Sign in Subscribe

SEO Isn’t What It Used to Be—And That’s a Good Thing

Stop waiting on search rankings and start building reach.

SEO Isn’t What It Used to Be—And That’s a Good Thing

If you're still relying solely on Google for traffic, it's time to wake up. The SEO game has changed—and honestly, it’s for the better.

For years, marketers got comfortable. Google became the traffic firehose. You write, you rank, you get clicks. But that golden age? It’s gone. Google updates are more volatile, zero-click searches dominate, and AI-generated summaries are taking over. If your entire strategy is built on ranking in the top 3, you're standing on shaky ground.

Everything Old Is New Again

Funny thing is, we’ve come full circle. Before Google dominated everything, we were hustling in different ways:

  • Posting on forums
  • Writing guest posts
  • Publishing articles on platforms like EzineArticles
  • Building real relationships in niche communities

The tools have changed, but the fundamentals haven’t.

Today’s equivalents?

  • Reddit is the new forum.
  • Guest blogging still works if done right.
  • Substack and Medium are the new EzineArticles—only better.
  • Pinterest, YouTube Shorts, TikTok—all ways to build attention organically outside of Google.

And of course: email newsletters. One of the oldest tools in the marketing toolbox is having a huge comeback. Why? Because you're not renting attention from a platform—you own it.

The Real Marketing Mix

It’s not about abandoning SEO. It’s about not putting all your eggs in one search engine’s basket. Real marketing today is a mix:

  • SEO (yes, still important—but smarter)
  • Email (still undefeated in ROI)
  • Social (especially organic and niche communities)
  • Syndication (get your content out there)
  • Tools and products that market themselves

The marketers who thrive in 2025 and beyond won’t be the ones who chase algorithm updates. They’ll be the ones who build something worth sharing—and share it everywhere.

Final Thought: Don’t Get Comfortable

Google’s still powerful, but it’s not your safety net. Marketing isn’t about gaming one channel—it’s about connecting with people wherever they are.

The platforms may change, but the playbook stays the same. Everything comes full circle. So stop waiting on search rankings and start building reach.