Is content marketing important for success in 2025? How quickly can ranking improvements be seen after optimising content? Is link building still important for SEO success?
We set out to answer these questions and more by surveying SEO and marketing experts across the UK with 20 questions designed to reveal current perceptions around content marketing in SEO. Here, we uncover the most important SEO and content techniques and trends within SEO and content to uncover what’s working, and what’s not, in 2025.
Our 20-question survey tapped into insights from SEO specialists (80%), content creators (10%), and marketing managers (10%), spanning agency (80%) and in-house (20%) roles.
44.4% of respondents work within teams of 2-5 involved in creating and planning SEO and/or content marketing tasks, 44.4% included 6-10 people, and 11.1% were individuals.
Key Content in SEO Survey Statistics
50% of survey respondents thought content marketing would be extremely important for SEO success in 2025.
70% of respondents thought 40-60% of your overall SEO strategy should focus on content.
40% of respondents thought content should be updated quarterly to maintain or improve its SEO performance.
70% of respondents thought after optimising existing content, ranking improvements can be seen after 2-4 weeks.
30% thought long-form guides/blog posts are the most valuable type of content for SEO in 2025.
70% of respondents thought E-E-A-T will play a critical role in content ranking in 2025.
40% thought displaying author bios in content creation is moderately important, 20% thought it’s extremely important.
100% of respondents prioritise creating evergreen content for SEO (vs. trend-based).
The top three priorities when optimising content for SEO were revealed as; search intent alignment (100%), E-E-A-T signals (60%) and internal linking (40%).
The biggest challenges faced in aligning content with SEO goals include time (30%) and measuring ROI (30%).
40% of respondents said link building will be very important for SEO success in 2025.
40% of respondents said they believe results can be seen through link building in 2-3 months.
Content Creation & Optimisation Survey Statistics
The Role of Content Marketing in 2025
How important will content marketing be for success in 2025?
50% of survey respondents thought content marketing would be extremely important for SEO success in 2025.
40% said it would be important.
10% said it would be of average importance.
What percentage your overall SEO strategy do you think should focus on content?
70% of respondents thought 40-60% of your overall SEO strategy should focus on content.
20% thought only 20-40% of an overall SEO strategy should focus on content.
While 10% of respondents thought 60-80% of an overall SEO strategy should focus on content.
Key Takeaway: Content remains a central pillar of SEO, with a majority recommending it make up nearly half of any SEO strategy.
Content Maintenance and SEO Impact
How frequently should existing content be updated to maintain or improve its SEO performance?
40% of respondents thought content should be updated quarterly to maintain or improve its SEO performance.
40% said every six months.
20% said monthly.
How quickly do you believe ranking improvements can be seen after optimising existing content?
70% of respondents thought ranking improvements can be seen after 2-4 weeks.
20% said 2-3 months.
10% said within 1 week.
Key Takeaway: Regular updates are essential, and SEO teams can expect to see results within a month after optimisation.
Content Types That Deliver
What’s the single most valuable type of content for SEO in 2025?
30% said long-form guides/blog posts.
20% said videos.
10% said interactive content, infographics, short-form blog posts, whitepapers respectively.
Expert insight: “Content format effectiveness depends on the industry. B2B sectors may benefit from whitepapers, while fashion and lifestyle brands may lean into video and infographics. A combination could be employed depending on the type of brand and customer, competition in the industry and broader marketing budget for content creation across other channels.”
E-E-A-T and Authorship
How important a role do you think E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) will play in content ranking in 2025?
70% of respondents thought E-E-A-T will play a critical role in content ranking in 2025.
10% said very important,.
20% said quite important.
How important do you consider displaying author bios to be in content creation?
40% thought displaying author bios in content creation is moderately important.
20% said extremely important.
10% said very important.
20% said somewhat important.
10% thought it’s not important.
Key Takeaway: According to SEO experts, authority matters more than ever. Including author bios and demonstrating expertise is becoming essential.
Evergreen vs. Trend-Based Content
Do you prioritise creating evergreen content or trend-based content for SEO?
100% of respondents prioritise creating evergreen content for SEO.
Why evergreen wins, according to experts:
- Offers long-term ROI
- Drives year-round organic traffic
- Attracts natural backlinks
- Easier to maintain
Expert insight: “Blending trends into evergreen pieces (e.g. incorporating “glass skin” into a skincare guide) can offer freshness without sacrificing longevity.”
Expert insight: “This depends on the brand and customer. A publisher would naturally focus more on trend-based vs evergreen, but B2B may use a mix of both with a heavier evergreen lean depending on available resources.”
