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Ranking your site on Google in 2025: updated best practices guide

Updated guidelines on Google algorithm changes and how to stay competitive in search results.

In 2025, the SEO landscape continues to evolve at an impressive rate, with Google’s algorithms becoming increasingly sophisticated and focused on user experience .

In this article, we will explore the best practices for ranking at the top of Google in 2025, analyzing the latest trends and updates of the most famous and scary algorithm for SEOs in the world.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to new SEO practices of 2025

In 2025, Google’s algorithm has reached a new level of complexity . SEO techniques that were valid a few years ago may no longer be effective.

It is now clear that Google is increasingly placing importance on factors related to user experience (UX) , quality content and authority signals .

The search engine uses artificial intelligence (AI) to better understand the content of web pages and their value to users.

2. Key changes in Google’s algorithm in 2024

Core Web Vitals Updated

Core Web Vitals remain a cornerstone of SEO optimization. In May 2024, Google PageSpeed ​​Insights and the API were updated to Lighthouse 12.0 .

The indicators to keep in mind remain those that we now know daily:

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): how long it takes for the main content of the page to load.
  • Interaction to Next Paint (INP): the overall responsiveness of a page to user interactions by looking at the latency of all click, touch, and keyboard interactions that occur during the duration of a user’s visit to a page.
  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): visual stability of the page while loading.
  • First Contentful Paint (FCP): an important, user-centric metric for measuring perceived page load speed , as it marks the first point in the page load timeline where the user can see anything on the screen.
  • Time to First Byte (TTFB): a key metric for measuring connection setup time and web server responsiveness both in the lab and in the field. It helps identify when a web server is too slow to respond to requests. In the case of navigation requests, i.e. requests for an HTML document, it precedes all other significant loading performance metrics.

It goes without saying that improving these metrics is essential to ensure good positioning and maintain a positive UX.

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RankBrain and BERT

The use of artificial intelligence, through algorithms like RankBrain and BERT , has improved Google’s ability to understand queries and provide relevant results . In 2025, these systems have become even more precise, favoring content that directly answers 
users’ questions in natural language .

Helpful Content Update

Google has strengthened its commitment to rewarding content that is useful to people. The 2025 Helpful Content Update encourages the creation of pages that solve real problems, penalizing those who try to manipulate rankings with content written only to attract traffic.

EEAT: Experience, Competence, Authoritativeness and Reliability

Google’s algorithm has updated its EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) criteria by adding the Experience element . In 2025, great importance is given to content created by people with direct experience on a specific topic, in addition to their expertise and trustworthiness.

3. Optimizing your website structure for 2025

A well-structured website is always essential for good positioning. Some practices to optimize the structure include:

Website architecture

Organizing your site with a well-defined, hierarchical structure helps Google understand the relationship between pages. It is important to:

  • Create a clear navigation menu.
  • Use readable and SEO-friendly URLs.
  • Implement breadcrumbs to facilitate navigation.

Mobile Optimization

With mobile-first indexing , Google evaluates the mobile version of a site to determine rankings. It is essential that the site is 
responsive , offering an optimal user experience on any device.

Technical SEO

  • Use structured data to help Google better interpret your content.
  • Make sure your site uses HTTPS to ensure security.
  • Create and submit an updated XML sitemap to make your pages easier to crawl.

4. Creating High-Quality Content in 2025

“People-first” approach

Google increasingly rewards user-centric content. This means answering users’ questions directly in a detailed and accurate way. Avoid content that is created just to please the algorithm.

Length and depth of content

In-depth articles that cover a topic from multiple angles tend to rank better. In 2025, articles that offer real value , such as detailed guides, tutorials, and in-depth analysis, are favored over shorter, more superficial content.

Use of images, videos and graphics

Visual content plays 
a crucial role in improving user experience. Pages enriched with images, videos and infographics improve not only engagement but also time spent on the site, a factor that can positively influence rankings.

With the rise of voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa, optimizing your content for 
voice search is essential. Using colloquial phrases and directly answering questions in a question-and-answer format helps you appear in voice search results.

5. Local SEO and Geo-Localized Search Optimization

In 2025, local SEO is essential for businesses that want to attract customers in their geographic area. Here are some key strategies:

Google My Business

Making sure your Google My Business profile is up to date with accurate and complete information (address, hours, reviews) is essential to appearing in local results.

