On-page SEO has changed. Tim Hanson explains how to adapt in 2025 – ditch ToFu fluff, embrace BoFu strategy, and outsmart AI Overviews with smarter content.
Conventional SEO advice is failing due to AI overviews; marketers need a new playbook that actually works in 2025.
TL:DR
- AI overviews are swallowing top-of-funnel content – stop wasting time on basics the bots will answer.
- BoFu-first strategies (product comparisons, alternatives, expert reviews) are driving real revenue.
- Schema for every page section led to a 32% increase in rich results for one finance client.
- On-page SEO in 2025 = topical authority + human experience, not keyword stuffing.
→ Prefer listening to reading? Grab the audio right here, just hit play:
Why On-Page SEO in 2025 Isn’t What You Think It Is
I get asked about SEO trends constantly, especially from marketers who are watching their traffic disappear faster than free donuts at an agency meeting. Here’s a question I received recently:
“What’s the most important SEO trend in 2025 - and what should we actually do about it?”
This hits the heart of what I’m seeing across every client I work with right now: search has changed, and the playbook we’ve been using isn’t cutting it anymore. Marketing teams facing want to maintain their search visibility and revenue, but they’re struggling with how AI overviews are completely changing the game. Most teams are still publishing basic content hoping it will rank. But in 2025, AI overviews are eating that content alive.
I’ll show you how we’ve adapted, SEO strategies for AI overviews, what’s working now, and how you can make on-page SEO your competitive edge again.
Stop Feeding the Bots: Why ToFu Content Is Losing Power
Let’s be blunt: the SEO pyramid just got flipped.
Where we used to start with ToFu (top-of-funnel) content-basic how-tos, definitions, “what is” pages-that content is now being covered directly in AI overviews from Google, Bing, ChatGPT, and the rest.
I recently worked with a SaaS client who saw a massive traffic drop after Google’s update. Everyone’s first instinct? Write more informational content. More ToFu. More “content is king” doctrine.
But here’s what the data showed:
The ToFu pages were the first to get wiped out.
Why? Because AI answered those basic queries instantly. No need to click.
So we pivoted hard - BoFu first.
The Reverse-Funnel Strategy That Actually Works
Get your sales pages up and running, rank for product/service comparisons, talk about alternatives, make “best of” list posts. And the money flowed in. Then we built out the MoFu content addressing specific problems, and finally, strategic ToFu content that AI couldn’t easily replicate.
We flipped the funnel and rebuilt from the bottom up:
- Product/service comparison pages with real decision-making frameworks
- “Best of” and “alternatives to” list posts that were genuinely helpful
- In-depth reviews based on user feedback, internal data, and expert POV
- MoFu content solving specific problems with context-rich solutions
- And only then… strategic ToFu content that AI couldn’t easily summarize
Here’s the before and after breakdown:
| Traditional Approach | AI-Era Approach | Results |
|---|---|---|
| ToFu → MoFu → BoFu | BoFu → MoFu → Strategic ToFu | 340% increase in qualified leads |
| Generic informational content | Specialized comparison content | Revenue-focused traffic |
| Keyword-focused optimization | Intent and expertise-focused | Higher conversion rates |
The actionable insight here is to stop wasting resources on basic informational content that will get swallowed by AI overviews.
“The most actionable SEO shift in 2025 is this: stop trying to beat AI at answering. Start beating it at understanding.”
That’s when the money came in. Our BoFu content converted. Our rankings stabilized. And no backlinks were needed - just better, more relevant, human content.
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Actionable On-Page SEO Strategies for 2025
To compete in 2025, you need to understand on-page optimization, but also understand how to optimize content for AI search. Here’s what I recommend doing right now if you want to win on-page SEO in this new landscape:
1. Build Pages That Support Real Decisions
Forget fluff. Focus on content clusters and BOFU pages that guide decision-making:
- Product vs. Product (with actual insight, not just specs)
- “Best X for Y” tailored to specific buyer needs
- Alternatives lists based on pain points, not just popularity
“If your content helps someone make a decision they actually care about - AI can’t replace that.”
2. Inject Real Human Experience
Add what AI can’t fake:
- Personal anecdotes
- Case studies
- Customer voice and internal data
- Controversial takes, stories, and nuance
- Expert Insights
3. Implement Semantic HTML + Schema for Each Section
Don’t just add FAQ schema and call it a day. We added schema markup per section – FAQs, reviews, pros/cons, features, and saw:
- 32% increase in rich results
- Higher click-through rates
- More context for AI to understand and surface our content
4. Stop Chasing Keywords. Build Authority.
This is the hill I’ll die on:
“In 2025, SEO isn’t about keywords. It’s about complete topic coverage.”
We now build semantic content clusters with internal linking baked in. The result?
We outrank bigger domains because we cover the topic better - not because we stuff it with terms.
Traditional On-Page vs. 2025 Strategy
| Old SEO Playbook | Tim’s 2025 SEO Method |
|---|---|
| ToFu-first: definitions and how-tos | BoFu-first: comparisons, alternatives, reviews |
| Focused on ranking for basics | Focused on helping users decide |
| Thin schema or none at all | Schema applied per section |
| Optimized for keywords | Structured around search intent and coverage |
| Random internal links | Intent-based, semantically-linked clusters |
→ Want to dive deeper into technical SEO? This is one of the biggest pieces of work I’ve ever done. It’s very detailed and gives you everything you need to be an on-page genius:
The Complete Technical SEO Audit
The Bottom Line
2025 SEO is about intent, depth, and decision support - not definitions. I’ve seen this shift rescue tanking traffic and deliver better leads in half the time.
“The most important thing to remember is this: AI overviews are the new featured snippets. Build what they can’t replace.”
Start with BoFu. Back it with authority. Let the bots scrape the fluff.
Got a similar question about on-page SEO?
Submit your question here, or if you’re ready to turn SEO into an actual sales engine, book a call with me.
