Is SEO Still the Smartest Move You Can Make in 2025?
Here are 7 Reasons why it is (Even in the Age of AI)
If you’ve ever wondered whether SEO still matters in the age of ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews and disappearing attention spans, this one’s for you.
SEO isn’t dead. It’s evolving.
For health and wellness business owners who want to attract better clients without burning out on social media, SEO remains the most effective and sustainable strategy available.
Here’s why and exactly where to focus.
Table of Contents
AI Is Changing Search, but SEO Is Still the Foundation
User Intent Is More Important Than Ever
Long-Tail Keywords Hold the Key to AI Visibility and Client Connection
Your Website Needs More Than Just 'Good Design'
Keywords Are the Starting Line, Not the Finish
Authority Still Matters, and Blogs Still Build It
SEO Powers the Rest of Your Marketing
FAQs About SEO and AI in 2025
Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid in 2025
Final Thoughts
1. AI Is Changing Search, but SEO Is Still the Foundation
Let’s start with the big shift. Google’s new AI Overviews are changing how information appears in search, surfacing instant summaries, sources, and answers at the top of the page.
It sounds game-changing (and it is), but here’s the truth: those AI answers still rely on the same foundations we’ve always used in SEO.
Clear structure. Targeted headings. Keyword-rich content. Consistent formatting. If your website isn’t speaking Google’s language, AI won’t notice you either.
So rather than panicking about the future of SEO, double down on getting the basics right. It’s still the doorway in.
Want to know how long it actually takes to see results? [Here’s a realistic SEO timeline that breaks it all down.]
2. User Intent Is More Important Than Ever
Gone are the days when ranking for a word like ‘nutritionist’ would drive results. Today, it’s not just what people search, it’s why and how they’re searching.
AI search tools aim to provide answers, not pages. That means your content needs to match intent - whether that’s researching symptoms, finding a practitioner, or comparing services.
A search like:
‘Magnesium’
isn’t the same as:
‘My doctor said my magnesium levels are low - where can I get tested?’
The second one tells Google far more about what the user needs and what content will be useful to them. That’s where long-tail keywords come in, and they’re gold for wellness professionals.
3. Long-Tail Keywords Hold the Key to AI Visibility and Client Connection
There’s a real shift happening in how people search online. Thanks to voice assistants, AI Overviews, and more sophisticated search technology, we’re moving well beyond short, generic keywords.
Today, it’s the longer, more specific searches that carry the most weight, both in terms of search engine visibility and client connection. These are known as long-tail keywords, and they’re becoming essential.
The average voice search is around 29 words long, compared to traditional one- or two-word typed queries. Think about how you speak to your phone: you’re not generally saying one word, are you? If we refer to the previous magnesium example, is a searcher looking for clinical testing support more likely to say ‘magnesium’, or:
‘My magnesium levels are low, where can I get tested and check for other nutrient deficiencies?’
That’s not just a longer phrase. It’s packed with intent. It tells a story, hints at a problem, and points clearly to the kind of support someone’s looking for.
These kinds of queries are exactly what AI Overviews are designed to surface. When Google’s AI summarises an answer, it pulls from web pages that mirror the way users ask questions. If your content reflects natural, human language, especially the kind your ideal clients actually use, you stand a far better chance of showing up in featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, and AI summaries.
But it goes deeper than that.
When we use long-tail keywords in our content, we’re not just trying to trick the algorithm. We’re building resonance. We’re tapping into the exact language our clients use when they’re searching late at night, feeling confused, overwhelmed, or finally ready to take action.
That emotional layer matters. Because when your content mirrors someone’s real-life question, you’re more likely to earn their trust, and they’re more likely to click.
This is why I take time to educate my SEO Blueprint clients on more than just the technical setup. Yes, we cover the foundations and apply smart, relevant keywords across key pages, but I also share how these longer, more intentional phrases can be used beyond your website.
Whether you’re writing blogs, social captions, or updating your service descriptions, understanding how your clients actually speak gives you a serious edge. I help you start spotting those patterns and applying them in ways that attract the right kind of attention, not just from Google, but from the people you want to work with.
4. Your Website Needs More Than Just 'Good Design'
Pretty websites don’t bring traffic. Strategic websites do.
At the heart of visibility is a strong SEO foundation:
URL and image optimisation
Fast, mobile-friendly layouts
Structured navigation
Keyword-led content
Engaging formatting to keep people reading
These are the invisible threads holding your visibility together, and they’re all included in my SEO Blueprint package. It’s where we go back to basics and make sure the foundations are there before we worry about the bells and whistles.
5. Keywords Are the Starting Line, Not the Finish
If SEO is a marketing strategy, keywords are the compass. They point us in the direction of what people are really searching for, so we can position ourselves accordingly.
In my Blueprint, we use suitable keywords across your core pages. But that’s just the start.
Where I encourage you to build on that momentum is through a regular blog strategy. That’s where longer-tail search terms, health-specific queries, and seasonal topics can bring in qualified traffic month after month. And once you’ve created that content, you can reuse those ideas across social media and email, too.
One effort. Multiple returns.
6. Authority Still Matters and Blogs Still Build It
Even with AI surfacing answers faster than ever, Google still leans on one thing: credibility.
