John Shehata

Title: CEO, Founder at NewzDash and Former Global VP of Audience Development Strategy at Conde Nast

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?

  • Optimize for Google Discover: Google Discover has become a pivotal traffic source for news publishers. A survey revealed that 52% of respondents rank Discover as a top priority for 2025, with 56% reporting traffic increases from the platform in recent months. To capitalize on this, ensure your content is optimized for Discover by focusing on high-quality visuals, engaging headlines, and timely topics that align with user interests. Regularly monitor performance metrics to understand what resonates with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly.

  • Embrace AI Integration in Search: The integration of AI in search engines is reshaping the SEO landscape. AI-generated answers, such as Google's AI Overviews, are providing users with synthesized information directly on search results pages, potentially reducing click-through rates to publisher sites. In the era of AI, authority isn’t optional—it’s the currency of visibility. Create content that AI models reference and users trust. This includes optimizing for featured snippets and ensuring your content is structured for easy parsing by AI algorithms. Additionally, consider strategies to protect your content from being scraped by AI platforms, such as implementing paywalls, using structured data, and establishing clear legal policies.

  • Invest in Advanced SEO Tools and Skills Development: Budget constraints and a lack of advanced SEO expertise are significant challenges for news publishers. A survey indicated that 34% of SEO teams struggle with limited funds for tools and resources, and 24% cite a lack of advanced SEO expertise within teams. The right News SEO tools turn challenges into opportunities; don’t just adapt—excel by investing in specialized SEO tools tailored for news publishers, and prioritize skills development within your team. This investment will enhance your ability to adapt to algorithm changes, optimize content effectively, and stay competitive in the evolving digital landscape.

  • Embrace AI Integration: Artificial intelligence is reshaping search engines and user interactions. Google's introduction of AI-generated answers, known as AI Overviews, is a testament to this shift. These overviews provide users with synthesized information directly on the search results page, reducing the need to click through to individual websites. To adapt, focus on creating high-quality, authoritative content that AI models are likely to reference. This includes optimizing for featured snippets and ensuring your content is structured for easy parsing by AI algorithms.

  • AI: Your New SEO Co-Pilot: AI is reshaping the search landscape, and adapting to it is non-negotiable. Optimize for AI Answers: Structure content around entities and specific topics. For instance, instead of just targeting “best running shoes,” dive deeper with “best running shoes for flat feet” or “best trail running shoes.” Leverage AI Smartly: Use AI tools to scale research and editing tasks, but maintain human oversight for originality and quality. Treat AI as an assistant, not a replacement for your expertise.

  • Diversify Your Traffic Sources: Relying heavily on Google as the primary traffic driver is becoming increasingly dangerous strategy due to unpredictable algorithm updates, the rise of zero-click searches, and the introduction of AI-generated summaries like Google's AI Overviews. These developments can significantly reduce referral traffic to news publishers' websites. To mitigate these risks, it's essential to cultivate direct relationships with your audience through various channels: Newsletter Programs, Mobile Applications, new and emerging social platforms, and Push Notifications. 

  • E-E-A-T Rules the SEO Landscape: Google’s focus on Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) will continue to dominate in 2025.

    • Author Authority: Build credibility by highlighting expert credentials, first-hand experience, and a strong digital and social presence. This is especially crucial in high-stakes niches like health and finance (e.g., doctor profiles with publication links).
    • Domain Authority: High-quality backlinks remain essential, but prioritize those that drive meaningful traffic, not just link equity.
    • Document Authority: Create in-depth, entity-rich content that outperforms competitors in satisfying user intent. Comprehensive guides with clear attributions and original research are key.

  • Adapt, Analyze, and Evolve: The SEO landscape is constantly changing. Staying ahead requires vigilance and flexibility.

    • Monitor Algorithm Updates: Regularly adjust strategies based on Google’s updates.
    • Understand User Behavior: Use tools like heatmaps and scroll maps to identify pain points and optimize user experience.

• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • Google will continue to push AI features across all their surfaces reducinbg traffic to news sites and sites overall, especially for evergreen content. 
  • Google will continue to fight low quality content and site reputration abuse making it harder for new and niche sites to rank well in comparison to larger established sites.
     
• Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?
  • Newsletter Programs: Develop engaging and informative newsletters to maintain a direct line of communication with your readers, fostering loyalty and repeat visits.
  • Mobile Applications: Invest in user-friendly apps that provide personalized content experiences, encouraging regular interaction and enhancing user engagement.
  • Push Notifications: Utilize timely and relevant push notifications to alert users about breaking news and updates, driving immediate traffic and keeping your audience informed.
  • Emerging social media platforms: Expand your presence on such platforms like Bluesky, threads, and redNote may further diversify your traffic sources.
  • Test UGC platforms like Reddit, Quora, etc.
     
• What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?

  • Personalized Content Creation and Aggregation: AI technologies are increasingly being utilized to generate and personalize content. For instance, The Associated Press (AP) has partnered with Google to provide real-time news updates through Google's AI chatbot, Gemini. This collaboration enables the delivery of up-to-date news content to users via AI-driven platforms.

  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Enhancements: AI is reshaping SEO strategies by influencing how content is ranked and displayed. Google's introduction of AI-generated answers, known as AI Overviews, marks a significant change in search engine functionality. These overviews provide synthesized information directly on search results pages, potentially impacting click-through rates to publisher sites. To adapt, news organizations must focus on creating high-quality, authoritative content that AI models reference, optimizing for featured snippets, and structuring content for easy parsing by AI algorithms.

