As we cross the halfway point of 2025, it is time to take a pause and look at how the SEO landscape has truly unfolded. Every year before it closes, digital marketers, and tech futurists dust off their crystal balls and offer up predictions on what the new year will bring. Some are bold. Others feel like safe bets. But in an industry where algorithms shift and user behaviour evolves faster than ever, not all predictions age well. Now that we are well into the year, how accurate were those early prophecies? What trends shaped the current SEO environment, and what unexpected elements have taken centre stage?
This SEO Premier mid-year report examines the forecasts made before 2025 and compares them to the lived reality of SEO practitioners, digital brands, and content strategists. It is a reflection on what we got right, what we underestimated, and what new directions are quietly forming the rest of the year.
Prediction: AI Will Reshape Content Strategy
Verdict: True, But Not in the Way Most Thought
One of the most popular predictions for 2025 was that AI would dominate content creation and optimisation. Many pundits expected tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to replace the need for human copywriters and SEOs entirely. What has actually happened is more nuanced.
AI is indeed a crucial part of the SEO toolkit in 2025. Brands now regularly use AI to generate outlines, identify keyword opportunities, and scale low-priority content. AI-assisted writing has proven efficient for certain types of production content, especially product descriptions, meta titles, and news summaries. However, the early-year assumption that AI would single-handedly handle all content creation was overly optimistic.
Google’s continued emphasis on “Experience” in E-E-A-T, combined with its growing sophistication in identifying synthetic content, has meant that AI-generated articles still need heavy human editing and verification. The rise of AI-content detectors used by both search engines and users alike has encouraged marketers to invest in editorial oversight. In other words, AI did not replace SEO content writers. Instead, it has become their assistant.
Prediction: SGE Would Upend Traditional SERPs
Verdict: Half-True, But the Impact Is Slower Than Anticipated
The Search Generative Experience (SGE), Google’s experimental AI-powered search feature, was supposed to redefine how people interact with search engines. The idea was that SGE would provide detailed, conversational answers at the top of the results page, drastically reducing the need for users to click on organic links.
While SGE has rolled out in select regions and user groups, its adoption has been more cautious than expected. Concerns around misinformation, accuracy, and user preference have slowed its expansion. As of mid-2025, standard organic listings and featured snippets still dominate most queries. However, SEO professionals are beginning to notice a decline in clicks for broad, informational searches.
The predictions weren’t entirely off base, but their timing was premature. Google’s SGE is influencing SERP design, but it has not dismantled it yet. In the meantime, SEOs are experimenting with new strategies to secure visibility within these AI-generated answers, including schema optimisation, conversational content formats, and improved authority signals.
Prediction: Zero-Click Searches Will Continue to Rise
Verdict: Absolutely Correct
Zero-click searches, where users find their answers directly on the results page without visiting a site, have continued their upward trajectory. With more SERP features like knowledge panels, People Also Ask boxes, local packs, and AI-generated summaries, fewer users are clicking through to traditional web pages.
Data from Similarweb and Semrush shows that as of June 2025, over 66 percent of mobile searches are now zero-click. This trend has forced SEO strategists to rethink success metrics. Instead of purely chasing clicks, more brands are measuring visibility, impressions, and brand recall. Optimising for featured snippets, providing direct answers in headers, and owning branded search results have become more critical than ever.
Prediction: Voice Search Would Surpass Text Search
Verdict: Largely Overstated
The excitement around voice search heading into 2025 was significant. Many predicted that voice queries, particularly through smart assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, would become the dominant search method.
While voice search has grown, especially in the context of local searches and in-car commands, it has not surpassed traditional text-based search. Part of this has to do with the limitations of voice AI, which still struggles with nuance and multilingual understanding. More importantly, users still prefer typing when dealing with complex queries or when in public spaces.
The more accurate prediction should have been that voice search is growing steadily but remains a complementary behaviour rather than a primary one. SEO strategies tailored for voice, such as optimising for natural language and question-based queries, still make sense, but they are far from being the only priority.
Prediction: Topical Authority Would Replace Traditional Backlinks
Verdict: Misleading and Oversimplified
Some commentators in late 2024 claimed that backlinks were becoming obsolete, and that topical authority — the breadth and depth of content around a subject — would entirely replace link-building strategies. This idea was attractive to content-driven brands hoping to sidestep the technicalities of outreach and guest posting. But the reality is that Google’s algorithm still values quality backlinks. In fact, several core updates in the first half of 2025 have penalised sites with weak link profiles or artificial content networks, even if they had strong topical clusters.
That said, topical authority has indeed become more influential. Sites that build deep content hubs with semantic relevance are ranking well, but the best performers typically have both strong link profiles and thematic depth. It’s not either-or. It’s both.
Prediction: First-Hand Experience Would Become Essential
Verdict: Spot On
This may be one of the most accurate predictions of all. Since Google added “Experience” to its E-E-A-T framework, content that shows real-world usage, human insight, and first-hand experience has been outperforming generic advice pieces.
As of mid-2025, product reviews with original photos, personal anecdotes in health content, and niche expertise in finance and tech are ranking higher than AI-generated summaries or rewritten content. Google has also increased its penalties for sites that recycle or scrape information, favouring those that contribute something new.
This has brought about a renewed interest in case studies, long-form blogs, and subject matter expert contributions. Authenticity has turned from a buzzword into a ranking factor.
Prediction: Video SEO Would Explode
Verdict: Correct, But Heavily Platform-Dependent
The continued rise of short-form video, particularly on YouTube and TikTok, has created new SEO opportunities. Google is indexing more video content than ever, and video snippets often appear above traditional blog posts, especially for how-to queries.
However, the prediction that all websites should pivot to video has not held true. Success with video SEO in 2025 heavily depends on the target audience and the platform. Educational content, tutorials, and entertainment thrive on YouTube, while B2B content still relies largely on written formats.
The real growth has come from optimising video metadata, transcriptions, and embedding strategies. Sites that combine written and video formats, especially with structured data in place, are enjoying improved visibility.
What the Second Half Might Hold
While many predictions have played out in some form, 2025 has already proven that SEO remains unpredictable. Google's June core update was a reminder that sudden changes can shake even the most stable rankings. Brands are being rewarded for adaptability, authenticity, and data-led content strategies.
The next half of the year is likely to bring even more focus on user intent, perhaps with further refinement in how Google understands language and nuance. International SEO is gaining momentum as regional algorithms grow more sophisticated, and privacy-centric changes to analytics tracking may redefine how we measure success.
If there is one lesson SEO professionals can carry into the second half of 2025, it is this: predictions are valuable, but preparedness is vital. As always, the best SEO strategies are rooted in fundamentals, guided by testing, and responsive to change.
See? The state of SEO in mid-2025 is both exciting and challenging. The industry has embraced tools like AI while still relying on human nuance. It has adapted to new formats like video without abandoning the written word. And while many predictions have materialised, the pace and scale have surprised even seasoned experts. SEO, as it stands today, is more multidimensional than ever. It is about answering real questions for real people, in the most accessible, trustworthy, and technically sound way. That is not just a trend. That is the new standard.