How SEO Captured High-Intent Demand in 2025 [Part 4]

Feb 10

Local search and AI-driven discovery reshaped SEO performance in 2025

Hi H Client!

SEO continues to be the foundation of long-term demand, not because it produces the most traffic, but because it captures prospects when intent is highest. In 2025, that distinction mattered more than ever.

Across the industry, AI Overviews and evolving search behavior contributed to a 20–40% decline in organic traffic. Despite that pressure, our long-tenured SEO clients saw meaningful year-over-year lead growth, driven by stronger visibility, local presence, and conversion efficiency.

This final installment focuses on the trends that mattered most.

2025 SEO Performance Trends

Timeframe: Full year 2025

Client set: Long-standing SEO clients active since early 2024 with consistent call tracking

Total organic leads increased 23.8% year over year
Average organic leads per client increased 23.8%
Website organic leads increased 8.7%
Google Business Profile leads increased 30.6%

Local visibility continued to outperform traditional website organic growth, reinforcing the importance of Google Business Profiles as a primary demand driver.

What Changed in Search and Why Performance Held

Search behavior shifted decisively in 2025. AI-powered results reduced clicks, but high-intent actions such as calls, directions, and branded searches remained resilient.

Clients who maintained performance did so by:

Prioritizing local and branded visibility
Aligning SEO efforts with service-level intent
Improving conversion paths rather than chasing traffic volume

Traffic softened. Lead quality did not.

Emerging Signal: AI-Driven Discovery

Leads attributed to AI-powered platforms increased by more than 1,800% year over year.

While this channel remains small today, the growth rate is a clear signal. Discovery is expanding beyond traditional search engines, and brands with strong SEO fundamentals such as clear structure, authority, and relevance are the ones showing up.

This is not a replacement for SEO. It is an extension of it.

Cost Efficiency Remains a Core Advantage

Using a consistent annual investment-to-lead methodology, organic search continued to deliver high-intent leads at a low effective cost, remaining one of the most efficient channels in the mix when evaluated over time rather than month to month.

Unlike paid media, SEO performance compounds, supporting demand even as platforms and algorithms evolve.

What This Signals for the Year Ahead

SEO success in 2026 will not be defined by traffic volume. It will be defined by visibility, trust, and conversion across every search surface, including local packs, AI-generated results, and traditional listings.

Winning strategies will:

Lean further into local and branded demand
Optimize for AI-assisted discovery
Treat traffic as a signal, not the goal

This wraps up our 2025 Client Insider recap series. From awareness to intent to conversion, the pattern is consistent. Sustainable growth comes from channels built to capture demand when it matters most.

Until Next Week,
Lauren Cullnan
Senior Director of Client Experience & Design Operations