  • Fact-Checking and Combatting Misinformation: AI can assist in verifying information and identifying false narratives, thereby supporting journalistic integrity. For example, French AI start-up Mistral has partnered with Agence France-Presse (AFP) to incorporate over 2,000 AFP news articles daily into its chatbot, Le Chat. This collaboration aims to ensure the chatbot provides accurate and verified information, highlighting AI's role in promoting fact-based journalism.

  • Workflow Automation and Efficiency: AI can automate repetitive tasks such as data analysis, transcription, and content tagging, allowing journalists to focus on in-depth reporting and storytelling. However, the integration of AI must be approached cautiously. Instances of AI-generated content on sports news websites have led to the proliferation of low-quality articles, underscoring the importance of human oversight to maintain content quality and credibility.

• What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?
  • In our last News SEO survey of 100+ news publishers and experts, it was clear low budgets and shortage of advanced SEO skills, lack of News SEO tools were the top 3 challenges most of the news SEOs face.
     
• Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?
  • Yes. The more Google expands AI Overviews for different search query types, it will eventually show up for more news queries providing quick summaries of latest developing news.
     
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • Yes. News SEOs need to prioritize Google Discover traffic, but not at the expense of traditional Search optimization.  Remember, Discover is an extension of Search and they work together.
    .
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • Google Discover Optimization 
  • AI-Driven Search Features Adaption 
  • Advanced SEO Tools and Skills Development
  • Embracing AI Integration
  • Traffic Sources Diversification
     
• Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?
  • Yes.

Barry Schwartz

Title: SEO Janitor at RustyBrick

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • Build a brand that will attract loyal readers and subscribers.
  • Think about how AI can help you and not hurt you.
  • Discover is still super important.
     
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • AI is the biggest challenge in 2025, and you shouldn't run from it, but embrace it.
     
• Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?
  • Find ways to get into AI engines.
     
• What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?
  • Help with content ideas, accuracy, and depth.
     
• What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?
  • Creating high-quality, original content at a fast pace.
     
• Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?
  • Yes. While you want to be sourced there, the click-through rate from AI Overviews will be less than normal search links.
     
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • Maybe. You cannot depend on Discover, but it is great traffic.
     
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • AI Overview Optimization
  • Google Discover
  • Traffic Diversification Beyond Google
     
• Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?
  • Yes.

Steven Wilson-Beales

Title: Head of SEO and Editorial Product at Global

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • Making sure you are optimising for Discover if you haven’t already done so - whilst also understanding the precarious nature of Discover traffic. Treat with caution.
  • Also, ensure as your business continues to innovate that Core Web Vitals is not left behind.
  • In short, keep all the SEO plates spinning!
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • Unfortunately, 2025 is going to be the year that we all monitor AI Overviews with lazer-focus as they start to encroach further into more news search queries. But remember, AI Overviews are just part of a whole dance of fluctuating changes in Google at the moment. Set up regular tracking and reporting and work with editorial teams to optimise as Google surfaces a wider pool of competitors. 
     

  Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?

  • Lots. Podcasts are a great way of connecting with your audience and driving engagement and loyalty. I mean, who is NOT listening to podcasts right now?
  • Elsewhere we are seeing a resurgence of social video on some platforms even though it’s a very different picture than waaay back in 2017.
  • You’ve also seen a renaissance in newsletters and their readers are often the most loyal. 

  What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?

  • AI should support the content-creation process, not replace it. There is always going to be the need for human opinions - but why not turbo-boost that opinion, or breaking news piece, with ai-generated charts or links to other articles for further context?
  • News SEOs should be spending time swotting up on prompts and be aligned with the product/tech teams on relevant AI innovations. Work out how AI can help you achieve the fundamental goal: 'Know Thy Audience'
     

  What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?

  • Staying ahead of Google's algorithm updates.
     
• Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?
  • Yes. It doesn't matter if you optimise for this feature or not, there will still be fewer clicks for content if AI overviews are enabled. This will likely impact revenue for many publishers.
     
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • Maybe. It depends on whether it drives significant traffic for your publication. Not all publishers benefit equally from Discover.
     
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • E-E-A-T
  • Technical SEO
  • Google Discover
     
• Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?
  • Yes.

Barry Adams

Title: SEO Consultant at Polemic Digital

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • I believe paywalls are the future of online news. Publishers cannot rely on the big tech gatekeepers to drive traffic to their content, as big tech is only interested in maximising the value of their users and keep them in their own ecosystems - be this search engines, AI platforms, social media, or anything else that catches the wandering eyes of Silicon Valley's tech bros. Advertising as a revenue source is increasingly a race to the bottom, as ads earn less while the big ad platforms rake in all the cash.
  • So paywalls are the way to go. This is not as simple as slapping a subscription form onto your website - a publisher needs to have something worth subscribing to. This means building a news brand through outstanding content that is hard to find elsewhere. The days of churnalism are coming to an end (that writing has been on the wall for a long while) and proper journalism needs to retake center stage for any publisher that still wants to be around in five years.
  • Coincidentally, building a news brand is also the best way to grow your search traffic. Google's fight against low quality spam content means it is increasingly falling back on signals that big brand names have plenty of. If you're a struggling niche news website, you have to work on finding your brand voice and build a loyal audience. If you're a big news brand, do whatever you can to bind your audience to you.
     
