Straight from the source: SEO advice from our Head of Website & Content
If your SEO strategy still lives in 2010 (think stuffed keywords, thin blogs, multiple articles targeting the same keywords) you will want to start to think about a refresh. In a recent episode of the Agency Success Show, our very own Daphne Monro (Head of Website and Content at hosting.com) broke down what’s shifting, what still matters, and what agencies need to rethink to stay visible online in 2025.
Here’s the download. (and if you want to check out the full interview, you’ll find it below). You can also check read the full transcript.
Domain authority is your digital curb appeal
A strong domain isn’t just a good URL, it’s your reputation. Daphne’s advice? Start by auditing your domain health. Use tools like Ahrefs to check your domain rating and backlink profile. A score of 0? You’ve got work to do. A score above 80 (like us… humble brag)? You’re in a good spot.
Don’t forget: older domains can come with baggage. Always check what’s lurking in the backlink basement before you hit publish.
Technical performance isn’t optional anymore
Core Web Vitals aren’t just developer chatter, they directly impact your rankings. Daphne recommends prioritizing:
- Mobile-first performance (Google still loves mobile)
- Site speed and caching (server-side is best)
- Clean heading structures (no more H2s pretending to be H1s)
- Metadata and structured data (hello, rich snippets)
- Robots.txt and sitemaps (yes, you still need them)
TL;DR: Fix the foundation before you try building skyscrapers.
Content isn’t king. Good content is.
AI tools can help with research, ideas, and outlines, but copying and pasting AI-generated blog posts won’t cut it. Google (and your users) want real, useful content with actual perspective. According to Daphne, the pages that rank are:
- Written with authority (build author bios, show expertise)
- Aligned with search intent (transactional ≠ informational)
- Easy to navigate (add TL;DRs, summaries, and internal links)
- Consolidated (one strong page beats five half-baked ones)
- And yes, shorter can be better-if it gets to the point.
E-E-A-T isn’t just SEO jargon. It's a strategy.
Experience. Expertise. Authority. Trust. That’s the E-E-A-T framework, and it’s your best shot at ranking well in the age of AI overviews and zero-click results. If you want Gemini (Google’s AI model) or other LLMs to reference your content, you need to earn that trust.
That means:
- Authoritative content
- Consistent tone and accuracy
- Real-world value, not fluff
- Human-first writing
Put simply: be the expert people (and crawlers) want to hear from.
Accessibility is SEO. Full stop.
Adding alt text, transcribing videos, writing descriptive headings, these things are not just good for users, it’s also good for search. Accessibility helps crawlers understand your content, improves usability, and opens up your site to a wider audience. Plus, it’s the right thing to do.
As Daphne puts it, “We’re here to build trust, not play games. Just do good stuff because it’s good.”
What about AI?
AI is changing search. But SEO isn’t dead. It’s just evolving. You still need to show up where your customers are, whether that’s Google, Bing, Reddit, or ChatGPT’s memory. Focus on quality, clarity, and authority. Be the source worth citing even if there’s no backlink.
Bonus tip from Daphne: You can even add LLMs to your robots.txt file to help guide them to your best content. Welcome to the new frontier.
Final word: SEO that actually works
Here’s what Daphne recommends if you’re rebooting your SEO strategy in 2025:
- Audit and consolidate old content. Don’t spread thin, go deep.
- Ask real customers real questions. Build content around actual needs.
- Adapt constantly. SEO doesn’t stand still, and neither should you.
Want more? Daphne’s running a live webinar in August: SEO for the LMS. She’ll cover the metrics, methods, and real-world wins we’re seeing at hosting.com.
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