Educational blog content is your chance to show you know your stuff. When you write in-depth, helpful content (especially if it uses expert language that matches what your ideal clients are asking), Google starts to trust you. And that means rankings improve.
This is why the SEO strategy I build with clients always includes guidance on content planning. Not because Google demands it, but because it works.
If you need help planning what to write, [this guide to content planning for wellness websites] is a great place to start.
7. SEO Powers the Rest of Your Marketing
Think of SEO as your marketing engine. It powers your website, your content strategy, your email list-building, and even your social media.
When you get the technical setup right, choose keywords with care, and understand what your clients are actually looking for, everything else starts to click.
Social content becomes easier to write. Website visitors start taking action. Your brand shows up where it needs to be.
And if you’re feeling overwhelmed? That’s where I come in.
FAQs About SEO and AI in 2025
Does SEO still matter in 2025?
Absolutely. SEO remains one of the most powerful tools for attracting high-quality clients, especially in the health and wellness space. While the search landscape is changing, the fundamentals of SEO still form the foundation of visibility, both for traditional rankings and new AI-generated summaries.
How is AI changing SEO in 2025?
AI is influencing how search results appear, particularly through tools like Google’s AI Overviews, but not what makes a website visible. Structured content, keyword-rich headings, long-tail phrases that match real user queries, and trustworthy information are all still critical. If anything, AI is raising the bar on content clarity and user intent.
Will SEO be replaced by AI?
No. AI might assist or reshape how we interact with search, but it still relies on high-quality, well-structured content to generate results. If you’re creating helpful, optimised content that speaks your clients’ language, SEO continues to work - AI or not.
Is SEO dead because of AI?
Not at all. SEO isn’t dead, it’s evolving. The websites that will continue to perform are the ones that adapt by focusing on intent-driven keywords, technical foundations, and creating content that educates and connects. That’s exactly what I help my clients do.
Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid in 2025
1. Relying solely on social media for visibility
Social platforms have their place, but they’re not a visibility strategy on their own. SEO drives 1,000% more traffic than organic social media (BrightEdge), making it the backbone of any serious client-attracting plan. If you’re banking only on Instagram or word of mouth, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to be found by people actively searching for support.
2. Ignoring long-tail keywords and natural language
Ranking for generic terms like ‘nutritionist’ won’t bring in qualified traffic, and that is if you even rank well for such a competitive word in the first place. Long-tail keywords - the kind of phrases your ideal clients actually say or type into Google - not only help your site show up in more relevant searches, they also help Google understand what your site is about. These keywords often reveal intent, and they can form the foundation of your wider visibility strategy across your blog, services, and even social media content. Without them, you're guessing.
3. Thinking SEO is a ‘set and forget’ job
SEO needs to evolve with your business, your offers, and the needs of your audience. The algorithm changes, your goals shift, and your content should grow with you. If you’ve not touched your keywords, page structure, or content in the last year, chances are you’re falling behind.
4. Writing content for Google instead of people
Keyword stuffing, robotic phrasing, or overthinking ‘what Google wants’ can backfire fast. SEO is about connecting with humans first. The best-ranking content? It’s clear, helpful, and genuinely solves a problem. Google picks up on that.
5. Overlooking the technical basics
You could have the best content in the world - but if your site is slow, has broken links, or lacks clear structure, you’re losing visibility. One of the most commonly missed essentials? 301 redirects. These ensure any old URLs or moved content still direct users and search engines to the right place, protecting your rankings and improving the user experience. Seemingly simple behind-the-scenes fixes shouldn’t be ignored.
Final Thoughts
SEO is far from over. In fact, for health and wellness professionals in 2025, it’s more important than ever. Whether you're preparing for the rise of AI or simply want to show up in the right searches, the foundations still apply and the opportunities are bigger than most people realise.
Now is the time to get intentional, get visible, and let your website start doing more of the work for you.
So what’s next?
Get in touch to enquire about the SEO Blueprint package.
If you’re not ready for the Blueprint level of support, I also offer an SEO Health Check which provides a clear and concise personalised report on your website’s current SEO status.
Or, if you’re ready to go ALL IN and invest in my fully managed, ‘hands-off’ SEO Partnership package, you can read all about that here.
And if none of this is where you’re currently at, but you plan to start learning about SEO to manage it entirely independently, then download my new ebook to get a step ahead.
5 Google Search Secrets walks you through 5 key steps I recommend to clients who want to improve their visibility on Google without throwing more time at Instagram or second-guessing their website. And you’re already a step ahead with the first one!
These are real, actionable steps that most SEO agencies wouldn’t share without a contract!
Click 👇 and Download the guide to uncover five powerful fixes you can implement today to start building momentum the smart way.
These are some of the behind-the-scenes actions I take for clients in my SEO Blueprint and SEO Partnership packages, now available to you, free.
Sam Ferguson is a website designer and SEO specialist for nutritionists, functional medicine practitioners, and women in wellness. With a unique blend of industry insight and technical expertise, Sam helps clients create impactful websites that attract, engage, and convert. When she’s not designing, you’ll find her sharing practical digital marketing tips to help wellness professionals grow their online presence with confidence.