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • Algorithm updates and manual penalties will continue to be the instruments through which Google polices its search results in 2025, so prepare for bumpy rides. Some algorithm updates may go by without fuss, and others could wreak havoc. The net effect in 2025, as it was in 2024 and 2023, is less traffic to publishers. The space will continue to narrow, with harsher competition for fewer clicks.
  • Antitrust may throw a few interesting spanners in the works, so publishers should be agile and adaptable to new environments, whatever shapes these may take
      
• What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?
  • Balancing SEO best practices with journalistic values, particularly when trying to optimize for traffic while maintaining editorial quality.
     
• Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?
  • No. AI overviews are no more a threat than any other feature Google has thrown onto its increasingly cluttered search results. AIO is not what publishers should fear - algorithm updates have an infinitely greater destructive potential.
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • Maybe. Discover can be a rich source of traffic, but one that could disappear in the blink of an eye. However seductive it is to build a strategy on Discover, you should always treat it as a traffic source that can be gone from one day to the next. If Discover visits are your lifeblood, you are one step away from oblivion.
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • Topical/Entity Driven SEO
  • Traffic Diversification Beyond Google
  • Brand development and audience loyalty.
     
• Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?
  • Yes.

Clara Soteras

Title: SEO for News Publishers Consultant and Head of Innovation and Digital Strategy at AMIC at Consultant and AMIC

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • I believe that in 2025, the work of media SEOs will have to be more strategic than ever. Although we have always been, until now we prioritized working in our channel, in getting traffic through Google Search, but with all the changes that are expected and the uncertainty of how the search landscape will change, both by large technology companies and by the regulatory part (thinking of Europe), and user behavior, we must be open to working with other departments and areas and prepare a comprehensive strategy to capture audience.
  • Personally, I believe that in 2025 media SEOs will have to continue to focus on creating and optimizing content for Google Discover, since right now it is the main traffic channel for the media, but we also have to prioritize strategies that continue to allow us to gain topical authority and for our authors, improving the EEAT.
  • I also consider that a third opportunity to gain traffic, and this goes far beyond SEO, is the creation of a quality journalistic product that can be monetized focused on a niche audience, either by topic or by local focus, something that is also working very well in Google Discover. Big media have already initiated hyperlocal strategies in Spain, for example, gaining new unique users.
     
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • I think Google's big changes in 2025 will come with the global implementation of AI Overviews. In the EU it has not yet been rolled out due to the wait that tech companies are giving to the AI Act, the EU's artificial intelligence law. Although it has been active since August 2024, it is not very clear, in legal terms what conversational engines can and cannot do and how they should display and cite information gathered from the media.
  • I think the big change will come here and also keep in mind that the biggest change will surely come when those engines start 1. to be the new way to find information from users and 2. those engines have the ability to access information in real time, so that would affect the breaking news work that particularly differentiates the media.
  • We will have to be prepared to make decisions and understand SEO differently, because SEO will not disappear but it will change a lot. We will have to adapt to the use of AI by citizens and surely to each type of audience, as we have already done also by entering one or another social network.
     

  Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?

  • I believe that in 2025 media professionals should explore other avenues of monetization as we are already seeing and have been doing for some time.
  • We started with newsletters and subscription models and paywalls, but this does not work for all communities and audiences. Something that is taking off strongly are the offers of events focused on a thematic niche, such as managers, or entrepreneurs, legal experts, or trainings, offered with partners through the media and that serve to monetize and get funding from another perspective.
  • In addition, advertising and sponsorship is something we should continue to explore because social networks are not going to be a channel to get page views or large numbers with branded content. 

  What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?

  • The role of an SEO in a newsroom in 2025 will have to have above all skills of innovation, different thinking, strategy, creativity and propose new ways of working, understanding content and devising new formats. AI will help us automate some processes, but surely the role of an SEO in the media will also be the person who will introduce AI to journalists and train them to use it in a positive way. We already did it at the time and the figure of the SEO is always the disruptive person who comes with changes and proposals and we will have to gain the trust of journalists, editors and bosses to rely on that. And I would like to add something here and that is that we should not be afraid to test and try new things, tools or formats.

  What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?

  • Staying ahead of Google's algorithm updates.
     
• Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?
  • Maybe. 
     
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • Yes. It is currently the channel that is bringing the most traffic to the media and for the moment the strategy to maintain the volume of page views has to be focused here. We don't know how the search landscape will change but this channel seems not to be shrinking and here is an opportunity to grow in local audiences.
     
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • E-E-A-T
  • Google Discover
  • Traffic Diversification
     
• Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?
  • Maybe.

