When I first talk to clients about SEO, I resist the urge to start throwing out jargon like "domain authority," "backlink profile," or "schema markup." Instead, I ask them a simple question: if your perfect customer were searching for someone who does what you do, what would you want them to find?
The nature of this question does two things. First, it reframes SEO as a human problem, not just a technical one. Second, it starts the conversation from a place of empathy: the person searching is someone with a problem they want to solve. And you're trying to be the best possible answer to that problem.
In the web design space, especially working with platforms like Webflow, WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace, many business owners figure that just having a website is "doing SEO." But SEO is a layered process. It's not something you set and forget. It’s a strategy—an ongoing one. And in 2025, that strategy is evolving fast.
So let’s walk through some proven SEO strategies for this year. The foundation here is not just tactics. It’s about understanding your audience, aligning your messaging, and building technical and content systems that send all the right signals—both to search engines and to real people.
Five years ago, SEO was a game of picking high-volume keywords and stuffing them artfully into your content. But Google's algorithms are getting smarter. And today, it's not just about "What are people searching?" but "Why are they searching?"
Search intent is the underlying reason why someone types a query into Google. Are they looking to buy? Research? Navigate to a site? That context massively impacts how your page should be structured and written.
We recently worked with a landscaping company in Brentwood, just outside of Franklin, TN. Their original page optimized for "landscaping Brentwood TN" had a generic blurb, some stock photos, and a contact form. After talking through their customer journey, we realized that most people searching that term wanted examples of work, rough pricing, and availability windows. We restructured the page to give quick before-and-after project photos, seasonal package options, and an embedded calendar with open consultation slots. Rankings improved, but what was more powerful: time-on-page jumped 55%, and conversion doubled.
You’re not just answering a question. You’re guiding someone toward a transformation.
Google sees your site as part of a broader topical map. If you want to rank consistently, you need to own your subject matter—like, deeply. That doesn’t mean publishing random blog posts. It means building a cohesive ecosystem of content that reinforces your expertise.
Imagine each service you offer as a hub. Around it, you should build spokes: in-depth blogs, FAQs, case studies, and guides. For example, if your main service is Webflow web design, your content cluster might include:
We implemented this for a non-profit consultant based in Nashville. Once we built out clusters around their expertise—grant writing, donor storytelling, board training—we saw a 276% increase in organic traffic over six months. They started getting inquiries from LinkedIn managers and even Google Discover placements, which previously seemed impossibly out of reach.
Trust builds when signals converge. And if you're repeatedly answering questions in one domain, Google will reward you.
Local SEO is still one of the highest-ROI strategies, especially for service-based businesses. But in 2025, general location pages like "Web Design Tennessee" don’t cut it. You need to get more targeted—and show hyper-relevance to the individual neighborhoods you're targeting.
At Zach Sean Web Design, we work with small businesses across Middle Tennessee. But my Franklin clients rank better when we build pages that speak to Franklin specifically: the local industries (real estate, homebuilding, small boutiques), local imagery (downtown shops, Harpeth River), and even localized testimonials.
We once helped a wellness studio that was blending Reiki and therapy. When we optimized their page for "Reiki Franklin TN" with imagery of their exact interior, practitioner bios, and a "map it from your door" section, their rankings jumped within two weeks.
Local SEO is no longer about just showing up on a map. It’s about showing you belong in the community’s digital ecosystem.
User experience has always mattered. But since Google started rolling out Core Web Vitals as ranking signals, speed, visual stability, and interactivity now directly affect your placement—especially on mobile.
This is where I consistently see a web designer's advantage. Good SEO is no longer separate from good design. A clunky layout or confusing navigation can tank a high-potential page. Fast-loading, intuitive, and mobile-first designs score better in rankings and in user trust.
For instance, I redesigned a tradesman's website originally made with Wix. We rebuilt it in Webflow, cleaned up excess scripts, and implemented lazy loading. His average mobile load time went from 5.3 seconds to 1.8. Within a couple of months, he was ranking above national competitors in his niche for local keywords.
Every second a user waits is a second they question your credibility. If you care about trust, make performance a priority.
Here’s the problem with most SEO blogs: they feel generic. Rewritten. Designed to rank, not to teach or inspire. But the best-performing content in 2025 is driven by stories, personality, and vulnerability. People want to connect—not just learn.
Instead of telling someone that responsive design is important, show them how a Nashville fitness coach gained 40% more conversions after we redesigned their desktop-only site. Include screenshots. Include the anecdote about how they saw it on their phone in line at Frothy Monkey and freaked out (true story).
Content that weaves personal experience with expert takeaways will outperform nearly anything AI-generated. Why? Because it's human signal in an increasingly synthetic landscape.
Your best SEO tool may just be your experience—paired with a willingness to share.
If you're not currently using structured data, also known as schema markup, you’re missing a chance to get more real estate in search results. And in 2025, any advantage in visibility makes a difference.
Structured data is a way to label parts of your content in a way machines can understand. It can help Google show your page as a rich result—a snippet with images, reviews, or pricing details. For example: baking blogs can use recipe schema, service sites can use FAQ schema, and e-commerce can show product details.
We added FAQ schema to a web design pricing page using JSON-LD. Not only did those FAQs start showing in search results, giving us more real estate on the screen, but we also saw that pages implementing them had a 15% higher click-through rate. That might not sound huge—but over months, that compounds.
Integrating this is easier on platforms like Webflow where you have full code control. But even WordPress users can get started with plugins like Rank Math or SEOPress.
You don’t need to markup everything. But give Google the signals it’s asking for.
If content is your foundation, backlinks are your reputation. Google still heavily weights quality backlinks as a signal of authority—but “quality” no longer means whatever you can buy on a random SEO forum.
One real tactic we used: we helped a local boutique in Franklin create a seasonal lookbook. We then pitched it to a lifestyle magazine’s online gift guide. Not only did we get a backlink, but she made direct sales from readers clicking through. That’s the kind of win-win we look for.
Backlinks are about relationships. Real ones. No one links to a brand they don’t believe in—or know exists.
The worst trap I see is this mindset: “My site is live, now I can forget about it.” Websites aren’t posters. They’re mechanics shops. They need maintenance, updates, air in the tires. Especially with Google rolling out smaller, more frequent algorithm updates, your site’s performance six months from now depends on the attention you give it today.
I often describe SEO like fitness training. If your website was fit three months ago, that doesn’t mean it still is. And what worked last year might not fare as well after the next Core Update.
So stay active. Stay aware. Websites are stories in progress. And search engines want happy endings.
A good SEO strategy in 2025 doesn’t come from gaming algorithms. It comes from deeply understanding your audience, providing value at every turn, and giving Google the trust signals it craves. Yes, technical optimization matters. Yes, keywords still matter. But neither works without an intentional, human-focused foundation.
From addressing search intent and building topical authority to crafting high-converting local pages and backing it all up with UX performance, structured data, and authentic backlinks—this is SEO as a holistic practice.
Not everyone reading this will implement everything we’ve covered. But if you pick even two or three principles and go deep, you’ll be ahead of 90% of your competitors still stuck in outdated models. Real SEO builds over time. It rewards consistency, clarity, and care.
Because at the end of the day, you’re not just optimizing for robots. You’re optimizing for real people—with real questions—looking for someone who truly understands them.
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