Quick Facts: What to Know Right Now

• SEO is still built on the same core pieces: fast site, clear content, and trusted links.
• Google and Bing now show longer AI-style summaries at the top of results, which can reduce clicks to regular listings.
• You are no longer just optimizing for “10 blue links” – you are also competing to be included in answer-style results.
• Local SEO is as important as ever; map results and reviews continue to drive calls and visits.
• Content that is structured, specific, and based on real experience is more likely to be used in AI-style answers.
• Technical quality, design, and user experience directly affect how search systems treat your site.
• You need a 90-day plan to fix basics and a 12–24 month plan to build lasting authority.
• Savo Group can help with digital marketing and SEO, local SEO, web design, and custom software development when you need deeper integration and reporting.

What Is the Current State of SEO?

SEO in 2025 is a mix of familiar basics and new layers on top. The familiar basics are still there: you need a site that loads quickly, explains what you offer, answers real questions, and earns trust through reviews and links. On top of that, search engines now show AI-style summaries that give users a direct answer before they click.

In practice, this means:

• Ranking in regular organic results still matters, but it is no longer the only goal.
• You also need to be the kind of source search systems use when they build those AI-style answers.
• Answer engines and chat-based tools are now another way people discover brands, even if they never open a search results page.

If your site is slow, thin on content, or unclear about what you do, you are at a disadvantage in every one of these places. That is why a solid foundation, plus a plan for “AI SEO” or generative optimization, is now part of normal marketing work rather than an optional extra.

How Has Search Changed with AI?

Search engines still crawl pages and build an index. The main shift is what users see when they type or speak a query. Instead of a simple list of links, results now often include:

• An AI-style summary at the top that explains the topic in plain language.
• A short list of websites under that summary chosen as primary sources.
• Map results, product blocks, and other rich features depending on the query.

At the same time, many users no longer start on a search results page at all. They ask questions in chat tools or answer-focused apps and follow links from those answers. From your point of view, this all leads to the same conclusion: your content has to be clear, factual, and structured in a way that makes it easy to reuse.

Key AI & SEO Terms to Understand

You do not need to be a technician, but you should recognize these terms when they come up in planning or reports:

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Work done to increase visibility in unpaid search results.
• AI Overviews (sometimes shortened to AIO or AO): Google’s AI-style summaries at the top of some search results pages.
• SGE (Search Generative Experience): Google’s early name for experiments that combined search and long-form answers.
• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Approaches aimed at making content easy to use and cite in answer generators and AI-style search results.
• LLM (Large Language Model): The underlying system that produces long-form answers based on content it has processed.
• E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): A set of signals used to judge whether content should be trusted.

SEO Fundamentals That Still Matter

Even with new result types, the basics have not gone away. They are the entry ticket before anything else will work.

Technical health

• Pages load quickly on both desktop and mobile.
• The layout works on phones, tablets, and large screens.
• Search engines can crawl and index your key pages without errors.
• Important pages are not buried deep or blocked unintentionally.

This is where strong web design and development is directly tied to SEO. A modern build makes it easier to rank and easier to maintain over time.

On-page clarity

• Each important page focuses on a clear topic or service.
• Headings match what customers would actually search for.
• Copy explains what you do, who it is for, and why it matters.
• Internal links guide visitors to related pages and deeper details.

Authority and trust

• Other sites in your space mention and link to your content.
• Your brand appears in credible places: directories, associations, and industry sites.
• Reviews and testimonials support your claims.

These signals matter for classic SEO and for AI-style results. Generative systems tend to pull from brands they already see as established and trustworthy.

Where Competition Is Shifting

When AI-style summaries appear, many users get what they need at the top of the page. That can reduce traffic to the listings below, even if you hold a top organic position.

The competitive questions now are:

• Are you earning a spot in those summary source lists?
• Are you being mentioned in answer-driven tools outside Google and Bing?
• When people search with location keywords, do you show up in both maps and summaries?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) aims at these questions directly. In simple terms, it means:

• Answering specific questions clearly at the top of your pages.
• Breaking information into sections, bullets, and FAQs so it can be reused easily.
• Keeping factual details (pricing ranges, timelines, processes) accurate and up to date.

Our digital marketing services are built around these realities: traditional SEO, plus the work needed to earn visibility in new answer formats.

What This Means for Local SEO

For local and regional businesses, the stakes are clear. A large share of buying decisions still start with “near me” searches or direct questions about services in a city or neighborhood. In many of those cases, maps and local packs appear above everything else.

To compete locally you need:

• A complete and accurate Google Business Profile, including categories, services, photos, and hours.
• Consistent business details across major directories and platforms.
• Fresh reviews and consistent responses from your team.
• Pages on your site that speak directly to the locations you serve.

AI-style answers often reference this same local data when recommending businesses. A strong local SEO strategy gives you coverage in both classic map listings and newer answer-driven experiences.

How Your Content Strategy Should Change

Content that works well across different search experiences shares a few traits: it is specific, organized, and based on real experience. Thin articles written around one keyword are not enough anymore.

Focus on topics, not just single keywords

• Pick the main subjects that matter most to your customers.
• Create in-depth pages that explain those subjects from start to finish.
• Support them with related guides, checklists, and case studies.

Lead with clear answers

• Start key pages with a short summary that answers the main question.
• Follow with sections that cover details, examples, and next steps.
• Use headings and bullet lists so people can skim quickly.