Greg Jarboe

Title: President and Co-founder at SEO-PR

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • News deserts will bloom with local journalism -  Ellen Clegg and Dan Kennedy studied the pioneers who were starting local news outlets in their communities in their groundbreaking book, What Works in Community News. These initiatives in local journalism will start blooming in 2025.
  • Video podcasts break through traditional formats and verticals - Video podcasts are fast becoming the leading platform for political news, instead of traditional TV interviews.
    • In 2024, both candidates in the United States presidential election prioritized appearances on popular video podcasts like "The Joe Rogan Experience," which has 18.9 million YouTube subscribers, "All The Smoke," which has 1 million YouTube subscribers, and "Call Her Daddy," which also has 1 million YouTube subscribers.
    • The video podcast's influence extended beyond politics and into cultural influence, as evidenced by the viral success of Katt Williams's interview on “Club Shay Shay.”
      • Cultural Impact: The in-depth conversation, spanning several hours, sparked widespread discussion online, with reactions, memes, and even an SNL parody.
      • Viewership Surge: Club Shay Shay saw a significant boost in 2024, reaching over 530 million views. The Katt Williams episode alone accounted for over 83 million views, highlighting its immense popularity.
      • Strategic Content Delivery: Shannon Sharpe's innovative approach of releasing the interview in short clips on platforms like Shorts effectively amplified its reach and contributed to its cultural impact.
      • Platform for Black Voices: The interview also provided a valuable platform for exploring Black culture and celebrity experiences.
    • In 2025, video podcasts will continue revolutionizing media by allowing public figures to engage with their target audiences in a more authentic and intimate way.
      • Shifting the Paradigm: Traditional media often relies on formal interviews, while video podcasts offer a more relaxed and conversational setting.
      • Targeted Audience Connection: This format enables public figures to connect with specific audiences in a more personal and meaningful way.
  • In 2025, publishers should encourage (but not require) journalists and editors to add links to related or interesting content from credible sources.
  • In addition, publishers should begin conducting surveys to help advertisers understand the information sources their customers are using to discover new brands and products. This should help publishers to convince more advertisers to make strategic investments in news sites, blogs, and magazines, which are not only raising brand awareness, but also generating indirect traffic, leads, and sales days later through the Direct and Organic Search channels.
     
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • Google will make changes that are good for Google, not News SEOs. So, instead of letting the tail wag the dog, News SEOs need to find new ways to measure their success in 2025.
  • For example, News SEOs need to use Brand Lift surveys to measure the impact of their editorial content as well as ads on their news sites, blogs, and magazines have on people’s perception of a product or brand. YouTube, Meta (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest offer advertisers brand lift studies. We should also measure our impact on Ad recall, Awareness, Consideration, Favorability, and Purchase intent.
     

  Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?

  • As I mentioned above, News SEOs should pay attention to the growing popularing of video podcasts. It's worth noting the YouTube is the world's second largest search engine, behind only Goiogle. YouTube has over 2.5 billion monthly active users. In addition, they should create more subscriber-only newsletters. It's worth noting that The New York Times has more than 80 email newsletters, which regularly drive traffic back to the news site.
     

  What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?

  • Instead of fearing AI, the journalists and editors in newsrooms should view it as a valuable asset to enhance their skills in 2025. Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, accurately observed that those who effectively utilize AI, not AI itself, will gain an advantage. Recent comparisons of AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude reveal that while they can outperform entry-level workers, they struggle to match the depth of understanding and critical thinking demonstrated by experienced professionals. A study at the University of Reading found that ChatGPT-4 excelled on simpler, introductory-level exams. However, when faced with higher-level questions requiring in-depth analysis and critical thinking, human students in their final year consistently outperformed the AI model. Therefore, embrace AI as a powerful tool, but recognize that its effectiveness hinges on the expertise and judgment of the human operator. Avoid becoming reliant on AI in a way that diminishes your own critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
     

  What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?

  • Measuring the ROI of SEO efforts.
     
• Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?
  • Maybe. It depends on how publishers respond to the change. Last year, I said that AI is no more of a threat to journalism in the 21st century than the telegraph was a threat to journalism in the 19th century. But the telegraph changed the way journalists wrote stories, from telling chronological narratives to using the inverted pyramid to put the most important information in the lead paragraph. Now, change may prompt complaints – just like there were complaints about “yellow journalism” in the 1880s, when Joseph Pulitzer cut the price of the New York World to a penny, hired Nelly Bly, and then added bolder headlines, more prominent illustrations, sports pages, women’s sections, advice columns, as well as comic strips. One comic strip featured a street urchin in a yellow shirt, and a hostile critic coined the term “yellow journalism” as a damning label for this kind of high-voltage newspaper. Today, most news media would love it if their text reporters, photographers, videographers, graphic artists, producers, or journalists won a Pulitzer Prize. So, they should adopt AI – where it makes sense. And they won’t know where it makes sense until they conduct lots and lots of experiments.
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • Maybe. It depends on the type of content that your news site, blog, or magazine creates.
     
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • Traffic Diversification Beyond Google
     
• Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?
  • Maybe.

Matthew Brown

Title: Managing Director at MJBLabs

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • Adapt to the user behavior changes in news consumption. People are gradually moving away from active search to more passive news delivery channels (like Discover and TikTok). It's starting to feel a bit like the move from print to digital in the early 2000s: We know it's happening, we're tied to the current legacy distribution and revenue models, and we're moving too slow. News SEOs will need to be fluent in audience behavior across all the news discovery channels, not just search engines.
  • With regards to making that shift, bundling and aggregation strategies will be key to winning in 2025 and beyond. How do you package your news in a way that users can find on any platform, AI or search engine? Is it by topic, recency, a mix of evergreen and new content, local/national, trending? These are all going to be necessary decision points that go way beyond current web architectures.
  • Personalization will explode as a key driver of news visibility. Publishers will need to figure out how to package and target content for many types of news consumers instead of one-size-reaches-all.
     
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • The standard format of Google News/Top Stories is pretty dated at this point, and I'd expect it to evolve into something that looks some mashup of Top Stories/AI Overviews/Discover. I'd bet this comes with a heavy degree of personalization and localization, so focusing on local or topical expertise could set a news org apart with better visibility and stronger user engagement.
     

  Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?

  • All of the usual AI engines are good answers here and something I'll be very focused on.
  • I'd also expect Apple News + Apple Intelligence to make big steps forward in 2025. Google has shown little interest in staffing or evolving the "News" product, and it wouldn't surprise me to see Apple pick up significant news market share on iOS.
     
