Hello! It feels like the online world changed very fast recently, right? Welcome to March 2025. If you feel like you just understood digital marketing, you are not alone. It seems things are moving much faster now. Remember when we just put keywords everywhere? That seems like a long time ago. Artificial intelligence (AI) is […]
Hello! It feels like the online world changed very fast recently, right? Welcome to March 2025. If you feel like you just understood digital marketing, you are not alone. It seems things are moving much faster now. Remember when we just put keywords everywhere? That seems like a long time ago. Artificial intelligence (AI) is very important now. And Google made another big “Core Update,” changing how websites rank. Also, people search in new ways – on TikTok, using voice search with smart speakers, and more. It’s a lot! Trying to keep up feels like trying to stand on a small board in a big wave.
Let’s talk about AI in Google Search. Google now shows “AI Overviews” (AIOs) at the top of results. You ask a question, and Google’s AI gives a short summary. This is helpful for users. But maybe it’s not great if your website needs people to click on your link to visit your page. Before, the goal was to get clicks. Now, Google often gives the answer directly.
This is a big change. Ranking number one isn’t the only goal now. You need to think about how to get your information included in those AI summaries. It feels difficult, like trying to get quoted by a robot that knows everything! And other search tools like Perplexity are using AI too. So maybe we need to optimize for them as well? There’s a new name for this: “Generative Engine Optimization” or GEO. Another thing to learn!
But AI can also help us. It can help create content faster. The problem is, AI writing often doesn’t feel very human. It doesn’t have personal experiences or unique ideas. Google seems to be getting better at finding content that is too robotic. So, use AI to help? Yes. Depend on it completely? That could be risky.
Also, there’s some news: The company Chegg is apparently suing Google about these AI Overviews. Chegg says Google is summarizing their paid content for free, which reduces their website visitors. This raises a big question: If search engines give answers away, how do content creators earn money? But, being mentioned in an AI Overview can send visitors to your site, so you can’t ignore it. It’s complicated.
Google has regular updates that change website rankings. We often worry about these! The March 2025 update seemed to focus strongly on websites about important topics like health, money, or legal advice (“Your Money or Your Life” – YMYL). Google is very careful about which sites it trusts for these topics.
The main message from Google seems clear (again): Don’t try to trick Google with low-quality content or text that AI just created without real value. Google seems to reward websites with truly helpful information written by people with real knowledge and experience. If your site had low-quality content, you probably saw negative effects from the update. If you published good, well-researched content from real experts, maybe you saw positive effects.
The update wasn’t only about content. Websites that were slow, hard to use on phones, full of annoying ads, or just difficult to navigate were also affected negatively. Good user experience is essential now. Make your site fast, clean, and easy to use. Using “structured data” (clear labels for your information that search engines understand) also helps Google know what your page is about.
Local businesses were affected too. Google tried to remove fake business listings and promote real local places with good reviews. So if your website traffic changed a lot in mid-March, Google says it’s an “adjustment” based on your site’s quality, not a ‘penalty.’ Helpful, right? The simple truth is: focus on quality, user experience, and following the rules.
Google uses E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) to judge content quality. Now they added another ‘E’ for “Experience.” So it’s E-E-A-T. In a world with lots of AI content, proving you are real and knowledgeable is very important.
How do you do this? Show who wrote the content and why they are qualified. Link to other trusted sources. This is essential for health or finance topics. The extra ‘E’ for Experience means Google wants proof you have actually done what you write about, not just read about it. Share real examples, case studies, or testimonials from real customers. Check your facts carefully. Building trust is good for users and good for SEO.
SEO isn’t just about putting keywords on a page anymore. Google tries to understand what people really mean when they search. What problem are they trying to solve?
Look at the “People Also Ask” box in Google results – it shows related questions people have. Also, think about how people talk. With voice search, people ask full questions, like, “Hey Google, what’s the best way to fix this leaking pipe?” Your content needs to answer these questions directly, be easy to read quickly, and maybe have summaries.
It’s also important to help people make decisions. Content that compares options or explains details is valuable. And user experience matters – how long people stay on your site, if they visit other pages – Google looks at these signals. It’s all connected. Create good content that helps real people, and make sure your website is easy and pleasant to use.
People look for information in many places now, not only Google. YouTube is huge for searches, especially “how-to” videos. TikTok is used a lot for finding recommendations, especially by younger people. People also search on Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, and Quora for real opinions.
If you ignore these platforms, you might miss a big part of your audience. Think about a “search everywhere” approach. Optimize your YouTube videos. Understand how content gets found on TikTok. See what people say on Reddit. Be present where your audience is looking.
AI is used in many parts of digital marketing now. It helps choose who sees ads, writes email subjects, powers chatbots, and predicts what people might buy. This allows for very personalized marketing – showing different messages to different people. Is it efficient? Yes. Does it sometimes feel a little strange when ads seem to know too much about you? Also yes.
Video continues to be extremely popular. Short videos like TikToks and Instagram Reels match our short attention spans. Live streaming allows direct interaction with audiences. And “shoppable videos” (where you can click on a product in the video to buy it) are becoming more common. Content and shopping are working closely together.
You can now buy products directly on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Social media is like a big online store. Influencers are still important, but people seem to trust smaller influencers (“micro” or “nano” influencers) more. These smaller influencers often have a very engaged audience and seem more authentic than big celebrities promoting products.
People use many devices and platforms – phones, laptops, maybe even smart TVs or visiting physical stores. Your marketing messages should be consistent everywhere. This is called “omichannel” marketing. AI helps connect these different interactions, making the experience smoother for the customer. The goal is for your brand to feel like one unified thing.
Don’t forget new technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). AR lets you do things like try on virtual clothes or see how furniture looks in your room using your phone. VR can be used for virtual showrooms or events. These are not common everywhere yet, but they offer new ways for people to interact with products.
Finally, there’s more pressure for businesses to be honest and fair. People care more about data privacy. Using third-party cookies to track people across websites is becoming less common. Businesses should focus on “first-party data” – information customers give willingly. Be clear about how you use data. Don’t collect data you don’t need. Treat customer information carefully and with respect.
People also expect brands to care about things like sustainability and ethical practices. It’s important to actually do these things, not just talk about them. Ethical marketing is becoming necessary for building long-term trust.
Yes, it’s a lot to handle! SEO, marketing, and content are all connected now. Everything needs to work together. You need high-quality, helpful content that shows your Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). This builds your reputation. Understand that the customer journey isn’t a simple path; it’s often a messy path across many devices and platforms. AI can help track this, but understanding what people need is still a human job.
March 2025 feels like a time of big changes. AI is making us rethink things. Google emphasizes quality and trust. Search happens everywhere. Video is key. Privacy is important. Things are moving very quickly and can feel complex. But maybe the basic idea is still the same: understand what people need, provide it in a helpful and honest way, and make it easy for them to find you. That foundation hasn’t changed. Keep trying – we are all learning together.
