Modern SEO Strategies: What Actually Works in 2025 According to Real Testing Data

SEO has fundamentally changed. Traditional tactics that could almost guarantee organic growth not too long ago are now showing diminished returns, while new challenges like AI Overviews, AI Mode, and changing user behavior demand different approaches.

At SEOTesting, we’ve been on the front lines of this change. We’ve conducted hundreds of SEO tests to understand what actually moves the needle in modern SEO. I recently appeared on the Unscripted SEO Podcast with Jeremy Rivera to share insights from these experiments in a candid interview that reveals the strategies working today.

The Reality Check: Why Traditional SEO Playbooks Are Struggling

As I explained on the Unscripted SEO Podcast:

“We’re having to find a replacement for that lost traffic and that will come from other search engines, social media, and even more traditional media as well.”

The problem is clear when you look at Google’s changing priorities. I noted the telling moment when “that quote from the ex-Googler came out saying that directing traffic to publisher sites was a ‘necessary evil’ was almost like the point of no return.”

The numbers tell our story quote well. SEOTesting grew from 2,000 to over 16,000 organic clicks monthly using more traditional content strategies, only to see stagnation and decline when AI Overviews first rolled out. As I shared:

“We started to see stagnation when AI Overviews first came in, followed by a drop-off.”

But here’s what’s interesting:

“The traffic that we do get from LLMs seems to be really high intent and is actually converting at a higher rate than the organic traffic we get.”

What’s Actually Working: Insights from Real Testing Data

Internal Linking

While many SEO professionals treat internal linking as basic housekeeping, our testing reveals it’s one of the highest-impact optimizations available. As I explained on the podcast:

“Internal linking has always been important, but I think it’s almost become a cookie-cutter exercise. Write a blog post, throw in a few internal links where relevant, and that’s it. The housekeeping is done.”

But the data tells a different story:

“I think we’ve run about 15 tests for internal linking on our own site where we’ve found a particular blog post that’s either unerlinked or we think we can link it in a better way. Almost every single one of those tests has been positive. And not just positive by 3-4%, but our biggest one was like a thousand percent where we added a ridiculous number of internal links and the clicks just shot up completely.”

The key insight? Internal linking requires strategic thinking beyond simply adding a few relevant links. Our most successful tests involved:

• Identifying underlinked content with ranking potential.
• Creating comprehensive link networks around topic clusters.
• Testing different anchor text approaches.
• Monitoring which internal link patterns drive the biggest traffic increases.

Structured Data

Despite ongoing debates about whether structured data directly impacts rankings, our testing data shows overwhelmingly positive results. I was emphatic about this during the interview on the Unscripted SEO Podcast:

“Whether structured data is a ranking factor or not, or whether it just helps Google decide that this brand is good at this thing. Whether it’s direct or indirect, I don’t know, but from test data, it is one of the most important things you can do.”

Our structured data implementation tests consistently show improvements. Particularly when we “had a video created for every blog post that was published on YouTube, and then putting that at the top of the blog. We found that having that video on the blog posts increased the blog post performance in search. Then we did a split test adding video schema markup to those videos increased it even further by about 300%.”

The testing approach allows us to measure impact objectively rather than relying on theoretical benefits.

Cross-Channel Content Distribution

Modern SEO success requires thinking beyond just traditional keyword research and content distribution. As I explained, our current content strategy involves a fundamental shift:

“Whereas before we were doing keyword research, finding the potential, creating the content and distributing. Now we’re using social media as a gauge of interest. If one of my posts does really well on LinkedIn, that might signify this is something people are generally interested in, and then we’ll create a piece of content for search around that and promote it that way.”

This approach reflects what’s happening across the industry. As Jeremy Rivera noted on the show, it’s “that kind of cross-channel marketing” where instead of creating individual blog posts, you take “one piece of content through these multiple hoops, finding a way to turn it into a short for YouTube, and then turning it into medium-form content for Instagram.”

Our integrated approach now includes:

• Using social media performance as a gauge for content interest.
• Creating content once and distributing it across multiple channels.
• Testing topics on LinkedIn before investing in full SEO content pieces.
• Regular content updates to maintain freshness and relevance.

The Testing Advantage: Avoiding Costly Mistakes

One of the biggest advantages of systematic SEO testing is avoiding expensive failures. As I emphasized on the podcast:

“For every positive test, there’s a negative test. We’ve got test examples from people who have built out a category page for an ecommerce site, added loads of unique information, linked to buying guides, and it’s had a hugely positive impact. Then on the flip side, we’ve had another ecommerce site that’s done the same thing in a slightly different way and it hasn’t had much impact.”

This is particularly important for large sites where making the wrong optimization could tank traffic significantly. As I explained:

“Testing is a way to inform strategy going forward. You can use it to avoid any costly mistakes, especially for big sites where making a risky change could tank traffic. When you can take a section of a site and test on that specific section, if clicks go up, that gives both you and stakeholders much more confidence to spend that budget and do that work.”

Testing allows you to:

• Validate strategies on small sections before sitewide implementation.
• Build stakeholder confidence with concrete data.
• Avoid following generic advice that may not apply to your specific situation.
• Demonstrate ROI and justify SEO experiments.