• What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?
  • Data aggregation and delivery tasks that make newsroom life easier. A good example of this is synthesizing multi-channel audience data to swiftly make changes on everything from website navigation to advertising formats to news bundling to content calendars. Too much of the data that newsrooms need is lagging, and AI can get actionable data to them faster. Better equipped newsrooms will have the advantage they need to win what will become an increasingly tough content battle as AI accelerates commoditization across search.

  What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?

  • Adapting SEO in the News Room
     

  Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?

  • Yes. Many queries that generate the biggest traffic are surface-level information queries like "Did someone win the Mega Millions jackpot?" - these are the most endangered by AI Overviews.
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • Yes. Discover is likely to be integrated with News and Top Stories in 2025 and beyond. This will be a News optimization challenge for SEO teams.
     
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • Google Discover
  • Topical/Entity Driven SEO
  • Traffic Diversification Beyond Google
• Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?
  • Yes.

Aleyda Solis

Title: International SEO Consultant at Orainti

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • Provide input to establish a content strategy that on one hand, takes into account the threat of AI Overviews and LLMs toward informational content, as well as EEAT and the latest policies released by Google; from topics to angles, it's a must to establish a USP that incentivize users to visit the publication.  
  • Build a recognizable brand and entity by search engines that's aligned with the topical relevance and content offering provided by the site 
  • Provide a delightful user web experience, which is unfortunately still a big challenge for too many publications.  
     
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • AI Overviews further inclusion 
• Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?
  • YouTube and Newsletters
• What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?
  • AI can be helpful in automating workflows and facilitating data and trends analysis 
• What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?
  • Aligning the content business model vs Google search policies/guidelines vs the thread of AI/LLMs as discovery platforms

  Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?

  • Yes. It will depend on the type of content that's used by the publication to attract most of its traffic; however, given the informational focus of AIOs, it's likely to erode this type of content. 
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • Yes. It's a huge traffic driver for publishers
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • E-E-A-T
  • AI Overview Optimization
  • Technical SEO
  • Topical/Entity Driven SEO

  Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?

  • No.

Megan Harney

Title: Director, Audience Growth at NBCU

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • Welcome to 2025 - a SEO circus that will see AI totally transform the search landscape. Publishers will need to juggle rich, quality content with easy to digest AI approved snippets to continue to grow traffic and revenue. As zero-click search continues to grow, every featured snippet, knowledge panel and AI-powered summary will likely prove more important - and each click worth more than ever before. 
  • Along with content clarity, a seamless user experience, originality , and unique content offerings, a well-designed funnel strategy will be essential for converting single-click visitors into engaged users, compensating for the decline in click volume. 
     
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • Any change to Discover could have a profound impact on traffic in 2025. The environment has increasingly overtaken the SERP when it comes to clicks and as Google doubles-down on using the space to give users more of what they like, publishers are presented with huge opportunities for traffic - so long as they're deemed an authority in niche entities. Growing brand authority and leaning into performance metrics could make or break a publisher's traffic for the year to come. 

  Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?

  • Previously underutilized search engines like Bing, Gen Z's favorite platform TikTok, AI-driven tools such as SearchGPT, and, of course, robust CRM programs.
• What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?
  • Newsrooms should leverage AI to gain valuable insights into how potential visitors are interacting with new platforms, enabling them to deliver content that is optimized for both AI and user preferences. However, SEOs must approach AI with caution. While these tools offer significant benefits, over-reliance on them in an era that increasingly prioritizes brand authority and original content could undermine the very qualities that made your newsroom stand out in the first place.
• What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?
  • Measuring the ROI of SEO efforts
     
• Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?
  • Maybe. If Google features the right content from authoritative publishers it seems they could actually improve visibility. However, as with everything Google does, AIO's are unpredictable and often feature questionable sites. It's too early to tell what impact this feature will have on traffic moving forward.  
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • Yes. 
     
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • AI Overview Optimization
  • E-E-A-T
  • Google Discover
  • UX
     
• ​Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?
  • Yes.

Harry Clarkson-Bennett

Title: SEO Director at The Telegraph

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • Focusing your time on content that converts well for your brand. Broad explainers may still make sense for your business, but are they genuinely helpful to your audience. 
  • Content diversity. In the latest version of the Web Almanac for SEO, only around 5% of pages had video on. Whilst that might not be necessary for your brand, how can you make your pages richer? Will text to speech help? Infographics? Article summaries? You've got to capture people's attention.
  • Technical SEO. Whilst I don't think Google is dying as such, it is waning. Results are worse than they have been for a long time. They have an inability to deal with issues algorithmically. International brands ranking in UK market Top Stories and vice versa. The pie is dwindling. So can you push to gather people's data and become less reliant on search.
     
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • Google are clearly far more revenue focused than they have ever been. When combined with a worse algorithm than at any time in the last few years, it doesn't make for pretty reading.
  • Whilst AIOs are a change, I think they're a bit of a smokescreen to the fundamental issues. Primarily that Google's algorithm isn't hitting the mark and alternatives like Perplexity and ChatGPT provide really salient alternatives for informational queries. 
  • How people are using Google is changing. It's very purchase and brand focused. So do what you can to build a brand and think about SEO as part of a wider ecosystem instead of a lone wolf. How can search and social combine and become more powerful? How can you better leverage your authors as individuals?
     
• Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?
  • Syndication. Paywalls. Leveraging your authors as individual entities. Brand partnerships. Reddit takeovers. Optimising for LLMs when the time is right. Creating a more powerful, prominent brand with digital PR. 
  • Ultimately build a stronger brand and create a memorable experience.
     
