SEO Is Alive and Thriving: How to Win in 2025 and Beyond

Every few months, a bold headline makes the rounds in the digital marketing world: “SEO is dead.” But let’s be clear, the SEO agency in Dubai isn’t dead, it’s evolving. What worked five years ago won’t cut it today, and blindly following outdated tactics can hold your site back or even damage its performance. In this step-by-step guide, I’ll break down why SEO is still alive and thriving, how it has changed, and the practical strategies you need to stay ahead in 2025 and beyond.

Don’t Rely Solely on Google: Diversify or Risk Losing Everything   

James Dooley, a well-known SEO expert, stresses a key lesson many marketers learn the hard way: relying only on Google traffic is a ticking time bomb. Diversifying your traffic sources isn’t just a “nice-to-have”, it’s essential for survival and growth in today’s volatile SEO environment.

The Niche Site That Lost It All Then Bounced Back Through Diversification   

One of James’s students built a successful affiliate site in the health niche, generating over 90% of traffic from Google. Everything was going smoothly until a core Google update hit. Overnight, traffic dropped by more than 60%, and with it, the site’s revenue.

But instead of giving up, they shifted strategy:

• Started publishing short-form tips on Twitter/X, gaining traction in the health community.

• Answered niche-specific questions on Quora, linking back to the site.

• Created evergreen video explainers on YouTube and embedded them into existing blog content.

• Leveraged Pinterest for traffic through visual infographics (especially effective in the wellness space).

• Created a small but loyal email list to drive repeat visits.

Within 6 months, their Google traffic partially recovered, but more importantly, their total traffic was now more stable and diversified. They began to earn backlinks naturally as content was discovered across platforms, not just through search. This directly improved their Google rankings in the long term.

Google alone is too risky. Multi-platform presence makes your site more algorithm-resistant and increases brand visibility across the web.

Build a Brand, Not Just a website: Think Long-Term, Not Just Rankings   

In the past, anyone could spin up a website, do some keyword research, and rank quickly. But with Google now prioritizing E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust), brand-building has become the backbone of sustainable SEO. James Dooley and many other experts advocate for investing in real brand equity rather than just chasing rankings.

Beardbrand: From Niche Blog to Industry Leader

Beardbrand started as a simple blog and YouTube channel targeting men’s grooming tips. Instead of trying to game search engines, they focused on:

• Building a strong visual identity and tone of voice

• Sharing personal grooming journeys via YouTube videos

• Creating a loyal community through social media and storytelling

• Offering value-packed, trustworthy content with a consistent publishing schedule can even help you get your content featured in Google’s snippets — one of the best ways to instantly build authority and visibility for your brand.

As a result, they not only ranked highly in Google over time but also became a recognizable brand in the grooming industry. Their blog content ranks well, their YouTube channel drives product interest, and their brand name itself now brings in thousands of monthly branded searches, which Google loves.

When algorithm changes hit other grooming niche sites hard, Beardbrand’s traffic held strong because people weren’t just searching for “beard oil,” they were searching for “Beardbrand beard oil.”

Build a brand people remember and search for by name. Not only does this increase direct traffic and loyalty, but it also signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy, authoritative, and worth ranking.

Adapt to SEO’s Evolution, Not Its Obituary   

The phrase “SEO is dead” gets thrown around often, but the truth is, SEO is very much alive; it’s just changed form. The old tricks (keyword stuffing, link spamming, exact-match domains) don’t work anymore. What does work? Smart strategies, how high-quality content drives SEO results, and technical excellence — the new core pillars of sustainable SEO in 2025.

NerdWallet: From Niche Blog to SEO Powerhouse   

NerdWallet started in 2009 as a simple personal finance blog. At the time, many sites were still ranking through aggressive backlinking and thin content. Instead of playing that short game, NerdWallet focused on building trustworthy, in-depth, and user-centric content. They also invested heavily in technical SEO, clean architecture, fast-loading pages, and mobile responsiveness.

Fast forward to 2023:

• NerdWallet gets over 18 million organic visitors per month (Ahrefs data).

• Ranks on Page 1 for ultra-competitive keywords like “best credit cards,” “mortgage rates,” and “student loans.”

• Has over 40,000 indexed pages, many ranking via high-quality clusters and structured content.

Even during volatile Google updates, NerdWallet’s rankings have remained relatively stable because they never relied on loopholes. Instead, they focused on long-term, trustworthy SEO built around user intent.

