Top 10 SEO expert columns of 2025 on Search Engine Land

The evolution of search continued to accelerate in 2025.

Between GEO and AI-driven discovery, agents, and new optimization frameworks and tools, SEO experienced another huge year of change.

As always, Search Engine Land helped you make sense of the advances – what was happening, what was coming next, and what truly mattered.

Below are the 10 most-read SEO columns of 2025, written by our outstanding group of subject matter experts.

10. Will GEO replace SEO – or become part of it?

GEO isn’t the death of SEO. It’s what happens when search becomes multi-platform, multi-modal, and powered by AI. (By Roslyn Ayers. Published Aug. 8.)

9. Meet llms.txt, a proposed standard for AI website content crawling

Find out what llms.txt is, how it works, how to think about it, whether LLMs and brands are buying in, and why you should pay attention. (By Rob Garner. Published March 28.)

8. SEO vs. GEO: What’s different? What’s the same?

Learn how SEO and GEO strategies differ – and how combining both can boost your visibility across search engines and AI-driven platforms. (By Dan Taylor. July 28.)

7. How AI Mode and AI Overviews work based on patents and why we need new strategic focus on SEO

Read this deep dive into six patents that reveal how Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode work – and what it all means for the future of SEO. (By Michael King. June 2.)

6. How to get cited by AI: SEO insights from 8,000 AI citations

From ChatGPT to Gemini, here’s what each AI model trusts – and how strategic content earns visibility in generative search results. (By James Allen. Published May 12.)

5. AI search is booming, but SEO is still not dead

AI search tools are on the rise, but SEO fundamentals remain critical. Learn how the two intersect and what it means for your strategy. (By Lily Ray. Published July 18.)

4. 11 free Chrome extensions you need for SEO

Don’t rely solely on tools like Search Console or Screaming Frog. Diversify your toolset with these time-saving Chrome extensions. (By Stephanie Wallace. Published Jan. 16.)

3. AI traffic is up 527%. SEO is being rewritten.

AI platforms are transforming discovery. Traffic is surging. Now strategies must evolve, according to the 2025 Previsible AI Traffic Report.. (By David Bell. Published Aug. 5.)

2. AI optimization: How to optimize your content for AI search and agents

To be visible, optimize your site with clean HTML, metadata, fast responses, and bot-friendly configurations. (By Jed White. Published Jan. 29.)

1. The end of the web? Goodbye HTML, hello AIDI!

Why the web as we know it may fade and what AI, personal agents, and data interfaces mean for publishers, SEO, and commerce. (By Mario Fischer. Published Nov. 14.)