• What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?
  • Researching. Summarising. Fact checking. Punctuation. Analysing large datasets. Identifying opportunities. Page quality checking prior to launch. Internal link automation.
  • Anything that makes your life easier.
     
• What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?
  • Adapting SEO in the News Room
     
• Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?
  • No. Slightly, but not really. It may cause traffic losses in certain areas - particularly longer life content. But I think there are bigger threats than AIOs specifically. Google's dropping market share, international sites ranking in Top Stories consistently, an algorithm rewarding at best unusual content... AIOs are masking real issues with Google's primary algorithm and their inability to deal with problems
    .
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • No. It's not something you can ever hang your hat on. It should come from doing other things well.
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • E-E-A-T
  • Technical SEO
  • Traffic Diversification Beyond Google
     
• Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?
  • Maybe.

Louisa Frahm

Title: SEO Director at ESPN

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • To drive significant traffic and revenue growth in 2025, I recommend that news SEOs zone in on
    1. Utility and evergreen article production
    2. Content recirculation
    3. SEO best practices and fundamentals.
  • AI overviews love utility and evergreen content. It's critical for news SEO strategists to research top questions for their target audiences that can connect with the platform. There's also been a decline in Top Stories carousels over the past year (TBD what Google is ultimately cooking up), making it increasingly clear that we can't rely solely on the breaking news cycle for news SEO success. We need to create content that can connect with the breaking news cycle *and* have long-term legs for search relevancy, to drive traffic over time.
  • Moving into content recirculation, utility and evergreen posts can also transcend search and spark new reader connections within other audience engagement channels. Our SEO vision needs to expand beyond page one of the SERPs, to sustain a successful publishing presence in 2025. During content brainstorming, production, and recirculation, we need to consider every type of reader that could benefit from our expertise.
  • Prioritizing best practices and fundamentals along the way will ensure that we remain competitive in the ever-evolving SEO landscape. With visibility decreasing amid AIO and the digital publishing space becoming more clogged, it's essential to fire on all cylinders with CMS and UX standards.
  • If you were lucky enough to "get away" with things before and still maintain an audience, your slack will likely tighten up this year. Aside from Google pressure, 2025 readers are exposed to an increasingly expanding cornucopia of content providers on a daily basis. With attention spans dwindling, you need to produce articles that will draw in new users and make repeat users want to stay for good.
  • E-E-A-T remains as important as ever, to stand out amongst the tsunami of digital offerings. To sum it up: Working in news SEO in 2025 is not for the faint of heart. With adaptability, creativity, and invincibility, we'll make it to the next frontier and have some fun along the way.
     
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • With AI overviews, we have to redefine our standards of SEO visibility. AI overviews signify the latest installment in Google's increasing greediness for above the fold space. We've seen this trend for years with knowledge panels taking over SERPs during high priority windows like elections, award shows, and sporting events.
  • Last year saw AI overviews take up valuable SERP real estate on more and more queries, increasing long-term CTR concerns. There's also been bad buzz for inaccurate results, inefficient attribution, and insufficient reporting. Regardless of issues, Google has pushed the initiative forward.
  • As we work through the kinks, we need to prioritize user-friendly content that the platform connects with. It's more important than ever to pursue explainers that answer user queries in simple and effective ways. Questions are king!
  • Additionally, we can no longer rely on the SERPs as a one-stop shop for SEO success. With AI overviews limiting potential visibility, we have to boost recirculation of search-friendly content via website placement, apps, alerts, newsletters, social media platforms, and other audience engagement channels. Search tools like Google Trends can provide trigger points for SEO-driven content that can shine beyond the SERPs. Wings of audience engagement need to be more in sync than ever, to give utility content every avenue to connect with readers. 

  Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?

  • In 2025, I'm keeping a close eye on TikTok and Reddit as alternative search platforms. Over the past few years, TikTok search has given Google a run for its money, especially with the Gen Z demographic. With Reddit's official Google partnership kicking off in 2024, the influence of the platform on SERPs is undeniable.
  • Though these platforms can be perceived as a threat to traditional search traffic, I also see them as avenues of opportunity for content inspiration. TikTok and Reddit can be fruitful grounds for finding trending topics and user queries that can translate into search-friendly resources. Off of the success of TikTok, I'm prioritizing video as a way to expand the reach of utility content. It's important for news SEO strategists to pinpoint which written explainers can translate effectively into video assets, to connect with more readers and enhance brand visibility. 
     
• What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?
  • AI should be a strategic tool, not the entire operation. AI tools are great for kickstarting work within a newsroom (EX: Generating story ideas) and supplementing existing workflows (EX: AI-generated summaries). As we experiment with new ideas, it is critical that human eyes always crosscheck AI work, to maintain journalistic integrity. It's also crucial to be transparent with our audiences when AI plays a significant role, so readers are clear on sourcing. With honesty and legitimacy leading the way, AI can usher in an exciting new era of newsroom innovation. 
     

  What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?

  • Adapting SEO in the News Room

  Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?