Takeaway: SEO today rewards sites that focus on users, not just algorithms. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) is the new SEO currency.

Watch Emerging Channels Like Bing & Google Discover   

 

Many SEOs underestimate the power of non-Google search platforms until they see the numbers. Bing, Google Discover, and Google News can collectively drive tens of thousands of visits per day, especially when Google’s core search traffic becomes unstable.

In 2022, a mid-sized tech review site with about 250,000 monthly users noticed a 30% drop in Google organic traffic after a core update. Instead of panicking, they took two key actions:

1. Optimized for Bing SEO:

   1. Ensured proper schema markup.

   2. Focused on Microsoft ecosystem keywords (e.g., “Surface Laptop tips”).

   3. Improved crawlability in Bing Webmaster Tools.

2. Leveraged Google Discover:

   1. Focused on timely, visually rich content with engaging headlines.

   2. Used large images, shorter intros, and mobile-optimized layouts.

   3. Published content tied to trending news and evergreen topics.

Results (over the next 4 months):

• Bing traffic rose by 80%, growing from 12,000 to 21,600 monthly users.

• Google Discover traffic jumped from 5,000 to 38,000 monthly visits, outperforming their homepage organic clicks.

• Overall traffic surpassed pre-update levels, despite Google search losses.

Takeaway: Bing and Google Discover aren’t secondary anymore; they’re essential parts of a diversified SEO strategy. Especially during algorithm shifts, these platforms can keep your traffic steady (or even growing).

Master Content Strategy in the AI Era   

AI + Human = Winning Combo   

Yammy Ross hits a critical point here: AI is not the enemy, abuse of AI is. Google has made it clear through its recent Helpful Content Updates (especially in 2023 and early 2024) that mass-produced, low-quality AI content won’t rank. However, when paired with human editing and strategic oversight, AI becomes a powerful tool.

BankRate & CNET’s AI Content Rollout (2023–2024)

Both BankRate and CNET, massive players in the personal finance and tech space, were publicly found to be publishing AI-generated articles starting in late 2022. Initially, they faced a backlash, but what’s more interesting is how they recovered and adapted:

What Went Wrong:

• The initial AI content had factual errors and little human editing.

• Google’s Helpful Content System reportedly de-ranked dozens of AI-heavy articles.

• Traffic dropped: CNET’s organic search traffic fell by over 50% in early 2023 (per Similarweb).

How They Recovered:

• Both sites revised their workflows to include heavy human fact-checking and rewriting.

• CNET publicly committed to adding clear bylines and editorial oversight to AI content.

• New AI-assisted content went through 3 layers of human editing, including a final editor check.

Results by Early 2024:

• CNET regained approximately 60% of lost traffic after updating and re-publishing AI content with proper editorial quality.

• Time on page increased by 37%, and bounce rates dropped across articles that were manually improved.

• Featured snippet rankings began returning to previously de-ranked articles.

Takeaway: AI content can scale your content strategy, but without human involvement, it can sink your rankings. Treat AI like an assistant, not the final author.

Reduce Keyword Stuffing: Clarity and Relevance Over Density   

James Oliver’s advice about keyword stuffing is more relevant than ever. Google is smarter now, it evaluates context and user intent, not just frequency. Overuse of keywords, especially in intros and meta descriptions, can trigger penalties or make your content feel spammy to readers.

Niche Tech Blog’s Keyword Optimization Revamp (2023)

A mid-tier tech blog (~100K monthly visitors) noticed that its top-ranking reviews were losing ground after Google’s August 2023 core update. Their intros were keyword-packed with unnatural repetition, like this:

“If you’re looking for the best budget smartphone 2023, this best budget smartphone 2023 review is for you.”

They conducted a 60-day optimization experiment:

• Rewrote intros and meta descriptions to prioritize clarity and flow.

• Reduced keyword density from 3.5% to 1.8% on average.

• Focused on semantically related terms and user questions instead of repeating exact matches.

Results After 60 Days:

• Bounce rate decreased by 22% on updated articles.

• Average session duration increased by 31%, indicating improved readability.

• Organic rankings for “best budget smartphone” rose from #12 to #4.

• Click-through rate (CTR) on SERPs increased by 18% due to more natural meta descriptions.

Takeaway: Modern SEO is about writing for humans first, search engines second. Over-optimization is a red flag in today’s algorithms. Clean, helpful intros and metadata matter more.

