SEO in 2025: Why brand, trust, and off-site signals matter

You may have noticed that the Google search results page (SERP) is no longer just a list of ten blue links. Instead, it pulls in data from a multitude of sources, both onsite and offsite, meaning your brand’s presence beyond your website is a critical ranking factor.

SEO in 2025 is about trust, authority, and brand visibility across the entire web. If you’re still thinking of SEO in terms of just your website, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of search opportunity.

Brand and off-site authority

According to Rise at Seven, 60% of search results now pull from off-page sources—including social media, news sites, YouTube, Reddit, and reviews. That means:

• Reviews on social media and third-party sites  play a massive role in rankings.
• Brand mentions and discussions across platforms (from TikTok to Reddit) can influence visibility.
• Trust signals and authority matter more than ever, with Google assessing credibility beyond just backlinks.

In short? If you’re only focusing on traditional SEO pillars (like keywords, content, and backlinks), you’re leaving more than half of the search opportunity on the table.

Reviews in search results

One of the biggest shifts we’ve seen is how Google prioritises reviews. If people are talking about your brand (positively or negatively), Google is listening. And if your brand doesn’t have a strong presence in these conversations? You’re giving your competitors free real estate in the SERPs.

This is where strategic digital PR, influencer partnerships, and social SEO come into play. By working with creators, generating high-quality off-site content, and managing your brand’s reputation across multiple platforms, you can control the narrative and secure valuable SERP visibility.

SEO is no longer just ‘onsite vs offsite’—it’s an ecosystem

For years, SEO has been about technical optimisations, content strategy, and backlinks. Those things still matter—but now, they’re just one piece of the puzzle.

Google is evolving to assess a brand’s authority holistically. That means:

• Traditional SEO remains crucial, but without strong off-site trust signals, rankings will suffer.
• Backlinks still matter, but only when they’re part of a bigger brand authority strategy (high-quality, relevant, engaged).
• Social signals are key, with Google pulling content from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit directly into search results.

In 2025, SEO isn’t just about your website—it’s about where your brand appears, how it’s talked about, and the trust signals Google picks up from the entire web.

How to win SEO in 2025 

If you want to stay ahead, you need to think bigger than just ranking web pages. Here’s what you should be focusing on:

✅ Brand SEO – Build search demand, increase branded search volume, and maintain a strong presence across multiple channels.
✅ Reviews and reputation management – Ensure your brand is actively managing and generating positive reviews across Google, Trustpilot, Reddit, and social platforms.
✅ Digital PR and thought leadership – Earn high-quality media mentions to drive both domain authority and brand authority.
✅ Social & off-site SEO – Optimise content for platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit, which are now key players in the search ecosystem.
✅ Holistic SEO strategy – Combine onsite and offsite efforts to create a well-rounded brand presence that Google (and users) trust.

Bottom line? SEO isn’t just about technical tweaks and backlinks anymore. It’s about brand visibility, offsite reputation, and trust.

The power of brand in SEO

SEO in 2025 is nothing without a strong brand. Google’s shift towards brand authority, trust signals, and off-site visibility means that SEO and brand strategy are now one and the same. It’s no longer just about optimising for search engines—it’s about building a brand that people search for, talk about, and trust.

A brand with recognition, authority, and consistency doesn’t just rank—it dominates. It earns media coverage, sparks conversations, and builds lasting relationships with customers. And Google is paying attention.

If you’re not actively investing in your brand as part of your SEO strategy, you’re playing catch-up. SEO success now belongs to the brands that stand for something, show up everywhere, and control their own narrative.

The question is—is your brand built for this new era of search?