The past year in SEO has been… erratic. We’ve had more acronyms thrown at us than ever before. AI SEO, GEO, LLM SEO, “regular” SEO; enough acronyms to make a spaghetti soup outta’ them. Some of it’s noise, some of it’s real, but it all made 2025 feel like one big test lab.
So instead of just watching from the sidelines, I ran my own SEO experiments. Some worked better than expected. Others fell flat on their face.
In this post, I’m going to share the good, the bad, and the ugly.
What actually moved the needle and what didn’t.
At the end, I’ll show you the results of these SEO experiments.
The goal is simple: You can use the lessons from these SEO experiments to sharpen your own strategy, skip the dead ends, and double down on what’s working right now.
1. AI-Generated Content
AI has made it ridiculously easy for anyone with a computer to whip up an article in less than 10 seconds.
The barrier to entry has dropped through the floor.
Reminds me of the saying from Syndrome in The Incredibles:
“When everyone’s super, no one will be.”
Before AI, if you wanted to create an “ultimate” guide, it could take months.
I know because I’ve done it.
I’ve written 10,000+ word long-form guides that ranked number one on Google for keywords with thousands of searches per month, driving traffic to my website and building my domain authority in Google’s eyes.
But those projects took me three months a piece to create.
Nowadays I could create the same piece of content in a few days.
Some people see this as a bad thing.
They think:
“Great, now there’s more competition than ever.”
And in some ways, that’s true.
But there are two big caveats that flip this on its head:
1. AI makes mistakes.
If you’re not an expert in the subject, you won’t spot the nuances or inaccuracies it slips in.
That means there’s still a huge opportunity for people who actually know their stuff.
Expert, truthful content stands out even more now.
2. Uniqueness is in higher demand than ever.
When anyone can churn out generic content, originality becomes rare.
If you can weave in your own experiences, insights, and perspective instead of just letting AI do all the talking, your content cuts through the sea of generic-AI fluff.
And here’s the key point: it’s not about AI taking the driver’s seat.
The best content creators (the ones who were building magnificent content long before AI came along) already knew that tools change, but the cream always rises to the top.
AI should sit in the passenger’s seat.
Use it to speed up the process, to spark ideas, to make things more efficient.
If you stay in control, put your own spin on it, and use AI as a tool instead of a crutch, you’ll stand out in this new era of content creation.
Actionable Tips:
- Double-check AI outputs. Don’t just hit “enter” and assume it’ll post content-gold. Grab your detective magnifying glass and scan for errors.
- Add your perspective. Share your own unique experience. Stories. Metaphors. Colour it up.
- Use AI for speed, not substance. Let it draft, brainstorm, or outline, but you control the content.
- Target expertise, not volume. One high-quality, accurate piece beats ten generic AI-whip ups.
- Inject emotion and voice. AI can write words, but only you give it personality and punch that’s authentic to you and your brand.
2. Brand Building Over Link Building
For years, link building was the way Google decided who to trust.
If other reputable sites were linking to your content, that was a clear sign you knew what you were talking about and Google rewarded you with higher rankings.
Links are still very, very important.
But the game has shifted.
Link building is no longer the main point; it’s a sub-point in the bigger picture.
Today, it’s about brand building.
That means your focus shouldn’t just be on chasing backlinks.
Instead, it’s about getting your business and your brand featured in places that matter, becoming the go-to authority in your market. Links are a byproduct of that.
Brand building happens when you show up across multiple modalities of content:
- Getting featured on podcasts,
- Posting YouTube videos,
- Creating useful blog content,
- Being included in expert roundups,
- Getting mentioned by other respected voices in your industry.
All of that builds trust (not just with Google, but with people).
Here’s how I think about it:
I’m not someone who likes being bogged down in tiny details.
I’ve never been a “tech guy” who loves fiddling with every little metric or algorithm change.
I’ve always been a bloke who leaned towards focusing on the few things that bring the greatest return.
Give me two or three big things to stick to, and I can do them well.
Brand building is one of those big things.
If you consistently get your business seen in the right places, across different formats, you can’t go wrong.
Actionable Tips:
- Be everywhere. Podcasts, YouTube, blogs, expert roundups. Show up consistently.
- Focus on authority, not just links. Aim to be the go-to expert in your niche. Links will follow.
- Repurpose content across formats. One interview, one blog, one video. Spread it widely.
Related article: Repurposing Content: The Ultimate Guide
3. On-Page SEO Still Matters (More Than You Think)
One thing I’m still seeing in 2025 is that people are making the same old on-page SEO mistakes and AI is only amplifying them.
This is why being an expert on your subject (and on SEO itself) matters.
Because if you don’t know the basics, AI won’t save you.
In fact, it’ll just help you make more mistakes, faster.