Leverage Expired Domains the Right Way   

Alex from Odis stresses an important truth: expired domains are not dead assets; they’re powerful marketing tools when aligned strategically with your niche. The mistake many SEOs make is treating expired domains as loopholes for quick wins. Instead, they should be viewed as media properties with pre-existing equity, capable of boosting authority, accelerating indexing, and shortening the trust-building process for new projects.

Rebranding via Expired Domain: A DTC Pet Brand (2023–2024)   

In 2023, a new Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) pet supplement brand was entering a highly competitive space. Instead of launching on a fresh domain, they acquired an expired domain previously owned by a well-known pet health blog (which had shut down but still had good standing and backlinks).

Strategy:

• The expired domain had 1,800+ referring domains, including links from WebMD Pets, PetMD, and Huffington Post.

• It had no spam history, and its past content closely aligned with the new brand’s target audience (pet owners concerned about health and nutrition).

• Instead of a blind 301 redirect to the homepage, they:

  • Rebuilt key high-traffic pages using updated content.

  • Mapped expired URLs to relevant new product or blog pages.

  • Used branded anchor text to preserve topical relevance.

Results After 90 Days:

• Domain Authority increased from 6 to 28 (Ahrefs DR).

• Average page indexing time dropped from 10+ days to under 48 hours.

• Received over 50,000 sessions in the first 3 months without running paid ads.

• 22% of traffic came from referral backlinks originally pointing to the expired domain’s old content.

• The brand achieved page one rankings for 8 high-intent keywords (e.g., “best joint supplement for senior dogs”) in under 4 months, results that would typically take 12–18 months on a new domain.

Key Lessons from the Case:

1. Topical Relevance is Non-Negotiable: The domain worked because it was in the same niche. Google rewarded the continuity.

2. Don’t Use Blanket Redirects: Mapping expired URLs to appropriate new content preserved link equity and improved UX.

3. Treat It Like Media Buying, Not a Shortcut: The brand treated the domain as an acquisition, not a quick SEO play. This mindset shift ensured a sustainable foundation.

Expired domains are like pre-built roads in a city; if you pick the right one, traffic can flow faster. But if you’re trying to drive people from a travel blog to a fintech startup, you’re asking for confusion and penalties. With strategic alignment, expired domains can slash your time-to-rank and supercharge your SEO without cutting corners.

Diversify Your SEO Monetization    

Relying solely on display ads or affiliate commissions is risky in today’s SEO landscape. Ad rates fluctuate, affiliate programs change policies, and Google updates can tank your traffic overnight. The key to sustainability is monetizing across multiple verticals from lead generation to info products and strategic content placements.

 A Data Journalism Site Monetizing via Backlink Bait and Lead Gen (2023–2024)   

A small digital publishing team launched a data-focused blog in late 2022 covering trending global statistics in areas like mental health, tech adoption, and education. Initially, their plan was the standard model: ads + affiliate links. But by early 2023, they saw low RPMs (under $5) and inconsistent affiliate earnings, prompting a pivot.

Strategic Shifts:

1. Built Valuable “Link-Bait” Pages:

   • Published deep research pieces on topics like “Global Smartphone Usage Stats” and “AI in Education: 2024 Trends”.

   • Optimized these pages with charts, original data visualizations, and embeddable graphs.

2. Promoted Those Pages Using Paid Ads:

   • Spent around $2,000 on Facebook and Reddit ads to drive initial visibility.

   • Journalists and bloggers discovered the pages, resulting in natural backlinks from major sites like Mashable, TechRadar, and Visual Capitalist.

3. Added Lead Gen via Downloadable Reports:

   • Gated their raw data as downloadable PDFs in exchange for emails.

   • Created segmented email flows promoting research services and custom reports to startups and agencies.

Results After 6 Months:

• Earned over 180 high-authority backlinks, many DA 70+.

• Page authority for link-bait posts jumped from 17 to 43.

• Email list grew from 0 to 11,200 subscribers.

• Launched a new service offering custom research, generating $42,000 in B2B revenue by Q1 2024.

• Dropped reliance on display ads to under 10% of monthly revenue.

Stop thinking of content as just a vehicle for clicks. Think of it as a revenue engine: a well-placed piece can generate backlinks, attract leads, and convert visitors into high-value customers. Diversify not only your traffic sources but also your income channels.