  • Yes. AIO has built on the growing trend of Google knowledge panels grabbing above the fold space during high priority news windows. The difference is that AIO wants to dominate top shelf space around the clock. With limited space to shine in the actual AIO carousel, many publishers will inevitably drop off on searches that they previously performed on. Even if publishers secure carousel placement, many users are likely to trust the AIO summary vs. click into the actual article. The entire user experience is different and kind to Google, not to publishers. CTR concerns are very real. This is why it is more important than *ever* to look beyond the first page of the SERPs and explore supplementary audience engagement channels for content recirculation. 
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • Yes. Google Discover is a fun feature that connects better with some publishers over others, depending on your primary subject matter. It's helpful to monitor your site's performance in the platform and track recurring themes that you can repurpose in future content. I would stress that you shouldn't cater your entire content strategy around GD, as the algorithm can be temperamental and tough to nail down. I think of it as a supplementary traffic source ripe for experimentation. I would put other audience engagement priorities above GD, but it's certainly an area of interest and opportunity. 
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • AI Overview Optimization
  • E-E-A-T
  • Traffic Diversification Beyond Google

  Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?

  • No.

Carly Steven

Title: Global Head of SEO at MailOnline

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • Tracking and understanding the impact of AIOs and chatbots on your search traffic - which are the keywords you most care about in terms of their value to your specific business goals (traffic, subscriptions, conversions etc) and how are new AI features positively or negatively affecting your KPIs?
  • If you're in any way involved with commercial content you need to be all over Google's spam policies and working closely with the relevant teams to ensure your content meets and surpasses the quality benchmark if you want to survive and thrive - starting with a thorough audit of existing content.
  • Brand search - we know from the December exploit uncovered by Mark Williams-Cook that Google results are influenced by site quality scores which are, in part, informed by searches that include a brand name and clicks on a brand's content when that brand doesn't rank first - focusing on building authority so users append your name to a query (think Reddit-related searches), has never been more important.
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • This could be the year when SEOs start taking other search engines seriously.
     
• What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?
  • Measuring the ROI of SEO efforts

  Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?

  • Yes. 
     
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • No.
     
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • E-E-A-T
  • Technical SEO
  • Traffic Diversification
     
• Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?
  • Yes.

Chandan Kumar

Title: Head of Audience Growth at The Indian Express Group Digital

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • Google Discover, Organic Positioning on ever changing SERP
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • I think 2025 will be a challenging landscape for the publishers due to ongoing Google updates and new innovations in SERP on various queries. AIO itself is gaining good traction and reaching ~1B users/month. According to me, these experiments are disruptive in nature for publishers and the remaining part of SERPs are not showing publishers as much as we'd like to see on dozens of queries. 
  • From the publisher side, Google as an acquisition channel is still a critical, valuable and massive source of traffic among other acquisition channels. Also, since intent of content consumption has changed from Google Search to Google Discover in India, casual acquisition will take over traffic engagement which is bound to drop going further. 
     
• Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?
  • Publishers have to prioritize building a strong presence on alternative platforms, focusing on creating content that authentically connects with and engages their audiences.
  • Investments in emerging formats, especially video and audio-based content, will gain momentum as publishers aim to diversify their engagement and reach. 
• What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?
  • AI will be used to track and evaluate listing pages at scale. AI can also be used to create traffic cushion for data driven pages. 
• What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?
  • Measuring the ROI of SEO efforts

  Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?

  • Yes. I think 2025 will be a challenging landscape for the publishers due to ongoing Google updates and new innovations in SERP on various queries. AIO itself is gaining good traction and reaching ~1B users/month. According to me, these experiments are disruptive in nature for publishers and the remaining part of SERPs are not showing publishers as much as we'd like to see on dozens of queries. 
     
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • Yes. From the publisher side, Google as an acquisition channel is still a critical, valuable and massive source of traffic among other acquisition channels. Also, since intent of content consumption has changed from Google Search to Google Discover in India, casual acquisition will take over traffic engagement which is bound to drop going further. 
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • AI Enhanced/Generated Content
  • AI Overview Optimization
  • Technical SEO
     

  Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?

  • No.

Crystal Chesters

Title: Senior SEO Editor at Thomson Reuters

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • Building direct audience relationships and reducing reliance on search. This includes newsletters, apps, and other on-platform channels as well as subscribers. 
  • Differentiating content through unique angles, expertise and original reporting as AI content floods the internet. 
  • Experimenting with new content formats (e.g. audio and visual) and platforms to reach new audiences. Although it’s hard to optimise for Google Discover, many publishers will continue to try.
     
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • Google will see an expansion of its AI overviews and other SERP features that reduce publisher visibility. It may expand the types of content it shows in these, for example introducing more hard news content or adding multimedia elements. We’ll continue to see a decline in search traffic as Google prioritises its own features. We can also expected continued volatility and unpredictability as it updates its algorithms, forcing publishers to quickly adapt.
     

  Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?

  • As Google become a less reliable source of traffic, and amid its ending legal cases, publishers will continue exploring new ways to build communities around other platforms. This includes things like apps, podcast, newsletters and events.
  • Leveraging paywalls to engage better with loyal readers will become increasingly important too.
     
• What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?
  • the rise of AI-generated search content is going to be the biggest trend publishers need to watch out for in 2025. Although currently AI overviews are mainly limited to evergreen content, it’s possible that hard news content could be incorporated into them at some point this year, and already we know that news that becomes evergreen is appearing in them. It will be important for publishers to figure out how to optimise for AI overviews (and whether they want to) and get to grips with how to appear on AI search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity since these could become increasingly important referrers. 

  What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?

  • Adapting SEO in the News Room

  Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?

  • Yes. Because it often results in zero clicks 
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • No. This traffic source is unreliable and referrals fluctuate significantly. It’s difficult to optimise for and can’t be depended upon for sustained traffic growth. 
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • E-E-A-T
  • AI Overview Optimization
  • Traffic Diversification Beyond Google

  Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?