Connect design and content

Readable fonts, plenty of white space, clear calls to action, and responsive layouts all support your content. Our web design and development services make sure presentation works with strategy rather than against it.

Use tools without losing your edge

Many teams now generate outlines or first drafts with writing tools, then refine them with their own examples, data, and client stories. That extra step is usually the difference between generic content and something worth citing in answer-style results.

Why Technical SEO and Design Are Linked

Technical SEO was once discussed mostly in terms of crawl errors and sitemaps. Now it is tightly linked to user experience and overall quality. Search systems want to send users to sites that are fast, stable, and easy to use.

Important technical and UX points include:

• Performance on real devices, not just in lab tests.
• Clean navigation that makes sense to someone visiting for the first time.
• Structured data that clearly labels your business, services, products, and FAQs.
• Secure connections (HTTPS) and straightforward forms and contact options.

When we redesign or build sites through Savo Group’s web design and development work, these elements are built in from the start so SEO and user experience move in the same direction.

How to Measure Results in This New Environment

Because AI-style features and answer tools can influence decisions without a simple “organic visit” in your analytics, reporting needs a wider lens than before.

Useful metrics now include:

• Organic traffic and leads from search, segmented by branded and non-branded queries.
• Click-through rates for key pages and how they change when new result types appear.
• Local actions from your business profiles: calls, direction requests, and messages.
• Growth in brand searches, which suggests awareness is rising even if path-to-click changes.

More advanced setups can also connect SEO data to CRM systems and internal dashboards. When that level of detail is needed, our custom software development services can pull information from multiple systems and present it in a way your team can act on.

What to Do in the Next 90 Days

If you want a practical starting point, here is a simple 90-day outline:

First 30 days: Get a clear picture

• Run a basic technical review of your site and fix any severe issues.
• List your top 10–20 pages by traffic and leads.
• Review your Google Business Profile and main directory listings for accuracy.

Next 30 days: Fix basics and upgrade key pages

• Improve page speed, mobile experience, and navigation on problem pages.
• Rewrite or expand your most important service pages with clearer summaries and structure.
• Add simple FAQ sections to pages that answer common questions.

Final 30 days: Build habits and reporting

• Set up monthly reporting on organic traffic, leads, and local actions.
• Choose a small set of new content pieces to publish each month going forward.
• Plan an ongoing review cycle so pages are refreshed rather than forgotten.

This roadmap is a common starting point when businesses begin working with Savo Group’s digital marketing and SEO services. Once the foundation is stable, longer-term work on authority and GEO can begin.

How to Prepare for the Next 12–24 Months

Looking a bit further ahead, it is reasonable to expect more AI-style features in search results and more use of answer-based tools. The businesses that adapt well usually do a few things consistently:

• Invest steadily in strong, experience-based content instead of chasing quick wins.
• Strengthen their local reputation through service, reviews, and community presence.
• Align web design, SEO, and content so every change supports multiple goals.
• Use data regularly, not just during annual reviews or after sudden drops.
• Stay flexible with technology, using custom tools where needed to connect marketing and operations.

The tools and labels may change, but the core pattern holds: clear value, reliable service, and helpful information tend to rise to the top, no matter how search pages are arranged.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SEO still worth investing in with all the AI changes?

Yes. The layout of results has changed, but search is still one of the main ways people find services, compare options, and check a business before they reach out. SEO now includes both classic rankings and the work needed to appear in answer-style results, but the payoff in leads and sales is still strong when it is done correctly.

What is the difference between traditional SEO and “AI SEO”?

Traditional SEO focuses on technical health, content, and links to improve rankings in organic listings. “AI SEO” or GEO focuses on making your content easy to use in AI-style answers by leading with clear summaries, using structured layouts, and keeping facts accurate so systems feel confident using your pages as sources.

How should a local business adjust its SEO in 2025?

A local business should keep its Google Business Profile accurate, gather and respond to reviews, create pages for each main location and service, and make sure its site is fast and easy to use on phones. Together, those steps support map rankings, organic results, and AI-style summaries that mention local providers.

How long does it take to see results from updated SEO work?

Most businesses start to see early movement within a few months if major technical or content issues are fixed. Building lasting authority usually takes longer. That is why it helps to tackle quick fixes in the first 90 days, then commit to a steady plan for content, links, and local presence over the next year.

Can Savo Group handle both SEO and the technical work behind it?

Yes. Savo Group offers digital marketing and SEO services along with web design and development and custom software development. That combination makes it possible to handle strategy, content, site upgrades, and reporting in one place instead of splitting those responsibilities across multiple vendors.

Sources

• Google – “Generative AI in Search: Let Google Do the Searching for You” (2024) – https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-search-update-may-2024/
• Search Engine Land – “AI Overviews and Their Effect on Organic CTR” (2025) – https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overviews-click-data
• Digital Marketing Institute – “Google AI Overviews: What They Mean for Search” (2025) – https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/google-ai-overviews
• Semrush – “The Impact of AI Search on SEO Traffic” (2025) – https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-study/
• Conductor – “AI Search Trends: The Future of SEO & Content Marketing” (2025) – https://www.conductor.com/learn/ai-search-trends/
• Salesforce – “AI for SEO: Guide for 2025” – https://www.salesforce.com/resources/articles/ai-seo-guide/
• Bing Webmaster Blog – “The Value of Intent-Driven SEO in AI-Powered Search” (2024) – https://www.bing.com/webmasters/blog/the-value-of-intent-driven-seo