SEO Is a Business Function, Not Just a Skill    

Mads Singer nails a crucial truth: being good at SEO isn’t enough anymore. The SEOs who win big in 2024 are those who think like business operators, not just traffic hackers. That means building systems, leading teams, managing deliverables, and aligning SEO with business goals, not just optimizing meta tags and disavowing links.

You can only scale so far as a solo SEO freelancer. Real growth comes when you transition from “doing SEO” to building an SEO-driven business.

The Solo SEO Who Built a 7-Figure Agency (2021–2024)   

A UK-based SEO consultant, who started as a solo freelancer in 2021, initially worked with 4–5 local business clients doing all the SEO work manually, audits, content, outreach, technical fixes, and reporting. Burnout was real, and monthly revenue hovered around £4,000–£6,000/month with no room to scale.

The Shift:

In early 2022, they decided to shift from freelancer to SEO business owner, based on advice from consultants like Mads Singers.

Here’s what they did:

1. Hired & Delegated:

   • Built a team of 3 full-time VAs (content, reporting, prospecting).

   • Partnered with a white-label tech SEO provider to handle audits and fixes.

2. Created Repeatable SOPs:

   • Turned every SEO task into a step-by-step process (onboarding, link building, audits, content briefs, reporting).

   • Used project management tools (ClickUp + Loom) to manage workflows and track KPIs.

3. Moved Upmarket:

   • Stopped taking local “everything SEO” jobs and instead focused on niche SaaS clients.

   • Offered monthly strategy, execution, and reporting, not just rankings.

4. Repositioned as a Growth Partner:

   • Focused conversations around leads and ROI, not rankings.

   • Included SEO in a broader funnel strategy with CRO, analytics, and lead capture.

Results by Q1 2024:

• Revenue scaled from £5K/month to over £45K/month.

• 18 active clients on retainers between £1,500–£5,000/month.

• SEO deliverables were 95% outsourced or delegated, freeing the founder to focus on sales and strategy.

• Grew an internal email list of 3,000+ agency leads and launched a productized offer.

• SEO stopped being just a service and became a core business engine.

Key Lessons:

• Systems = Scale: Turning services into repeatable processes allows growth without burnout.

• Leadership > Technical Skill: Managing people and setting clear expectations gets better results than doing everything solo.

• Client Success = Business Success: When clients see SEO as a business investment, not a cost, they stick around and refer others.

If you want to thrive in SEO long-term, stop thinking like a technician and start thinking like a CEO. SEO isn’t just a skill, it’s a lever for real business growth. And the people who build systems, teams, and value-driven offers are the ones who dominate the space.

Focus on UX, Branding, and Execution   

Patrick Rice hits the nail on the head: too many SEO strategies look perfect on paper, but flop in execution. It’s not enough to know what should be done; you have to implement it correctly, consistently, and with user experience (UX) and branding in mind.

In 2024, Google’s algorithms prioritize user behavior signals, such as bounce rate, dwell time, and interaction, alongside branding cues like branded searches, return visits, and engagement metrics. SEO is no longer siloed; it’s tied to how your site feels and how users perceive your brand.

Allbirds: SEO Growth Through UX and Brand Execution   

In 2020–2021, Allbirds’ organic traffic growth had slowed, and competitors like Rothy’s and Veja were catching up. Despite having strong brand recognition offline, their on-site experience and content strategy weren’t translating to consistent online growth.

What They Did (Execution Improvements)

1. UX Optimization

• Revamped their mobile experience with faster loading speeds and a clean, minimalistic layout tailored for quick browsing.

• Used sticky menus, simplified CTAs, and personalized shopping guides.

• Improved Core Web Vitals, which are direct Google ranking factors.

2. Branded Content Strategy

• Shifted from generic product descriptions to story-driven product pages, integrating their sustainability mission into every part of the customer journey.

• Added FAQ schema, educational pages like “Why Wool?”, and sustainability reports.

• Emphasized “brand-first” SEO optimizing for long-tail branded terms like “Allbirds sizing,” “Allbirds sustainability,” and “Allbirds vs Nike”.

3. Executional Consistency

• Rolled out localized content in key markets (UK, Canada, Australia).

• Used heatmaps and scroll tracking to adjust content blocks based on user behavior.

• Created a content hub focused on sustainability education, driving backlinks and engagement.

4.Numerical Results (2021–2023)

• Organic traffic grew from ~230K/month in early 2021 to over 590K/month by mid-2023 (source: Similarweb and Ahrefs).

