Google’s Reading Between the Lines – Are You?

Google's Reading Between the Lines – Are You?

2025 has heralded a new dawn in SEO and digital marketing.

New marketing tools now give talented marketers the opportunity to use their skills on the most important aspects of their work, instead of spending time on more mundane, data gathering exercises.

Since I went into marketing around 25 years ago, never have I felt so excited for the future.

It wasn't long ago ChatGPT was the hot topic. Now, with sophisticated and industry-specific systems that have been developed, the breadth of AI tools is staggering and overwhelming for many!

What does this mean for Google and your website traffic?

We're still having conversations about SEO and PPC, we're still working on these areas with success. There's no doubt, that as key drivers of revenue for Google, traditional search results and digital marketing will continue… but the way it's done has already changed and you need to change the way you do it, today!

What do they really want?

I've had an issue with traditional SEO and PPC for some time now with generic phrases being used to attract sales and enquiries. For example, a company selling Air Conditioning Systems targeting 'Air Conditioning' is just stabbing in the dark, yet I see this across many campaigns that companies run.

Now, through generative search results and the new dawn of AI, Google is focussing on Intentional Search Experiences (ISE) – something I've been talking about for years, and something we have been using with our PPC and SEO clients for some time.

Here's a real-life example!

Last year we gave AGM Services a website overhaul, after taking over their website from another company. With some coding and text updates, we focussed on both traditional SEO and ISE, and getting listed on Google AI results.

'Best spray booth repairs' was one of the phrases we focussed on. Traditional SEO on the 'spray booth repairs' element and 'best' that gives commercial investigation or informational intent, showing someone is searching for a company that will do a good job for them.

The results? Number 1 in terms of the Generative AI results, and Number 1 on the google listing.

The above shows the generative results, while below shows the traditional, SEO result.

You'll notice they have the top 2 positions on the Google search results.

What does this really mean?

It means Google is reading between the lines of what you're searching for, and delivering results it THINKS you want, not necessarily what marketers want to show you. This is huge for anyone with a website who needs traffic for their business.

What can you do right now?

Here's my top tips for your website, that you can implement today;

Shift to AI-Driven Search: Search engines are increasingly using AI to understand user intent and provide direct answers, often in the form of "AI Overviews" or "zero-click results".

Focus on User Intent: SEO will revolve around understanding user needs and providing relevant content, rather than just matching keywords.

Importance of Structured Data: Pages with structured data using schema markup will have a higher likelihood of appearing in featured snippets and AI-generated answers.

Emphasis on Authority and E-E-A-T: Google's focus on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) means that high-quality, authoritative content will be essential for ranking in AI-driven search results.

Content Creation: AI is not meant to replace humans, but to help them create content that is high quality and focused on user intent.

Rise of Long-tail Keywords: As AI improves its ability to understand search intent, users will increasingly use long-tail, conversational queries, and SEO will need to reflect this trend.

Want to know more?

I've spent over 25 years in marketing, have published research on Consumer Buyer Behaviour in International Journals, and as well as an MSc in Marketing, am a Chartered Marketer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Being Chartered means as part of my status, 'im required to do CPD every year, keeping up to date with the latest technologies and trends.

Want to know how you could implement the latest techniques and technologies? Email me on m.rothwell@dandmcreative.com or call 01282 685370 and we can have an initial chat.

Of course if you prefer a face to face meeting, feel free to call in for a chat: D&M Creative Limited, No.1 Vantage Court, Riverside Business Park, Riverside Way, Barrowford, Lancashire BB9 6BP United Kingdom.