  • Yes.

Philippe Yonnet

Title: CEO at NEPER

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • For me, the priority in 2025 is to work on understanding what works in Google Discover. The Google Discover algorithm is simple to describe, but it's complicated to predict what will or won't be picked up by Discover. To understand this, you need data and you need to work at the right level of granularity: the named entity, the fine-grained theme, the temporality, user behaviour (lifespan, CTR), angles, the influence of external sources used by Google, and so on. Collecting all this data will enable you to adapt to the many changes taking place at Google, and to understand what works for you but not necessarily for others.
  • In 2025, applying recipes found on the internet to optimise your content for Google is an approach doomed to failure. You need to define guidelines that are specific to your site, your subject and your ecosystem.
     
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?

  • Within the EU, the dependence of News sites on traffic from Google in general and Google Discover in particular is reaching unprecedented levels. It is not uncommon (as is the case in France, for example) to find editorial sites where the proportion of GD traffic exceeds 75% of Search traffic, and constitutes the majority of traffic across all channels.

    Google's attitude towards the European media is ambiguous. On the one hand, they want to show that they are cooperative, present themselves as reliable partners and subsidise certain media. On the other, they are reluctant to apply the European Copyright Directive, which would require Google to pay news websites when it exploits their content.

    This situation is creating real uncertainty about the sustainability of the advertising models of a large number of media outlets. 

    In this highly conflicted context, it is difficult to predict exactly what Google's next move will be. But in all likelihood, be prepared for something that will again transfer part of your revenue to Google. Like penalties for ‘site reputation’ abuse, the downgrading of your content to commerce pages, or the rise of Youtube in the Discover cards...

• Beyond Google Search, what alternative platforms or strategies should news organizations explore to reach their audience in 2025?
  • Even if it's difficult to convert this traffic and monetise it, it's important to work on your social networking presence. This will help bootstrap the visibility of some of your articles, maintain a good level of branding and build reader loyalty. 
  • It's also essential for reinforcing all the signals that go to make up the authority of your source. 
  • Which social network should you work with? This depends a great deal on your theme, country, target audience and ecosystem. But don't abandon your efforts in this area just because it doesn't generate much traffic or money.
     
• What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?
  • In France and Western Europe, editorial departments are opposed in principle to the use of AI to create content. But at the same time, it is becoming problematic to do without the assistance of AI tools in a journalist's work, especially in certain sectors. 
  • With hindsight, it is becoming possible to identify the tasks where AI brings productivity gains without compromising on the quality of the information provided, data security or privacy. 2025 will be the year when AI tools begin to invade the daily lives of journalists in Europe. 
  • One of the factors likely to slow down adoption is the creation of a new dependency, for most of these tools, on LLMs of US rather than European origin. And the actions of the European regulatory authorities, whose decisions are highly respected by website publishers. 
     
• What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?
  • Lack of News SEO Tools

  Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?

  • No. In the UE, if we get AI Overviews one Day, it will be a very controlled and very watered-down version. And as long as it is how it is in the US, and Google Discover is still here, it will be yet another stone in the shoe, but no more.
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • Yes. It's the main source of Trafic, by far.
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • E-E-A-T
  • Technical SEO
  • Google Discover
  • Topical/Entity Driven SEO
  • AI Enhanced/Generated Content
• Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?
  • No.

Mateusz Mikoś

Title: Independent SEO Consultant, former Head of SEO at RASP

• What are the 1-3 most critical areas News SEOs should prioritize in 2025 to drive significant traffic and revenue growth?
  • Solving SEO Technical Challenges in an Era of Rising Energy Costs and AI: As AI-based tools and technologies become more complex, ensuring proper indexing and solving SEO technical challenges will become increasingly important. The rising energy costs associated with running these advanced systems could create new challenges
  • AI Traffic and Visibility Analytics: The emergence of AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity.ai, and others is changing the digital landscape. SEOs need to adapt their strategies to understand and leverage traffic from these channels, focusing on optimizing visibility, analyzing user behavior, and integrating AI-powered SEO into their overall plans.
     
• What do you think will be the biggest changes in Google that News SEOs should pay attention to and prepare for in 2025 for greater News SEO success?
  • In 2025, I anticipate uncertainty and fluctuations in organic traffic due to increasingly frequent algorithm updates. It might feel like a "traffic carousel," but those who were prepared for these changes have managed to ready their websites appropriately.
    In 2023, at Ringier Axel Springer, we invested significant effort, particularly in technical areas. Thanks to this, in 2024, we were able to enjoy results comparable to those of 2022 – a time when the dominant media trend was the war in Ukraine.
     

  What role should AI play in News SEO and Newsrooms in 2025?

  • There are plenty of ideas for using AI - it's a matter of creativity, but it certainly shouldn't be used for mass content generation. In a competitive digital environment, building a strong brand presence and gaining user trust will be more important than ever.

  What is the biggest challenge facing News SEO teams?

  • Advanced SEO Skills

  Do you think Google AI Overview is a threat to publishers' traffic?

  • Yes. Only if you base your strategy on Search. There are plenty of other products on Google that are perfectly capable of offsetting this threat.
     
• Should Google Discover be a top priority for News SEOs in 2025?
  • No. You need to think broadly and try to balance traffic channels.
• Choose the top 3 priorities for SEOs to focus on in 2025:
  • AI Optimization
  • Topical/Entity Driven SEO
  • Traffic Diversification Beyond Google
     

  Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are a threat to Google Search in 2025?

  • Maybe.