• Branded searches for “Allbirds” increased by 85%, according to Google Trends.

• Bounce rate dropped by over 25% after UX optimization.

• Their product and story pages began earning natural backlinks from publishers like Fast Company, Forbes, and WIRED.

• Featured in Google Discover, boosting visibility for their sustainability content.

Takeaways

• Allbirds didn’t win SEO by chasing hacks; they won by executing a strong user experience, aligning brand values with content, and rolling out SEO changes cleanly across markets.

• UX and branding improved not just SEO rankings, but user engagement, dwell time, and repeat visits.

• Their SEO growth was the result of smart strategy + flawless execution.

Don’t Just Learn but Experiment    

In today’s fast-moving SEO landscape, analysis paralysis kills momentum. Instead of obsessing over perfect content, test, publish, measure, and adjust. Experts like Julian Goldie, James Dooley, and Patrick Rice repeatedly emphasize that speed of execution and experimentation matter far more than trying to get everything perfect from day one.

 Ahrefs’ YouTube Channel Growth (2019–2023)   

Ahrefs is one of the leading SEO tools, but in 2019, its YouTube presence was minimal, with only a few tutorial videos and basic walkthroughs. Instead of overthinking production, Ahrefs took a bold approach under Sam Oh’s leadership: commit to consistency, publish often, and treat content like live testing.

Experimentation Strategy

1. High-Frequency Publishing:

   • They published 20+ videos within a few months to gather feedback, identify high-performing topics, and dial in their tone and style.

   • Topics ranged from beginner SEO to advanced link building and case studies.

2. Rapid Iteration:

   • Early videos had basic editing and simple intros.

   • Based on viewer retention data and comments, they:

1. 1. 1. Shortened intros from 30+ seconds to under 10 seconds.

      2. Added structured outlines (chapters).

      3. Improved thumbnails and titles based on A/B testing.

3. Cross-Platform Feedback Loops:

   • Used blog readers and newsletter subscribers to seed video views.

   • Asked for feedback directly in YouTube comments and via email.

Numerical Results

• Subscribers grew from ~7,000 in 2019 to over 360,000 by early 2024.

• Their top video, “SEO for Beginners: A Basic Search Engine Optimization Tutorial”, surpassed 3.8 million views.

• Watch time increased by 2.5x within the first year due to editing and format tweaks.

• Their YouTube channel became a major top-of-funnel driver, bringing thousands of signups per month for Ahrefs’ SEO tool.

Key Lessons from Ahrefs:

• Perfection isn’t the goal, progress is. Their first 10 videos didn’t have polished production, but they taught valuable lessons.

• Publishing 20+ pieces of content quickly gave them enough data to understand audience behavior and improve.

• Each experiment (title, CTA, length, thumbnail) was treated as a data point, not a final product.

Takeaway:

If even a data-driven brand like Ahrefs prioritizes speed, testing, and feedback over perfection, that’s your cue: you don’t need the best setup or strategy, you just need to start. Publish, learn, and refine. It’s the fastest path to SEO and content mastery.

Master Technical SEO Basics   

Saurabh Rana’s core SEO belief is simple yet powerful: you don’t need fancy hacks, you just need to execute the fundamentals well. And time after time, websites that experience ranking drops often haven’t nailed the basics.

 Canva’s Technical SEO Overhaul (2022–2023)   

Canva’s blog and design tutorial sections had thousands of pages, but inconsistent performance across regions. Their growth was plateauing in several competitive search verticals, especially outside the U.S.

They hired Aira, a UK-based SEO agency, to conduct a full technical SEO audit and optimization plan across their global content infrastructure.

What They Fixed (Core Technical SEO Areas)

1. Meta Tags Optimization:

   • Standardized titles/descriptions across 10,000+ template pages.

   • Removed duplication and used keyword research to craft meta tags aligned with local search trends.

2. Clean, Consistent URLs:

   • Consolidated multiple versions of URL structures (e.g., /infographic-template-123/ vs /templates/infographic-123/).

   • Implemented a scalable URL taxonomy to match searcher intent.

3. High-Quality Structured Content:

   • Rewrote thin blog content and added clear HTML structure (H1, H2, bullets, and internal linking).

   • Used structured data (Schema.org) for articles, FAQs, and templates.

4. Site Speed Optimization:

   • Reduced LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) from 4.9s to 1.8s on average using:

     • Image compression

     • Lazy loading

     • CDN enhancements

   • Monitored and benchmarked speed using PageSpeed Insights and WebPageTest.

