3 design ‘trends’ that I’m loving for 2025
- Design
Is SEO dead?
You’ve probably heard someone on Linkedin declare that “SEO is dead”.
Maybe you’ve heard that “GEO is the new SEO”.
Spoiler alert: it’s not. (I’m not just saying this because I work in SEO either). But the industry is changing, and fast.
In this blog I’m aiming to help you get some clarity on what’s being talked about and what it all means.
Explaining GEO
Before we get into it, let’s just break down the (dreaded) GEO acronym.
GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimisation. It’s the new buzzword everyone’s throwing around, and it’s all about ranking in AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and other large language models (LLMs).
The principles of GEO are to make your site crawlable for AI bots, create valuable content worth citing, and build a brand reputation that AI actually wants to reference.
And if that sounds eerily familiar, or if you’ve got a sense of deja vu, well that’s because it’s basically…SEO.
You’re making your site accessible to crawlers (tick), creating high-quality, authoritative content (tick), and building brand credibility and trust (tick). These aren’t brand-new concepts – they’re the fundamentals we’ve been talking about for years! The difference now is that instead of optimising for Google’s algorithm, you’re also optimising for AI models that generate answers.
Zero-click searches
Traditional Google searches are shifting too. The 10 blue links that we’re used to seeing are becoming less important, and AI Overviews (AIOs) are taking the top spot. AIOs give instant, summarised answers right on the results page by scraping information from various sources and packaging it neatly into a summary. Users get what they need without clicking through to your site. The result = impressions up, clicks down.
This is the zero-click search problem. It’s frustrating, but it’s the reality of modern search. Don’t be disheartened by a loss of traffic, but focus on creating valuable, useful content that does get clicks. Make it so unique that the AI response can’t summarise it! Most AIOs are triggered by informational queries, so try to create content that fits higher in the funnel, or target more complex queries that need deeper exploration.
And remember, even if someone doesn’t click through immediately, appearing in that AI overview still builds brand visibility and authority.
Search is getting personal (very personal)
Search results now adapt to you specifically. Google’s AI Mode creates completely tailored results pages based on your behaviour. If someone doesn’t already know your brand exists, breaking through becomes much harder.
The same goes for AI chatbots and social algorithms – they learn what you like and surface more of it. Ranking no.1 is less and less important, it’s about building a brand that people know about.
Brand reputation is key
AI models favour brands that are well-known and trusted. It’s not just about what’s on your site anymore – it’s about what people say about you elsewhere. Social media comments, Google reviews, forum discussions and brand mentions across the web (not just backlinks) now carry weight. Think about traditional marketing: OOH advertising, traditional PR, digital PR, etc.
The rise of social search
Social search is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of heading to Google, people are typing their queries straight into their favourite social platforms. Whether that be for finding products: ” moisturiser for sensitive skin”, travel recommendations: “bars in Krakow” or advice and guidance: “choosing your interior style” – social is a search engine.
A recent study found that 74% of Gen Z use TikTok as a search engine, with 51% preferring it to Google. If your SEO and social strategies aren’t working together, you’re missing a massive piece of the puzzle.
Traffic is evolving (and so should you)
People don’t search with keywords anymore. They have conversations with LLMs. “I need X,” followed by “How much does X cost?” then “Is X reputable?” It’s natural, flowing, and completely different from the old way of thinking about search.
This means keyword targeting alone won’t cut it. You need to map the full user journey and answer these smaller questions rather than huge, high-volume keywords. Think about those low-volume, longtail queries – they might not bring in a bunch of traffic, but they’re high intent and more likely to convert. And that’s what matters most.
Turns out, SEO is doing just fine
Clearly, it’s more alive than ever! SEO has spread across platforms, adapted to AI, and become more conversational. But the fundamentals – being findable, credible, and valuable – are more important than ever.
The businesses winning right now aren’t the ones mourning “the good old days” of SEO. They’re the ones meeting their audience where they actually search, building brands worth talking about, and creating content worth citing.
