Monthly SEO Insights: November 2025

This month, we dive once again into the intricacies of Google Search Results and explore what their continued evolution means for SEO. We also spotlight Google’s recent updates to Google Business Profiles, and why they’re still so important for improving local search visibility. Additionally, we’re excited to announce the launch of our new white paper on Brand Powered Link Building, which illustrates the need to adapt link-building campaigns to meet the complex, evolving demands of AI search and support long-term SEO success.

SERPs: They’re Constantly Changing

What is happening?

Google frequently changes the appearance of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), and recently, these changes have become even more dramatic, affecting various search terms and user intents.

• One notable shift we’ve observed is in how Sponsored Results are labelled, leading to frequent discussions in the office about accidentally clicking on a sponsored result without realising it.

 

• Organic results and local map pack positions are also differently placed on SERPs, depending on what’s been searched. In the same vein, there’s been a noticeable increase in shopping results depending on the type of search. Local map packs, despite varying in SERP position, remain highly prominent, engaging, and stand out, which only furthers the point that appearing in them is vital.
• Furthermore, AI Overviews are becoming more common across various search types, especially for local searches, highlighting the growing influence of AI in shaping how search results are presented.

Why this is important for your business

The SERP changes and their influence on traffic is profound, largely depending on what is displayed on SERPs. As search results evolve, so too does user behaviour, leading to shifts in website visits.

The only way to optimise for the ‘new’ Google results is to adapt to these changes. For example:

• Sponsored Results (ads) are more closely resembling organic listings nowadays, which can lead to a disconnect. Users clicking through to a Sponsored Result under the impression it’s an organic one, only to realise the results don’t fully meet their expectations, could bounce from the pages quickly, leading to higher bounce rates. As such, monitoring bounce rates for your key terms remains important, as does reviewing if the metadata accurately reflects what can be found on the page(s), and improving your paid landing pages to better match expectations.
• The rise in zero-click searches emphasises the importance of brand building through authority signals, like brand-powered link building (discussed below). Also, this highlights the need to answer specific questions and present unique information on your pages to stand out in these SERPs.

What we’re doing about it?

Our priority is ensuring our clients’ websites rank as high as possible in organic search results. We continuously monitor search result appearances for relevant queries to maximise visibility across all key elements, including local map packs, Google Shopping Results, and AI Overviews when applicable.

By increasing presence in search results and expanding content reach, we optimise CTR (click-through rate) through improved title tags, meta descriptions, and schema markup. We also recommend, where relevant, using PPC to complement SEO strategies and achieve conversion targets.

Once users land on the website, we deploy best-in-class CRO strategies (focused on our clients’ customers’ user journeys) to maximise conversions, ensuring all traffic is effectively converted into valuable actions, such as purchases, contact or other desired outcomes.

Latest Google Business Profile (GBP) features

Google has recently introduced several new features to Google Business Profiles, including post scheduling and multi-location posting. Post scheduling allows businesses to plan and schedule their GBP posts well in advance, ensuring that posts go live at optimal times.

 

Meanwhile, the new multi-location publishing feature enables businesses with multiple locations to publish posts across all their locations simultaneously, eliminating the need for individual postings for each one. These enhancements make it easier for businesses to keep their profiles up to date and engaged with their audience, while also highlighting Google’s ongoing commitment to improving and evolving the GBP product.

Why this is important

Google Business Profiles are essential for boosting a business’s visibility in local search results and on Google Maps, ultimately driving more customer traffic and engagement. By offering accurate business information and displaying customer reviews, they help build trust and credibility.

As previously mentioned, as SERPs continue to evolve, maintaining visibility in local map packs becomes increasingly vital, as these packs remain a stable and prominent feature in relevant local searches. This consistency ensures businesses with optimised profiles continue to stand out, even as other aspects of search results change. Additionally, Google’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the user experience of Google Business Profiles underscores their continued importance and relevance in the future.

What we’re doing about it

We continue to place importance on our Google Business Profile strategies for our clients, ensuring that their profiles are always up to date with accurate information. This includes targeting the right services and products, as well as regularly updating posts to keep the content fresh and relevant. These efforts help maximise visibility in local map packs, ensuring that businesses appear in relevant searches. By maintaining an optimised profile, it ensures that when users encounter the profile, they are more likely to engage with the business and visit the website, driving both traffic and potential conversions.

What can you do about it?

Clients can also help to boost their Google Business Profile performance by actively encouraging reviews and responding to them. Regularly updating key details, such as business hours during festive holidays or special events, ensuring profiles remain accurate and relevant. Additionally, uploading photos and videos where possible can help showcase products or services, making their profile more appealing and informative, ultimately enhancing their online presence and visibility.

Brand Powered Link Building

Search algorithms have evolved exponentially, and the traditional SEO metrics are not the only area of importance. Today, success is driven by brand authority, topical relevance, and genuine online reputation. This is why we’ve invested £3 million into Research & Development, fuelling ARTEMIS INTELLIGENCE®, our proprietary methodology that combines decades of SEO expertise with cutting-edge AI solutions. This investment ensures we remain at the forefront of industry advancements while upholding ethical practices.

Our latest white paper, powered by ARTEMIS INTELLIGENCE®, outlines the most effective Brand-Powered Link Building strategies. It delves into how these methods are evolving and provides valuable insights into the future of brand authority in SEO.

Transparency is central to our approach. To ensure our clients are always ahead of the curve, we’ve included this white paper in the November monthly reports. Clients can easily access it directly from their reports, or request a copy by contacting their account manager.

Why brand mentions matter more than traditional SEO links

Recent research highlights a strong correlation between brand mentions (both linked and unlinked) and improved search performance. Companies with frequent brand mentions, even without direct links, often outperform those relying solely on traditional backlinks.

The three pillars of modern link building are:

• Brand Profile Building: Establish your brand’s legitimacy with verified profiles to enhance visibility and provide social proof.
• Brand Promotional Content: Create transparent, sponsored content that search engines favour for its clarity and inherent value.
• Expert Positioning Content: Evolve beyond traditional guest posting by offering genuine value that helps establish your brand’s authority.

Our Continued Approach to Search

Everything we’ve discussed here is aimed at ensuring our clients’ websites are fully optimised for the unpredictable and evolutionary world of search in the AI era. Our goal is to help each client stay aligned with the latest AI-driven SEO strategies and maintain a strong competitive edge, something that can feel particularly challenging for many SMEs given the rapid pace of change. With ARTEMIS INTELLIGENCE®, our continuous efforts of ongoing research, testing and data driven strategies, we provide the insights and guidance needed to help businesses stay ahead of these shifts.