The rapid transformation of search pushed ahead even faster in 2025. With GEO, AI-driven discovery, agents, and a wave of new optimization frameworks and tools, SEO went through yet another year of major shifts. Throughout it all, Search Engine Land was there to help you understand the changes – what was happening, what was on the horizon, and what actually mattered. Below are the 10 most-read SEO columns of 2025, created by our exceptional team of subject matter experts.
10. Will GEO replace SEO – or become part of it? GEO doesn’t signal the end of SEO. Instead, it reflects what happens when search becomes multi-platform, multi-modal, and AI-powered. (By Roslyn Ayers. Published Aug. 8.)
9. Meet llms.txt, a proposed standard for AI website content crawling Learn what llms.txt is, how it functions, how to approach it strategically, whether LLMs and brands are adopting it, and why it deserves your attention. (By Rob Garner. Published March 28.)
8. SEO vs. GEO: What’s different? What’s the same? Discover how SEO and GEO tactics diverge – and how using them together can expand your presence across traditional search engines and AI-driven discovery 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 Explore this in-depth analysis of six patents that shed light on how Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode operate – and what these insights mean for the next era 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…