Local search optimization

Google is increasingly using location to personalize search results. Local queries like “near me” can be dominated by businesses with proper local optimizations.

Online reviews

Positive reviews directly impact your local ranking. Encouraging customers to leave reviews on Google and other platforms increases your visibility in local results.

6. Off-Page SEO and Backlinking in 2025

Off-page SEO continues to be an important element in increasing the authority of a site. Backlinks from trusted and authoritative sites have always been and remain a strong signal for Google.

Earning backlinks from reputable sites significantly increases the credibility of your site in the eyes of Google.

In 2025, link building techniques need to be authentic and natural. Collaborating with high-quality sites through guest posting or mentions can help generate organic backlinks.

Social signals

Social media presence increasingly influences rankings. High social engagement is a sign of trust for Google and can indirectly help improve your SERP position.

7. Optimize website performance

Site loading speed

We have already seen above how a fast site is crucial to maintaining a good user experience and improving rankings. Tools like 
Google PageSpeed ​​Insights help identify areas for improvement.

Fast hosting

Quality hosting is essential to ensure fast loading times. Consider that even choosing a server close to the geographic location of your users can make a difference. So if your users are in Italy, choosing a hosting that guarantees the presence of your website on a server located in Italy is the right choice.

Image compression

Reducing the size of images and implementing techniques such as lazy loading can significantly improve the speed of the site. The image format can also make a difference: think for example of how heavy a .png image can be while good quality can be maintained along with lightness by a 
.webp image file .

8. Measuring and monitoring SEO performance

SEO tools

In 2025, tools like Google Search Console , Google Analytics 4 (GA4), SEMrush , and Ahrefs are indispensable for monitoring SEO performance. These tools offer, among other things, an overview of organic traffic, keywords, and technical issues that could affect rankings.

Core Web Vitals Analysis

Constantly monitoring your Core Web Vitals allows you to quickly correct any performance issues that may negatively impact your indexing.

Competitor Analysis

With the help of tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush , analyzing your competition can help you identify new SEO opportunities and strategies.

9. SEO Strategy for Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in SEO in 2025. As mentioned above, algorithms like 
Google Bard and AI content generation tools are integrated into SERPs and search functionality. So, this needs to be taken into account.

Optimization for Generative AI

It is essential to adapt content to respond to queries handled by AI. In essence, artificial intelligence is not that intelligent. It is therefore very intelligent to structure content clearly, with concise and direct answers, allows you to be better understood and presented in AI responses.

10. Conclusions

SEO in 2025 continues to require a multidimensional approach, ranging from the creation of high-quality content to technical optimization and continuous monitoring of performance. From this point of view, not much changes in the work of the SEO consultant. However, it is always necessary to keep up with the changes in the algorithm of Google and other search engines. This is essential to remain competitive and continue to grow in the digital landscape.

Does your company need an SEO partner?

If you need a partner who can help you with SEO, do not hesitate to contact me. It will be a pleasure for me to work for your company.


Questions and answers

  1. What are Core Web Vitals and why are they important in 2025? Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that measure the user experience on a site, including loading speed and visual stability. They are critical to Google rankings.
  2. How can I improve my site’s SEO for voice search? Use natural language and optimize your content in question-answer format to answer voice queries concisely.
  3. What are the main SEO news in 2025? The importance of AI optimization, the focus on updated Core Web Vitals and the greater relevance of experiential content.
  4. What is the “Helpful Content Update”? It is a Google update that rewards content that is useful to users and penalizes content that is created primarily to manipulate the algorithm.
  5. What is the importance of EEAT in 2025? Google rewards content based on experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness, to provide high-quality results.
  6. How can I improve my site’s backlinks? Focus on valuable content that attracts natural links and collaborate with authoritative sites to get mentions and links.
  7. What are the best SEO tools to track performance in 2025? Tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4, SEMrush, and Ahrefs are essential for tracking traffic and SEO performance.

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Dopstart

Dopstart è il sito di Paolino Donato ma anche il suo Nickname su Internet. Dopstart è un consulente SEO. Si occupa di posizionamento nei motori di ricerca fin dal 1998. Dal 2010 ha collaborato con Google in qualità di TC per Google News italiano e Google Noticias per i Paesi di Lingua spagnola e dal 2018 come Product Expert vedi curriculum

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