Top SEO Content Optimisation Priorities
What are your top three priorities when optimising content for SEO?
Respondents ranked their top 3 SEO content focus areas:
- Search intent alignment (100%)
- E-E-A-T signals (60%)
- Internal linking (40%)
Other priorities included:
- Natural keyword integration (30%)
- Topic clusters (30%)
- Content depth and comprehensivness (20%)
- Featured snippet optimisation (10%)
- Acquiring backlinks (10%)
Key Takeaway: Meeting user intent is non-negotiable, and content must demonstrate authority and structure.
AI in Content Marketing Statistics
Do you currently use AI tools for content creation or optimisation?
50% said yes.
40% said no.
10% said planning to start.
What are your thoughts on the impact of AI-generated content on search rankings?
20% said positive.
30% said negative.
50% said neutral or unsure.
Expert insight: “AI Overviews have been shown to decrease organic CTR in overwhelming majority of cases. However, AI content is generally of lower quality and not yet well aligned to E-E-A-T principles.”
Which AI tools (if any) do you use for content marketing or SEO?
87.5% of respondents use ChatGPT.
12.5% of respondents use Claude, Midjourney, DALL-E, Deepseek, Qwen, and ChatGPT’s Deep Research feature respectively.
Key Takeaway: AI is being widely adopted, but there’s caution around its alignment with E-E-A-T and overall quality.
SEO and Content Challenges
What is the biggest challenge you face in aligning content marketing with SEO goals?
30% said time constraints.
30% responded measuring ROI.
10% said budget, lack of expertise, and keeping up with trends respectively.
Link Building Relevance in 2025 Statistics
How important will link building be for SEO success in 2025?
10% responded extremely important.
40% responded very important.
40% responded moderately important.
10% responded not very important.
Assuming sufficient time and expertise is applied, how quickly do you think results can be seen through link building?
40% said 2-3 months.
30% said 2-4 weeks
10% said 4-5 months.
10% said 6 months+.
10% said not sure.
Do you think high rankings on Google can be achieved purely through quality content, without the need for backlinks?
60% said it depends on the content subject.
20% said it’s possible, but really good content generates natural backlinks anyway.
10% said Yes it’s possible
10% said No it’s not possible.
Key Takeaway: Link building isn’t dead, but its role depends heavily on niche and content quality.
Advice for marketers focusing on content for SEO in 2025
Lucinda Wood – Head of SEO, Yellowball: “GEO and LLMO are the current ‘darlings’ of SEO in 2025, however, whilst it’s tempting to drop everything to focus on getting ahead in this emerging space, the principles of good content creation still apply – keeping focus on quality and authenticity rather than quantity typically wins out over the longer term.”
Luisa Pasquino – SEO & CRO Manager, SEPHORA: “Content needs to be bitesize and well optimised for mobile. Customers want to know key points of an article without having to read all the content, providing quick summaries / overviews are great. Video content is also appearing more in the SERPs so focusing efforts around this area is going to be a huge win.”
Thoughts from our SEO agency experts:
“Focus on creating high-quality, user-centric content that provides real value. In 2025, search engines are prioritising experience, expertise, authority, and trust (E-E-A-T) more than ever. Content shouldn’t only be optimised for keywords but also be engaging; incorporating elements like infographics and images to enhance user experience. While AI can assist with content creation, don’t rely on it too much; instead, focus on real-life experience and insights to build credibility and trust.”
“Make sure you conduct thorough research before launching into a plan. Rather than targeting volume and mirroring what your competitors are doing, focus on solving your user’s problems and accomplishing their goals. Content of that type and nature is far more likely to generate engagement, sharing and backlinks.”
“Create valuable content that surrounds your client’s website. Every website needs an educational standpoint to really engage their users. A quality content plan must act as a net that captures every possible customer/lead within the client’s space.”
“Don’t confuse word and copy with salient, actionable information. While in-depth and substantive copy is always good to aim for, ultimately quality and intent is more important than quantity.”
Final Thoughts
In 2025, content marketing in SEO isn’t just alive, it’s thriving. But quality, strategy, and credibility are more critical than ever. Brands must focus on building topical authority, ensuring every piece aligns with user intent, and demonstrating credibility through E-E-A-T.
While AI and automation offer exciting opportunities, the human element with expertise, trust, and strategic planning, is what will separate top-performing content from the rest.
Want to stay ahead in SEO in 2025? Focus on:
- Content that aligns with user intent
- Building trust and authority
- Regularly updating your pages
- Smart integration of the use of AI tools in processes
Yellowball is a web design and SEO agency in London.
Ready to optimise your content strategy for 2025? Get in touch with our team today.