5. Indexing and Crawlability:

   • Fixed broken internal links and redirected orphaned pages.

   • Updated robots.txt and sitemap.xml to prioritize indexable, revenue-driving pages.

   • Used Google Search Console and Sitebulb to detect crawl anomalies.

Results Within 6 Months (Q3 2022 – Q1 2023)

• Organic traffic increased by 124% to tutorial and template pages across non-US regions (e.g., India, UK, Australia).

• Average keyword rankings improved by 3.7 positions globally (based on SEMrush and GSC data).

• Indexed URLs reduced by 20%, eliminating duplicate content and crawl waste.

• Page speed improvements led to a 17% drop in bounce rate across mobile devices.

• Enhanced structured data earned them new featured snippets and FAQ-rich results, especially in how-to content.

Why It Worked:

• They didn’t try to game the algorithm; they focused on fixing what was broken.

• They followed Saurabh Rana’s principle: optimize what you already have before building more.

• They used basic but powerful tools: PageSpeed Insights, GSC, and Sitechecker to guide execution.

Takeaway:

Whether you’re Canva or a small affiliate blog, technical SEO fundamentals never go out of style. Clean structure, fast load times, smart metadata, and crawlable architecture are non-negotiables in 2024.

Recovering from Google Updates    

Getting hit by a Google algorithm update feels like getting sucker-punched. But the difference between sites that recover and those that fade away? A calm, analytical approach. As the saying goes: Don’t panic diagnose.

Rather than blaming Google or clinging to outdated tactics, treat your site like a patient. Diagnose. Prescribe. Fix. Monitor. Repeat.

 Search Engine Journal (SEJ) – Core Update Hit & Recovery (2023)   

In August 2023, Search Engine Journal, one of the most trusted sources in SEO news, experienced a significant drop in organic visibility not just in traffic but also in rankings across high-volume pages.

Instead of panicking or jumping to drastic domain moves, the editorial and SEO team acted like doctors: audited everything, fixed foundational issues, and took a data-led approach.

Their “Doctor’s Approach” to SEO Recovery

1. Conducted a Full SEO Audit

   • Used SEMrush, Google Search Console, and Sitebulb to identify:

     • Thin content

     • Keyword cannibalization

     • Broken internal links

     • Pages with declining CTR and dwell time

2. Fixed Site Speed & Schema Issues

   • Improved mobile load times by optimizing images and scripts.

   • Updated or added missing schema on articles, especially for FAQs and How-To formats.

   • Audited Core Web Vitals, leading to:

     • LCP improvement from 3.2s → 1.6s

     • CLS stabilized to <0.1 on most pages

3. Removed & Refreshed Underperforming Content

   • Deleted or redirected outdated posts (especially news content older than 5 years).

   • Consolidated articles on overlapping topics to strengthen topical authority.

   • Updated meta titles and intros to reduce over-optimization and improve clarity.

4. Used Lightweight Chrome Tools for Spot Checks

   • Lighthouse, Web Vitals Extension, and Redirect Path were used for spot-checking.

   • Checked for broken JavaScript, slow-loading fonts, and unnecessary plugin bloat.

5. Stayed Patient & Tracked Progress

   • Made no sudden changes to site structure or domains.

   • Waited for the next data refresh and began to see rankings improve within 3–4 months.

Recovery Results (Aug 2023 – Jan 2024)

• Organic traffic rebounded by 52% by January 2024 (per Similarweb & GSC).

• Top informational pages regained 8–15 positions in SERPs.

• Bounce rate dropped by 19% and average session duration increased by 27%.

• Over 120 pages updated or consolidated, with a clear impact on visibility and engagement.

Key Lessons from SEJ:

• Don’t chase hacks, fix fundamentals.

• Google updates are not punishments, they’re pressure tests.

• SEJ didn’t start over, but they also weren’t afraid to prune and rebuild weak areas.

• Patience paid off. It took ~6 months, but the site not only recovered it also came back stronger.

Takeaway:

Getting hit by an update is painful, but it’s not the end unless you give up. If your rankings drop, don’t whine or panic; run a full diagnostic. Most sites can recover if you focus on speed, structure, content quality, and user experience.

Learn from the Big Brands   

The most successful brands today don’t bolt SEO onto a finished product. They bake it in, starting with keyword research, content mapping, and technical structure before writing a single line of content or code. This is how brands like PhysicsWallah, NDTV, and Adda247 dominate SERPs despite heavy competition.

