By Over the past 20+ years or so that I’ve been working in SEO, I’ve seen SEO evolve through countless algorithm updates, shifting user behaviours, and waves of new technologies. From the early days of keyword stuffing and link farms to the rise of mobile-first indexing and E-A-T, one principle has remained constant: a clear, long-term SEO strategy nearly always wins if you have the right people, attitude, resources, and don’t give up early doors.
The websites I’ve worked on continue to perform as well as ever, not because we chase trends, but because we build SEO strategies that adapt and endure.
The proof is in the pudding with marketing, especially SEO, and it’s still much easier to track than ‘brand’, for example. At SALT, we recently won two awards for a project I’ve led for a new brand that was only created in the past few years. So to all the naysayers out there saying it’s impossible to outperform big brands out there – we’re beating every single UK supermarket for nearly all the most relevant commercial terms.
Proof of the Pudding
Swaledale Butchers – ‘Outranking Retail Giants Through Tactical SEO’
Silver at the European Search Awards 2025
BEST USE OF SEARCH – RETAIL / ECOMMERCE (SEO) (LARGE) https://europeansearchawards.com/2025-winners/
Gold at the UK Agency Awards 2025
‘Best SEO Campaign’ https://ukagencyawards.co/2025-winners/
The fact is that Google still dominates in most countries, but saying that, the landscape is certainly shifting.
Despite the emergence of new platforms and technologies, Google remains the cornerstone of search. As of March 2025, it holds over 79% of the global desktop search market and processes billions of queries daily. In the UK, it still drives over 93% of organic traffic, though its dominance is slowly eroding.
So why Technical SEO Is More Important Than Ever?
Search engines are more sophisticated than ever. They rely on clean architecture, fast-loading pages, structured data, and crawlable content. Technical SEO isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about ensuring your site can be understood, indexed, and surfaced correctly. Sites that ignore technical foundations often struggle to scale visibility, especially as search engines..
Awesome Content Still Wins
Content has always been king (sorry for the cliche), but now it has to be exceptional in most instances. I say most as I know for a fact SEO landing pages still do work, and drive revenue. That said, it’s not enough to write for keywords. You need to write for users, as has been the case for years. That means answering real questions, offering genuine insight, and being the best resource on the topic. Great content earns trust, drives engagement, and builds authority through links & citations. It’s the fuel that powers every successful SEO strategy.
Links Still Make the Difference
Links remain one of the strongest signals of authority. They’re votes of confidence from the web. While the way we build links has changed, with less spam and more relevance, their impact hasn’t. A well-earned link from a trusted source can and still does move the needle. Link building is harder than ever, but that’s exactly why it matters. It is often dressed up as ‘Digital PR’ but the reality is that the link on the majority of websites is far more valuable than being seen for a few hours before that content is buried in the archive.
Don’t Get Distracted by Acronyms
Terms like Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) are gaining traction, but the reality is that most GEO activities fall squarely within traditional SEO. SEO has always evolved, whether it’s adapting to voice search, mobile-first indexing, or now AI-powered interfaces. The name may change, but the principles remain the same. Anyone can pump out large amounts of AI content, but Google will catch you, just like the old days with Panda & Penguin, if the approach isn’t carefully planned not to break Google’s rules on AI-generated content.
Adapt Without Overreacting
The best SEO strategies are built to flex, not fracture. That means staying informed, testing new approaches, and refining your tactics without abandoning what works. SEO isn’t dead. It’s evolving – as always. And those who adapt with clarity, purpose, and a long-term vision will continue to dominate whether it’s on Google, Bing, ChatGPT or whatever comes next.