1. Trust and authenticity will become the ultimate consumer currency.

Why it matters: Consumers and search engines trust brands that are transparent, credible, and human.

What to do: Name your experts in content and encourage community-driven conversations.

2. Adapting to shifting search behaviour will be key for visibility.

Why it matters: Social media, zero-click searches, and voice commands are changing how people find info online.

What to do: Optimise for social discovery, adapt to zero-click search features, and use natural language in your content to satisfy voice searches.

3. Gamification will redefine brand engagement.

Why it matters: Gamified experiences increase engagement, drive loyalty, and offer valuable consumer insights.

What to do: Build gamified elements into your campaigns, gather valuable first-party data, and use it to drive personalisation and relevance.

4. Experimentation will power social success.

Why it matters: Social platforms reward boldness and real-time adaptation.

What to do: Create content that entertains, experiment with nano and micro influencers, and lean into social listening to stay agile.

5. Mobile-centric experiences will be key to growth.

Why it matters: Mobile-friendly experiences will drive searchability and conversions, and keep users coming back.

What to do: Maximise page speed, explore Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), and prioritise seamless mobile usability.

With 70% of consumers valuing trust more highly than ever, authenticity and transparent communication will be essential to ranking and resonating in 2025.

Google’s N-E-E-A-T update puts notability in focus

Google’s move to include “Notability” and “Transparency” in its E-E-A-T guidelines reflects this shift, emphasising expertise, authenticity, and credibility as key drivers of search success. In a space flooded with mass-produced, AI-generated fluff, prioritising transparent authorship and offering genuine value will help you stand out.

Google surfaces more user-generated content (UGC)

At the same time, UGC is becoming a key focus for search engines, driven by increasing user demand and the limitations of traditional marketing content. In fact, Google is actively refining its algorithms to surface high-quality UGC, recognising its value in providing authentic, first-hand perspectives that complement traditional web pages.

What actions can you take now?

• Own your expertise: Put your name to your knowledge with transparent authorship and first-hand expertise that proves you know your stuff.

• Turn to your biggest fans: Actively encourage community-driven content - reviews, forums, and discussions - to stay relevant and show you’re listening.

Search behaviour is evolving, with users turning to social platforms to search, skipping clicks on Google, and relying on voice assistants for answers. These trends are reshaping how you need to approach visibility, blending traditional SEO tactics with tailored, platform-specific strategies.

Capitalising on the democratisation of search

Remember when it felt like Google was the only way to find info online? Times have changed - with nearly 31% of users now starting their searches on social media. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are now top destinations for younger audiences looking for quick, visually engaging answers.

You now need to meet users where they are, creating content designed specifically for these platforms, while still maintaining a solid SEO foundation. For instance, a detailed blog post could be optimised for search, while also repurposed as a series of bite-sized TikTok videos, each highlighting key takeaways.

Zeroing in on zero-click searches

Zero-click searches - where answers appear directly on Google’s results page - are reshaping visibility strategies. They account for 25.6% of desktop searches and 17.3% of mobile searches, offering both challenges and opportunities.

On the upside, features like AI Overviews, snippets and knowledge panels boost visibility and introduce your brand to new audiences. However, they can reduce direct website traffic as users get answers without clicking through. This highlights the need for a balanced approach: optimising content to appear in zero-click spaces while ensuring it also encourages further engagement.

Walking the talk with voice search

Voice search has become increasingly common in recent years, and is now transforming how users interact with search engines, with 27% of the online population now using voice search on mobile devices. This shift, driven by the convenience of virtual assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, will demand a new approach to content creation.

Voice queries are often conversational and natural, reflecting how people speak rather than type. Optimising for voice search means focusing on long-tail keywords and creating concise, direct content – the average voice search result is just 29 words long.

What actions can you take now?

• Think like your audience: Align your content with user intent across both traditional search engines and social platforms.

• Own the top spot: Use schema markup and structured content to optimise for zero-click searches, ensuring your content appears when and where it’s needed.

• Speak their language: Use natural language and long-tail keywords to better target voice search queries.

Gamification is fast becoming a cornerstone of customer engagement, allowing you to create immersive, interactive experiences that captivate audiences and build lasting loyalty. By weaving playful elements into digital and real-world touchpoints, industries like retail and travel are creating moments that are not just memorable but impactful.

Playing the loyalty game

Loyalty programs are a natural fit for gamification, and brands like Lidl are leading the way. The Lidl Plus app features digital scratch cards that transform routine shopping into an interactive and rewarding experience. And it works; 80% of customers are more likely to engage with brands that offer rewards.