 PhysicsWallah – SEO-Led Product Launches (2022–2024)   

PhysicsWallah (PW), founded by Alakh Pandey, started as a YouTube channel but quickly became a full-stack edtech platform. Today, it competes directly with giants like BYJU’S and Unacademy but with a leaner content-first, SEO-smart approach.

PW doesn’t treat SEO as a marketing function. It treats it as part of product development. Every new course, exam prep series, or subject-specific resource is mapped out with SEO in mind.

How PhysicsWallah Integrates SEO from Day One

1. Product Planning with Keyword Research

• For every new exam category (e.g., CUET, NDA, UPSC), they:

  • Analyze search trends.

  • Identify top queries like “CUET 2024 syllabus,” “CUET mock test free,” or “best CUET study plan.”

  • Use these to define product scope and content modules.

2. Wireframe & Content Architecture

• Before launch, the content team collaborates with product and dev teams to wireframe:

  • Landing pages

  • Chapter-wise breakdowns

  • FAQs and resource hubs

• They ensure a clean URL structure, breadcrumb navigation, and schema markup readiness.

3. Technical SEO Foundation

• Sites are optimized for Core Web Vitals, mobile performance, and crawlability.

• Early deployment includes sitemap indexing, internal link structure, and page speed optimization.

• Technical stack allows for lightning-fast page rendering, even on mobile and tier-2/3 internet speeds.

4. Content Rollout with Purpose

• Instead of mass-publishing content, they release strategic content clusters around high-intent search terms.

• Example: The “NEET 2024 Biology” page internally links to “Chapter-wise Notes,” “Previous Year Questions,” “Mock Tests,” and “Video Explanations.”

5. Backlinks Come Naturally

• Their high-value content earns mentions and citations from forums like Quora, Reddit, and student blogs.

• They rank without relying on guest posts or paid links.

Numerical Results (2022–2024)

• Organic traffic grew from 1.2M to over 9.5M monthly visits in less than two years (Ahrefs + Similarweb).

• Over 70% of traffic is non-branded, meaning it comes from keyword-targeted queries.

• Average time on page: 6+ minutes, particularly on structured notes and mock test pages.

• Pages like “NEET Biology Chapter-wise Notes” and “CUET 2024 Syllabus PDF” consistently rank in the top 3 for competitive keywords.

• Bounce rate decreased by 28% after implementing content-aligned wireframes and internal linking.

Why This Works:

• SEO is part of product development, not a separate marketing task.

• Their pages are purpose-built for searchers, not retrofitted.

• Everything is done in tight coordination between SEO, content, and dev teams.

Takeaway:

Brands like PhysicsWallah don’t chase rankings; they design for them. When SEO is built into your wireframes, content flows, and product offerings, you get search visibility, engagement, and conversions by design, not luck.

Avoid Common SEO Mistakes   

You can have the best SEO strategy in the world, but if your team doesn’t implement it well, it won’t deliver. Common culprits? Broken indexing, slow load speeds, sloppy AI content, and over-prioritizing backlinks. As with any business process, execution and communication between teams (writers, devs, and marketers) make or break the outcome.

 The Verge: Technical Issues & Traffic Dip (2022–2023)   

In September 2022, The Verge underwent a major redesign aimed at improving UX and unifying content across platforms. While the visual overhaul looked great, the execution from an SEO and technical standpoint was flawed.

Despite being one of the top digital publications in tech news, The Verge suffered from several execution errors post-launch.

Execution Mistakes Identified

1. Crawlability and Indexing Issues

   • Important sections of the site became non-indexable due to errors in robots.txt and incorrect use of meta tags (e.g., noindex inadvertently applied to key article templates).

   • Result: Dozens of high-authority evergreen posts disappeared from Google SERPs.

2. Slow Site Speeds

   • The new design was heavy on JavaScript and animations.

   • Core Web Vitals tanked:

     • LCP jumped to 5.3 seconds (above Google’s recommended <2.5s).

     • CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) increased due to dynamic ad loading and embedded media.

3. Rushed AI/Automated Content Testing

   • The Verge experimented with AI-generated summaries and widgets for tech specs without thorough editorial review.

   • Some summaries were inaccurate, affecting trust and engagement.