The truth is, you don’t need to be scared of AI “taking over” if you know what you’re doing.
Because while everyone else is cutting corners, the fundamentals haven’t gone anywhere.
And most people are still tripping up on the simple stuff.
I’m talking about:
- Not matching content to actual search intent
- Ignoring exact search phrases users type into Google
- Sloppy H1 tags
- Weak meta titles and descriptions
- Messy URL slugs
- Forgetting image alt text
- Not placing target keywords in the right spots inside the content
These are the basics, but you’d be surprised how often they’re missed; even by people who should know better.
And here’s the opportunity: if you do get the basics right, you instantly stand out.
Because while the crowd is pumping out AI-generated fluff with half-baked optimization, you’re publishing content that’s actually structured to rank.
Sometimes, the edge isn’t in the latest hack or acronym.
It’s just about doing the simple things consistently, and doing them well.
Actionable Tip:
- Learn the fundamentals of SEO. AI can’t and won’t replace that.
4. Google’s Guidance: The Fundamentals Still Rule
It’s worth looking at what Google itself is saying about SEO in the age of AI.
In May, they put out a blog post called Top Ways to Ensure Your Content Performs Well in Google's AI Experiences on Search.
Most of it isn’t new.
It’s the basics of SEO with a few tweaks for AI.
Focus on unique, valuable content for people. Provide a great page experience. Keep the fundamentals in check. That’s the heart of it.
Danny Sullivan, Google’s public search liaison, recently said in his WordCamp US talk that “good SEO is good GEO.”
That principle isn’t new, but it’s worth repeating.
My belief is that Google’s #1 goal has always been to provide the best information possible to the searcher.
If someone’s looking for the best Thai food nearby, Google’s algorithm (using its best judgment) will try to surface the restaurant that really deserves it.
That includes photos, videos, reviews, and more.
But the core idea is simple: give the searcher the best answer.
If you focus on that (creating content that serves people, structured in a way that works for SEO and AI experiences) you don’t need to stress about chasing every new acronym or “hack.”
By staying true to the fundamentals and keeping Google’s goal in mind, your content will naturally perform.
At the end of the day, AI, link building, and fancy tactics are just tools.
What really matters is delivering value, being authentic, and staying focused on what your audience and Google both want: the best content possible.
Actionable Tips:
- Create “people-first” content. Content that genuinely answers questions and solves problems.
- Stick to the basics. Unique, valuable content, great page experience, clean structure.
- Use media strategically. Add photos, videos, and other elements that enhance the answer.
5. Results of My SEO Experiments
Before we get into the numbers, a quick preface:
I haven’t done any GEO, LLM, AISEO, AEO, AIO, BINGO - none of that stuff.
I’ve simply used the same strategies I’ve relied on for years to grow websites to over a thousand visitors per day.
And I’m doing it on a brand new domain.
This domain is literally six weeks old and I’m already beating a list of competitors who’ve been playing the game with their domain for 5+ years.
After applying the key strategies I’ve mentioned in this post, here are the results thus far:
On Google Search Console, my average search position went from 76.5 on July 25 to 33.3 on September 9.
I’ve already built the domain rating on Ahrefs to 31:
I’m ranking in the top spots for a few targeted keywords and even #1 in a few different places:
And Expert SEO is even being mentioned in ChatGPT, which is kind of fun to see. All of this within 6 weeks.
Given the exponential growth pattern of SEO, this is especially exciting.
Early success like this means that not only are these strategies working in the current SEO environment, but they’re likely to compound over time.
Think of it like marinating a steak: the flavors keep developing, and eventually, it turns into a masterpiece.
So what exactly did I do? The fundamentals:
- Content creation. High-quality, targeted content that addresses search intent.
- Keyword research. Finding the right phrases and matching them to user intent.
- Competitor analysis. Seeing what’s already working and identifying gaps.
- Brand building. Getting the site and business seen across multiple formats.
Of course, I’ve also handled technical SEO, on-page optimization, and other small details.
But those first four are the core drivers of the early success.
Wrapping Up My SEO Experiments
Just like learning any new skill, SEO has a small set of fundamentals that produce the highest return on your effort.
You can spend hours chasing every new tool, tactic, or update, but the reality is that a few core principles consistently move the needle.
No matter how many new acronyms, AI updates, or algorithm tweaks come along, if you focus on the fundamentals (quality content, proper keyword targeting, competitor analysis, brand building, and aligning your strategy with what Google wants), you don’t need to be scared.
This SEO experiment is proof.
On a brand-new domain, using the same tried-and-true fundamentals I’ve relied on for years, I’ve already seen remarkable growth in rankings, traffic, and authority all without chasing the latest “shiny object.”
Focus on the basics, do them consistently, and everything else becomes a multiplier rather than a crutch.