Putting the “ooh” in OOH

Gamification is also reshaping product launches and out-of-home (OOH) campaigns by blending physical and digital spaces for interactive experiences. Brands in sectors like fashion, tech, and automotive are increasingly using gamified elements to engage consumers in meaningful ways.

A great example is Lacoste’s “Superheroes” campaign, which used augmented reality (AR) for a gamified treasure hunt to promote its Christmas fragrance. Participants used smartphones to find virtual prize boxes and unlock exclusive products. The AR experience was tied to OOH ads featuring QR codes across UK cities, blending digital and physical interactions to drive engagement and participation.

Unlocking valuable first party-data

Gamification goes beyond creating memorable experiences - it’s a smart way to collect valuable first-party data. By integrating interactive elements like quizzes, games, and challenges, you can gain insights into consumer preferences while keeping users engaged. This data drives personalisation, allowing for more relevant recommendations and experiences. With data privacy rules tightening, gamification offers a transparent way to build trust and gather insights that benefit both your business and your customers.

What actions can you take now?

• Bring loyalty to life: Use gamified rewards like digital scratch cards or challenges to make routine interactions exciting, driving engagement and repeat business

• Build a buzz: Integrate gamification into product launches and OOH campaigns to create immersive experiences that build a buzz around your brand.

• Unlock insights with play: Consider the key data points you want to capture, and design your gamified campaigns with these in mind. Then, use this data to personalise and enhance future campaigns.

In 2025, the brands that stand out will be the ones embracing bold content, smarter influencer strategies, and real-time insights. By leaning into nano and micro influencers, experimenting with fresh ideas, and making the most of social listening, they’ll build stronger communities and create more meaningful connections.

Bold content is bringing better results

Social media has become a space for brands to push creative boundaries, prioritising engagement through bold, entertaining content. By experimenting with distinct voices and fresh formats, you can inject personality and reduce community fatigue.

Monzo exemplifies this, transforming banking into an engaging experience through humour, memes, playful TikToks, and witty replies. Their strategy has driven a 31% rise in customer numbers in 2023 to 9.7 million, proving even the most unexciting products can thrive with the right approach.

Nano and micro influencers take centre-stage

The shift toward nano and micro influencers is transforming influencer marketing. With 43% of marketers reporting increased use of these smaller-scale creators, it’s clear that their authentic, highly engaged audiences are delivering results that broader campaigns often can’t. Nano and micro influencers bring relatability and trust, making them ideal for building genuine connections with specific communities. As marketers begin to lean into this trend, the focus is shifting from reach to resonance – capitalising on smaller voices can drive big results.

Social listening is shaping more intelligent campaigns

Understanding your audience and adapting in real time is critical to success, and social listening is making this possible. In fact, a recent survey revealed that 89% of marketeers rate social listening data as high or very high quality, offering reliable insights to refine strategies and measure impact effectively.

What actions can you take now?

• Rip up the rulebook: Create content that engages through entertainment, offering your audience something they can’t help but interact with.

• Mix and maximise: Combine nano and micro influencers to balance broad reach with authentic, targeted engagement.

• Listen and learn: Use social listening to tap into audience sentiment, identify trends, and ensure your content lands exactly where it needs to.

With over 58% of global web traffic coming from mobile devices, seamless mobile experiences are no longer a luxury - they’re the baseline. As we move into 2025, mobile-centric strategies must be prioritised, to keep up with rising consumer expectations.

Supercharging mobile page speed for visibility

In 2025, page speed will be more critical than ever. With nearly 70% of consumers saying it influences their buying decisions, fast, seamless experiences will define success. Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) can help you meet these expectations, delivering lightning-fast load times and reducing bounce rates. And with Google’s algorithm focused on mobile-first indexing, optimising for speed is essential for both user experience and maintaining your search ranking edge.

PWAs set the standard for mobile engagement

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are the next big thing in mobile engagement, combining the best features of websites and native apps. They’re fast, work offline, and offer app-like features such as push notifications and automatic updates - all without requiring downloads from an app store.

Brands like Starbucks, Spotify, and Uber are already using PWAs to deliver seamless, reliable mobile experiences while keeping development costs down and maintenance straightforward. As mobile-first strategies become essential, PWAs offer a smart, scalable way to connect with users wherever they are.

What actions can you take now?

• Focus on speed: Focus on fast load times to improve user experience and improve search rankings.

• Explore PWAs: Offer app-like experiences without the barriers of traditional app stores.

The year ahead will reward brands that think bigger and bolder, move faster, and embrace change.

Whether it’s gamifying your campaigns, optimising your content for zero-click searches, or creating scroll-stopping social media content, we’re here to help you stay ahead in 2025. Get in touch today, and let’s make 2025 your best year yet!