The Content Refresh Reality

Content refreshes provide an excellent example of why testing matters. I was clear about this:

“One of the common myths about testing is that if one thing works, then it will work for everyone. For us, content refreshes have been a great source of success. But for another website, content refreshes might not work as well or might not work at all.”

This highlights a crucial point about modern SEO strategies: Universal tactics are becoming increasingly rate. What works depends on your specific site, audience, and competitive landscape.

Adapting to an Uncertain Search Future

The relationship between Google and publishers continues to evolve, often not in publishers’ favor. As I discussed during the interview, recent statements suggest Google doesn’t “owe” publishers traffic represents a fundamental shift:

“I think we can now say that Google is deliberately making results less useful in the sense that they want to promote all these AI Overviews.”

I observed. My theory about Google’s strategy is revealing:

“Someone starts with an informational query, they read the AI Overview, they’ll see another link in the AI Overview to another SERP, and eventually they’re going to click on an ad and Google will make revneue from that. That’s the way they’re trying to go, rather than sending traffic to publishers, which has been fine for so long, they need to drive more revenue from these AI features.”

The impact is already being felt across informational content. As I noted:

“The problem we’re facing with AI Overviews is that we’ve seen informational traffic going down.”

This means modern SEO strategies must include:

• Traffic diversification across search engines, social platforms, and direct channels.
• Brand recognition optimization to capture searches for your specific company or products.
• Integration with paid advertising and other marketing channels.
• Focus on commercial and transactional content that’s less likely to be replaced by AI Overviews.

Actionable Recommendations for Modern SEO

Based on our testing experience and insights shared on the Unscripted SEO Podcast, here are the highest-impact optimizations to implement:

Audit and Improve Internal Linking

Review your current internal linking structure and identify pages that could benefit from additional relevant links. Focus on connecting related content and ensuring your most important pages receive adequate internal link equity. As our testing shows, this isn’t just housekeeping, it can deliver massive traffic improvements:

Implement Strategic Structured Data

When asked for my top recommendation on the podcast, I was clear:

“If you’ve got areas on your site where you’re not implementing or not utilizing structured data, go through and test that. If you’ve got videos on your site that don’t have video schema implemented, go and do that. If you have author pages that don’t have schema, go and do that.”

Start with the schema types most relevant to your content and use testing tools to validate implementation and monitor for improvements:

Develop Cross-Channel Content Distribution

Stop thinking of content as just blog posts. Create content that can be adapted across LinkedIn, email newsletters, social media, and other channels to maximize reach and identify high-performing topics before investing in full content pieces.

Test Before You Scale

Whether it’s content refreshes, new linking strategies, or structured data implementation, test changes on small sections of your site before rolling out sitewide modifications.

Remember:

What works for one site may not work for another. And if it does work, it might not work in the same way.

Monitor Alternative Traffic Sources

Track traffic from sources beyond traditional Google organic search, including other search engines, social media, and LLMs like ChatGPT. I noted:

“We are getting new trials from people who found us using ChatGPT.”

The Future of SEO is Testing

As SEO continues changing, the companies that will thrive are those that rely on testing and data rather than assumptions and generic best practices.

As I emphasized on the podcast:

“Testing is a way to inform strategy going forward. You can use it to avoid costly mistakes, especially for big sites where making a risky change could tank traffic.”

The traditional SEO playbook isn’t dead, but it’s insufficient. Modern SEO strategies require continuous experimentation, cross-channel thinking, and the ability to adapt when the data shows what’s actually working.

Want to see how SEO testing can transform your organic search performance? Start your free 14-day trial of SEOTesting today. No credit card required!

I appeared on the Unscripted SEO Podcast with Jeremy Rivera to discuss these insights and more. The podcast covers the changing SEO landscape, testing strategies, and practical recommendations for modern search optimization.

Featured Experts:

Jeremy Rivera – Freelance SEO Consultant

Jeremy is Cookeville’s go-to “SEO Guy” and a seasoned veteran with over 17 years of hard-earned experience navigating the complexities of digital marketing, SEO, and PPC.

His strategic insights have boosted visibility, traffic, and revenue for a diverse client roster—from local businesses like plumbers and roofers to enterprise giants such as Logan’s Roadhouse and HCA. Author of the humorously insightful “I Self Published An SEO Book & All I Got Was This Lousy Knowledge Panel,” Jeremy has mastered turning technical knowledge into approachable, actionable wisdom.

Off the clock, Jeremy is an enthusiastic board game aficionado, proud dad, and relentless bacon enthusiast who loves kayaking on the scenic Cumberland River with his family.

Ryan Jones – Marketing Manager at SEOTesting

Ryan Jones is the Marketing Manager at SEOTesting, a platform that helps SEO professionals run controlled SEO experiments and improve search performance using Google Search Console data.

Before joining the team in April of 2023, Ryan was a long-time customer and advocate of the tool. He now leads content strategy, builds brand partnerships, and drives awareness through social media, conferences, podcasts, and educational content.

Ryan regularly speaks at SEO events including BrightonSEO, Zagreb SEO Summit, London SEO Meetups, and Nottingham Digital Summit. He contributes to the wider marketing community and is passionate about making SEO more measurable and accessible through data-led experimentation.

Outside of work, Ryan enjoys discovering new places to eat, playing football, and hiking in the Peak District.