4. Over-Focus on Link Equity

   • While their backlink profile was massive (~5 M+ referring domains), they didn’t prioritize internal linking or on-page clarity, which affected new article discoverability.

5. Poor Team Communication

   • Writers reported delays in CMS updates and unclear formatting standards.

   • Developers weren’t aligned with SEO best practices, and changes were rolled out without SEO sign-off.

Numerical Results (Oct 2022 – Feb 2023)

• Organic traffic dropped by ~34%, according to Similarweb.

• Dozens of top-performing articles lost rankings, especially those in evergreen content categories like “best phones,” “how-to tech guides,” and reviews.

• Google Search Console showed crawl anomalies and a 17% decrease in indexed pages.

• Bounce rate increased by 21% on mobile due to slower speeds and layout instability.

• Featured snippet appearances fell by 40%, especially in product comparison posts.

Recovery Efforts

• By mid-2023, The Verge’s SEO team rolled back some JavaScript-heavy components and restructured internal linking.

• Pages were reindexed after technical audits using Screaming Frog, GSC, and PageSpeed Insights.

• Editorial and dev teams implemented a cross-functional publishing checklist, improving execution flow and QA.

• Gradually, traffic recovered, but the recovery took 5–6 months and significant manual effort.

Takeaways:

• Execution is where great strategies live or die.

• A redesign, AI integration, or content revamp means nothing without cross-team alignment.

• SEO is a team sport; devs, writers, strategists, and project managers must work in sync.

• You can’t “backlink” your way out of poor site speed, UX issues, or indexing blocks.

Understand User Intent and Behavior    

Sim Camp put it best: Google is the world’s biggest store, and every search is either someone browsing or someone buying. Too many businesses focus on vanity keywords or broad topics. But the real wins come from thinking like the customer and targeting intent-driven, long-tail queries that signal a high likelihood of purchase or conversion.

 Glossier: Capturing Buyer Intent with Long-Tail SEO (2022–2024)   

Glossier is a DTC beauty brand that rose to fame via content and community-driven marketing. Initially, their SEO strategy was fairly basic, focused on branded search and some high-level skincare terms. But as competition in the beauty eCommerce space exploded, they pivoted to a more searcher-focused, intent-based SEO strategy.

How Glossier “Thought Like the Searcher”

1. Shift from Brand-Led to Intent-Led Pages

   • Instead of targeting “Glossier skincare” or “Glossier moisturizer,” they focused on questions people were asking, such as:

     • “Best moisturizer for sensitive skin under $30”

     • “Where to buy fragrance-free face cream”

     • “Is Glossier good for acne-prone skin?”

2. Optimized for Long-Tail, Purchase-Driven Queries

   • Created FAQ-rich content, comparison pages (e.g., Glossier vs The Ordinary), and listicles.

   • Added schema markup for FAQs, product reviews, and How-Tos.

3. Built Search-Optimized Product Descriptions

   • Instead of fluff marketing copy, they included:

     • Ingredients, usage instructions

     • Answers to common buyer questions

     • Social proof via review snippets

4. Localized Purchase Intent

   • Targeted location-modified keywords like:

     • “Where to buy Glossier in Canada”

     • “Glossier shipping UK – customs & duties explained”

Numerical Results (2022–2024)

• Organic traffic increased by 65% from mid-2022 to early 2024.

• Over 22% of all organic conversions came from long-tail, intent-driven keywords.

• One single page titled “Best Skincare for Sensitive Skin Under $30” generated over 180,000 visits and a 3.2% conversion rate in under 12 months.

• Featured snippet wins rose by 50%, particularly for product-related questions.

• Branded search volume increased as users discovered them through informational queries and moved down the funnel.

Takeaways

If you’re not targeting searchers who are asking “Where can I buy [product] now?” or “Best [product] for [pain point],” you’re missing the most valuable SEO opportunities. Glossier built a beauty empire by answering real questions, not just pushing product pages.

Final Thought    

SEO in 2025 isn’t dead, it’s just grown up. Success today demands more than keyword tricks; it’s about building trust, diversifying traffic, mastering technical foundations, and thinking like a brand, not a blogger. Whether you’re leveraging AI, expired domains, or long-tail intent, sustainable growth comes from experimentation, execution, and empathy for your users. The best SEO strategies are no longer standalone; they’re business strategies. This is where partnering with a B2B SEO agency like Genzpro Tech can make a significant difference — offering guidance built on real experience, scalable systems, and proven content strategies.