3 SEO Best Practices for Success in 2025 Inspired by HubSpot's INBOUND

You’ve sharpened your keywords, built a content pillar strategy, and checked all the inbound marketing boxes.  So, why does it feel so hard to get website traffic these days?

Of course, you’ve poured your blood, sweat, and tears into these tactics because up until now, these were the solutions that worked.  

The future of SEO is flashing before our eyes, and when the rules shift, we need to change our game.  And the good news is, you’re about to learn how with insights from HubSpot’s latest INBOUND conference and some of the top performers in marketing today.

Your 2025 SEO strategy won’t be complete without these key tips:

1. Why Educational Content is Out (What You Should Make Instead)
2. Hot Take: AI Agents Are the New Apps (and Best Use Cases)
3. The Timeless Truth: What Buyers Will Still Need from You in the Future

Let’s get you ready for the next generation of SEO.

1. Why Educational Content is Out (What You Should Make Instead)

AI overviews are speeding toward traditional SEO like Doc’s Delorean.  And every summary they spit out gets users the answers they need without landing on your website.

In Dale Bertrand’s INBOUND session, he highlighted that searchers “want a direct answer, not a research project”, and for some queries, would rather get a quick fix than the right one. 

But before you throw your content efforts into the compost bin, you can fuel AI with the answers to simple questions to help build your brand.

For example, if someone searches for the best theme for HubSpot, our Clean Pro Theme might pop up. 

You may not see direct traffic from a search like this, but your brand still shows up. Want to kick your content into high gear and get people to click? HUMAN content is the plutonium that will power your Delorean. 

According to Brightedge Labs, “human” industries like restaurants and travel are less affected by AI overviews because readers want a real person’s experience.

The key is to make content that’s hard for AI to copy, like:

• Charts and images with helpful captions (more tips on high-performing images here)
• Tools (like pricing calculators)
• Videos (like YouTube)
• Stories from real life, like “What I Learned About…”

Tip to Try:

Use ChatGPT (or tool of choice) to measure the uniqueness of content ideas and topics with this prompt: “Rate the novelty of this topic on a scale of 1 - 10, and explain how the rating was chosen."

2. Hot Take: AI Agents Are the New Apps (and Best Use Cases)

“There’s an AI for that”, according to HubSpot’s CTO and co-founder Dharmesh Shah. He predicted a hybrid future workplace with humans and AI, saying that AI will be more than tools, they will be teammates.

HubSpot is taking center stage in this narrative with the release of its marketplace agent.ai, where marketers, sales, and admins can hire AI agents to help with tasks from writing meta descriptions to doing company research. 

Popular SEO use cases include:

• Meta Tag Generator
• Backlink Opportunity Finder
• Search Keyword Research
• SEO Content Optimizer

Don’t see your use case here?  Build your own.  Non-coders can soon build DIY robots with the release of Agent Builder (currently in private beta).

Dharmesh has a gift for delivering heavy topics with levity (did you know he collects dad jokes in his “dadabase”? 🤓), but you might balk at his choice to use the word “hire”.  

This brave new world isn’t all rainbows and robots. Despite the rose-colored messaging, AI will replace some jobs. The question is: how will you use AI to adapt your current role, enhance your human creativity, and not be seen as replaceable in this dystopian marketplace?

Tip to Try:

In his INBOUND session, George B. Thomas shared a simple two-question framework to help get you started with AI:

1. Does this task require creativity, empathy, or human judgment? If so, you're in the driver's seat, but AI can support it. 

Try creating content with context. Here’s an example from George:

Start with this, then fact-check, tweak for SEO, and pop in some personality before you hit publish.

2. Is this task repetitive data-driven or time-consuming? 

Try hiring one of Dharmesh’s new agents to do the job.

3. The Timeless Truth: What Buyers Will Still Need from You in the Future.

Trust: buyers need to feel safe before they whip out their wallets.

Marcus Sheridan, champion of the Big 5 and They Ask, You Answer philosophy reminded us at INBOUND that while our strategies may shift, consumers’ fundamental concerns won’t change anytime soon.  Make sure your content covers these 5 questions (just remember not all of them will generate clicks…see above.  We’re playing the long game here).

And speaking of trust, HubSpot’s latest HeyGen integration (demoed at INBOUND by Andy Pitre) will make your skin crawl. Genuine empathy is something only humans can give, and an AI-generated version of you won’t create the connection your customers crave.

Tip to Try:

While “AI Andy” may not be up for the job, HubSpot’s big reveal, Breeze, is worth testing.

Don’t Lose Heart

As SEO continues to shift, it’s tough to watch your traffic dip and tempting to double down on old strategies.  But now you know better.

It’s time to let go of the need for validation from clicks for every piece of content.  I know…those virtual pats on the back were nice.  Remember while tools and strategies change, human nature doesn’t.  Whatever search terms you target or AI you try, don’t forget that on the other side of every click (or lack thereof) is a flesh and blood person.  

Steady your gaze on the humans you serve to stay balanced in this technological tornado. 

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