3 Simple SEO Strategies for Businesses to Use in 2025

Intro

SEO isn’t about manipulating search engines; it’s about understanding your audience, creating valuable content, and staying realistic about your chances of ranking. To get ahead in 2025, businesses need to focus on strategies that emphasize user intent, identify competitive weaknesses, and target keywords based on domain authority. These aren’t tactics that guarantee overnight success, but rather practical approaches that, when done right, can lead to sustained growth.

1. Start with Search Intent and Thoughtful Keyword Research

Every effective SEO strategy begins with understanding what your audience is searching for—and why. Search intent is key. Are users looking for answers to a question? Are they ready to make a purchase, or are they simply gathering information? Knowing this allows you to target the right keywords and craft content that meets their needs.

Broad Keywords vs. Long-Tail Keywords

Many people focus on broad keywords like “business texting,” but these can be too generic and often too competitive. Instead, look at long-tail keywords—specific phrases that reflect more precise searches, such as “how to text customers to show up to a call.” Long-tail keywords have several advantages:

• They are less competitive, making it easier for your site to rank.
• They attract more qualified traffic, as users searching for these terms typically have clear intent.
• They allow you to create focused, targeted content that answers specific user questions.

The Keyword Finder tool is a great way to identify long-tail keywords that align with your audience’s needs. Unlike tools that simply provide a keyword difficulty score, KWFinder compares your website against competitors already ranking for the keyword, helping you see where you stand. This way, you can focus on keywords that you’re more likely to rank for based on your domain’s current authority and content quality.

Using Keyword Tools as a Guide, Not a Gospel

While keyword tools are helpful, they shouldn’t be the sole driver of your SEO strategy. Start by brainstorming topics that matter to your audience. Tools can then help refine your ideas, showing you the best opportunities based on search volume and competition. For example, pairing KWFinder with tools like Ahrefs or Google Trends can help you spot keyword trends over time, so you’re targeting phrases that are gaining traction, not just the ones that are already popular.

As you gather keywords, track them in a spreadsheet to keep your efforts organized. Create columns for keyword difficulty, search volume, and any notes on how your content can compete against existing pages.

Thanks to Andrew Priobrazhenskiy, CEO at DiscountReactor.

2. Analyze the Top-Ranking Pages and Identify SERP Weaknesses

It’s one thing to pick the right keywords, but to outrank competitors, you need to know where they fall short. Every SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is a battleground, and your job is to find out where competitors are vulnerable. The top results for your target keywords may be missing key elements, which gives you a chance to create better content and jump ahead.

Areas to Look for Weaknesses:

• Missing Keywords in Titles: Often, top-ranking pages neglect to use specific keywords in their title tags. This is a simple, yet effective way to outrank them. A well-optimized title that includes your main keyword can significantly increase click-through rates.
• Slow Load Times: Search engines prioritize fast websites. Pages that take more than three seconds to load often experience high bounce rates, meaning users quickly leave the page before it even fully loads. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix can help you identify areas where your site’s performance can be improved. If your competitors’ sites are slow, your faster site gives you an edge, especially for mobile users.
• Content Depth and Quality: A quick glance at word counts can reveal another opportunity. Pages with fewer than 1,000 words might not cover the topic thoroughly. This is where you can step in and provide more comprehensive content that adds value for the reader. Look beyond word count, though; focus on making your content as useful, informative, and engaging as possible.
• Readability Issues: Content that’s difficult to read or overly complex can deter visitors. If competitors have pages that score poorly on readability tests (like the Flesch Reading Ease Score), you can outperform them by writing in a more approachable style

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Forum and User-Generated Content

When results from forums like Quora or Reddit dominate the SERPs, it's a good sign that the competition might be weak. While these platforms can provide helpful answers, they usually lack depth and structure. You can step in with well-researched, authoritative content that covers the topic comprehensively and more professionally. This often gives your content an advantage since search engines prefer content that provides a complete answer to users’ queries.

Mobile Optimization

With mobile devices driving more and more traffic, it’s crucial to have a site that performs well on mobile. If your competitors have pages that don’t function properly on mobile or are difficult to navigate, this is an area where you can outperform them. Make sure your content is fully optimized for mobile—fast load times, clear readability, and intuitive navigation are key factors that will keep visitors engaged and encourage longer session durations.

How to Outrank Competitors

Once you’ve identified these weaknesses, the next step is to create content that addresses these gaps and improves on what’s already ranking. But don’t simply aim to produce longer content—focus on producing better content. Consider adding more detailed sections, better visuals, or more practical examples to give your readers a richer experience.

For example, if a competitor’s blog post covers the basics of "how to text customers for appointment reminders," go beyond that. Include best practices, real-world examples, and common mistakes to avoid. This positions your content as more valuable and trustworthy.

3. Focus on Keywords That Align with Your Domain Authority and Search Volume

Even if you’ve found a keyword with solid potential, it’s important to be realistic about your chances of ranking. If your site is new or doesn’t have much authority in a specific niche, it can be tough to compete with well-established domains. This is where domain authority (DA) comes into play.

Evaluating Domain Authority

Domain authority is essentially a measure of how well your site is likely to rank for certain keywords, based on a variety of factors, such as backlinks and content relevance. It’s not the only factor that affects rankings, but it gives you a general idea of where your site stands in comparison to others.

To evaluate your chances of ranking for a keyword, check the DA of the sites currently ranking for that keyword. If the top-ranking sites have significantly higher DA than your own, it may be worth targeting less competitive keywords. Tools like KWFinder can help you compare your site’s DA with the top-ranking pages, so you can see where you have the best chance of success.

Targeting Keywords with Realistic Search Volume

When you’re selecting keywords to target, look for those with moderate monthly search volume (MSV)—ideally between 50-500 searches per month. Keywords in this range are typically less competitive, giving your content a better chance of ranking, especially if your domain authority is still growing.

Keep in mind that even though these keywords have lower search volumes, they often bring in more qualified traffic. Users searching for long-tail keywords like "how to text customers to confirm appointments" are often looking for specific information and are closer to making a decision or taking action. By targeting these long-tail keywords, you can capture users who are more likely to engage with your content and convert.

Building Topical Authority

Another key factor in your ability to rank is your topical authority. This means creating multiple pieces of content around related topics to establish yourself as an expert in a specific area. For example, if you run a blog about business communication, you might want to create several in-depth posts about various aspects of business texting, such as how to craft effective SMS campaigns or the benefits of using SMS for appointment reminders.

By consistently covering a specific topic, you signal to search engines that your site is an authority on the subject. This can improve your rankings for all related keywords, not just the individual posts you’ve created.

Conclusion

SEO in 2025 is less about chasing high-volume keywords and more about understanding user intent, analyzing weaknesses in the SERP, and focusing on achievable wins. By targeting long-tail keywords, identifying areas where competitors fall short, and optimizing for both mobile and desktop, your business can create content that ranks well and provides real value to users.

Keep your strategy simple and focused. Evaluate your domain authority and select keywords that make sense for your current level of authority. As your site grows, you can start aiming for more competitive keywords. But in the meantime, focus on building high-quality content that answers real questions, addresses search intent, and leverages the gaps in your competitors’ efforts.

By taking a thoughtful, realistic approach, you can improve your search rankings and drive organic traffic without relying on shortcuts or tricks. It’s all about delivering real value—and the rankings will follow.