also got better at identifying unhelpful content (e.g., pages that just rephrase existing sources without adding value, or AI-generated text with no expertise behind it). The result: content that showcases firsthand experience, expert opinions, and unique data stood out. 

One industry report on 2026 trends (based on early data) noted that the best-performing content is the kind “AI can’t easily imitate – opinionated commentary, first-hand experience, data-rich insights, and multimedia storytelling.” In other words, E-E-A-T content. We saw this play out in 2025: blog posts that read like personal thought leadership or that shared original research tended to earn more backlinks, social shares, and higher rankings, whereas cookie-cutter SEO articles fell flat.

This is not to say backlinks don’t matter, they do… but 2025 reinforced that all links are not equal. The era of spammy link-building is effectively over (Google’s August spam update took further aim at low-quality link tactics). 

Earning authoritative links and mentions is where the value lies. In fact, brand mentions without direct links can carry SEO value now, a survey found 78% of marketers consider unlinked brand mentions a key visibility factor in 2025. Google’s algorithms likely infer trust from context and citations around your brand online, not just literal hyperlinks. 

Our approach at zib has been to focus on digital PR, high-quality content marketing, and brand building to naturally attract these signals. This year validated that strategy: a mention in a reputable news article or a positive review on a high-traffic site can sometimes move the needle more than dozens of low-tier backlinks. 

Moreover, as mentioned, LLMs evaluating content will trust brands with strong external citations and reputation. The bottom line: authority is earned by demonstrating expertise and fostering trust across the web, not by trying to game the system with sheer link quantity.

Another pivotal shift we noted in 2025 was the resurgence of technical SEO as a make-or-break factor. 

As the user experience bar keeps rising (and as AI-driven search demands well-structured input), sites with sloppy technical setup struggled. Core Web Vitals (like site speed and stability) may no longer be a buzzword in Google’s ranking PR, but they still correlate with better performance – users won’t wait for slow sites, and neither will Google’s crawlers. 

We saw multiple cases where improving a site’s load times or mobile responsiveness resulted in better crawl rates and incremental ranking boosts. Indexing and crawlability became hot topics too: with so much content out there, Google is not indexing everything. 

Sites had to ensure their important pages were readily discoverable (through XML sitemaps, proper internal linking, and avoiding index bloat). There’s also a new focus on making content accessible to AI crawlers. We even began adding an llms.txt file (an experimental cousin to robots.txt) to guide AI systems like ChatGPT on how to consume content. 

While that’s early-stage, it shows how technical SEO is adapting to the AI era. At zib, we incorporate technical best practices from the start – no add-ons or bandaids needed. Our philosophy has been that technical improvements benefit both traditional and AI-driven search simultaneously. 

For example:

• Adding structured data (schema) to a page not only creates rich snippets on Google but also gives AI models more context.
• Ensuring fast performance helps with user engagement and might allow AI crawlers to fetch your content more easily. 

In 2025, having a robust technical SEO framework became the quiet superpower behind many SEO wins. Agencies that ignored technical fundamentals and kept pitching only “content & backlinks” found their offering increasingly weak in a year when technical excellence, content authenticity, and multi-platform visibility carried greater weight.

To illustrate: a site might have had all the “optimised content” in the world, but if it was plagued by broken mobile design or lacked HTTPS or had confusing navigation, Google would still demote it. Or, a blog pumping out AI-generated articles three times a week without human insight might suddenly see those pages drop off Google’s index due to the helpful content algorithm. 

Meanwhile, a competitor with lean but highly useful content and a technically sound site could outrank them. 2025 taught us to work smarter, not just harder, in SEO. That means auditing and strengthening your site’s technical health, investing in truly valuable content rather than content-for-content’s-sake, and building a brand presence that extends beyond your own site (through social proof, PR, and community engagement).

Looking Ahead: 5 SEO Predictions for 2026 and How to Prepare

As we head into 2026, the only constant we can expect is more change. Google’s old search paradigm of “10 blue links” is evolving into an AI-infused, multi-platform discovery experience and SEO must evolve with it. Here are five key predictions for 2026, each paired with a preparation tip so you can hit the ground running after the summer break:

1. AI-Integrated Search Becomes the New Normal. By 2026, Google’s generative AI summaries (and similar AI answers on Bing) will likely be standard for many queries. This means even more zero-click scenarios. Preparation: Optimise your content to be AI-friendly. Ensure each important page answers common user questions clearly and concisely (ideally in the first paragraph), and use structured data to mark up Q&As or how-to steps. Focus on conversational, natural language in your writing. Content that reads well to a human and can be easily parsed by an AI. Also, monitor how your content is being presented in AI results. If you find the AI is summarising you (or worse, misrepresenting you), consider adjusting the page to improve clarity or adding FAQ sections that provide straightforward facts. The goal is to earn a place in AI summaries by being the most succinct, authoritative answer to a given question.
2. User Experience & Technical Excellence Decide Winners. As search results delivery gets more sophisticated, Google will rely on signals beyond just content relevancy. How users interact with your site (and how well your site runs) can be critical. We predict Core Web Vitals and overall UX will have even greater influence in 2026’s competitive landscape. Preparation: Use the summer period to conduct a thorough technical audit of your site. Check your site speed on both mobile and desktop and implement improvements – compress images, eliminate slow scripts, and leverage CDNs. Make sure your site is mobile-first and accessible (remember, accessibility improvements often boost SEO too). Fix crawl errors, resolve any Security (HTTPS) issues, and update old or bloated plugins if you use a CMS. Essentially, get your technical house in order. This not only helps preserve your Google rankings but also ensures that any traffic you do get converts better (a fast, smooth site = happier users who stay and engage). As Google’s own documentation has hinted, meeting technical best practices “covers you for search generally, including AI formats” – a well-structured, efficient site benefits all channels.
3. Content Authenticity Has an “Authenticity Premium”. With even more AI-generated content flooding the web, 2026 will reward those who stand out with original, authentic content. We expect Google (and users) to gravitate towards content that clearly demonstrates experience and originality, think firsthand case studies, expert opinions, unique research, and storytelling. Preparation: Audit your content inventory and identify areas to inject more first-party insight. For example, add a “What we learned” section to articles where you share personal experience or company data (pro tip, a “Behind the Insights” section can signal to both readers and AI that your perspective is original). Encourage your team or clients to become subject-matter experts who publish thought leadership. Use AI tools to handle rote stuff (outlines, basic drafts) but always add a human layer of polish and perspective. In practice, this might mean interviewing a real expert for a quote in your blog, including your own chart or infographic from proprietary data, or writing in a narrative style that AI typically can’t mimic. By doing so, you create content that’s unmistakably human. This not only appeals to Google’s E-E-A-T standards but also resonates with users tired of reading the “same regurgitated content” everywhere. it’s not enough to be “helpful” – you need content that’s un-cannibalisable, meaning it’s so unique to you that no one else (not even an AI) could replicate it.
4. “Search Everywhere” Optimisation is Key. Search in 2026 will be even more fragmented across platforms. We foresee more product searches starting on online marketplaces, more how-to searches on YouTube, more local searches via voice assistants or car navigation, and continued usage of TikTok/Instagram for discovery. Google will remain hugely important, but brands that win will extend their presence across multiple channels. Preparation: Embrace a multi-platform SEO strategy. This summer, identify the top non-Google platforms relevant to your business and make a plan for each. For instance, if you’re in e-commerce, optimise your product listings and consider Pinterest or Instagram for product discovery. If you’re in B2B, strengthen your LinkedIn content and YouTube videos (webinars, explainers) since those platforms rank well and are often cited by Google’s AI. Ensure your business data is consistent across all major directories and social sites (for local SEO, this means updating your info on Google, Bing, Apple Maps, Yelp, etc.). The idea is to be discoverable wherever your audience might search. Also, keep an eye on emerging search technologies – for example, if Apple launches a new search feature or if AI chatbots gain a search-like “app store” for plugins, be ready to experiment there. By broadening your optimisation efforts, you reduce over-reliance on Google and catch traffic (or brand impressions) that others might miss. In 2026, true SEO success will be measured in total visibility across the digital landscape, not just Google rankings.
5. Building Trust and Community Matters More Than Ever. Finally, as automated systems play a larger role in surfacing content, the trust signals around your brand will be pivotal. This goes beyond traditional SEO into brand strategy: companies that cultivate strong online reputations, loyal communities, and direct audience engagement will have an edge. Why? Because search engines (and AI) are increasingly looking at things like user reviews, sentiment, and engagement as indicators of credibility. Plus, having your own audience lowers your dependence on any one platform’s algorithm. Preparation: Think of this as the “digital PR and community” resolution. Encourage and manage reviews/testimonials (Google reviews, G2, Trustpilot, industry sites – depending on your niche). Respond to feedback promptly. Invest in community building – whether that’s a newsletter, a forum, a Slack group, or even just a very engaged social media following. The goal is to create a circle of trust: users who amplify your content and vouch for you. Google’s algorithms notice when a brand has a positive buzz versus when it’s invisible or negative. From an E-E-A-T perspective, having recognised experts (with real profiles), getting mentioned by other experts, and building a repository of real user success stories can all boost how search engines perceive your trustworthiness. Additionally, keep focusing on conversion and retention metrics. As Search Engine Journal’s 2026 trends report noted, the most successful teams aren’t just chasing traffic – they’re prioritising what happens after the click, like conversions and loyalty. When you deliver great value and service to users, they engage more, come back again, and sometimes bypass search altogether to find you directly. That, in turn, sends strong signals to Google that yours is a brand worth ranking.

In summary, SEO in 2025 taught us to be holistic, user-centric, and adaptable. We anticipate 2026 will double down on these themes. For us at zib digital, it’s validating to see the industry moving toward an approach we’ve taken all along: treating search as more than just keywords but as an evolving ecosystem where technical excellence, content quality, and cross-platform presence all intertwine. As you enjoy your summer break, keep these five focus areas in mind. The search landscape will continue to change, but with the right preparation, 2026 can be your best year yet – one where you don’t just keep up with the changes, but set the pace in your market.