The Obvious Problem with SEO in 2025

Publishing without marketing doesn’t work. It never did. For years clients have told me they need to grow and the problem is the website. Every single time, we’ve had the same conversation: a website doesn’t go out and gather up an audience. Marketing goes out to tell people about the website… you need marketing if you wish to grow.

Marketing has always been essential: but it used to be easier! In the early 2010s, publishing a blog post and creating a few Pinterest pins could double your traffic. A healthy website could rely on new traffic every time they published a post. So publishing = growth.

That’s no longer true. Obviously.

The Real Problem with SEO Today

SEO has changed radically. You’re not competing with other small businesses anymore. You’re up against AI models, zero-click answers, and Google’s “own” content.

Take a look at Google’s new “AI Mode.” It doesn’t even include a list of search results. It gives users an AI chat window – cutting out your content entirely.

Publishing does not equal traffic any more. Because of this fact, as you know, you’ve been rethinking your monetization for a couple years now. Here is what I’ve found after serving 100’s of you over the last couple years. If your goal is traffic, most of you won’t win. Sorry – but true! But there are things you can do!

Your business can grow online. But monetization will likely not be from traffic only.

In my opinion, your goal must be visibility. Being mentioned, cited, quoted, and recognized. That is why what is often heard nowadays in marketing circles is the focus on brand awareness, trust, and community.

What is Public Relations (PR)?

Enter PR. PR used to mean press releases or national TV appearances. But it doesn’t have to be that ostentatious any longer. There is a fast and affordable way of doing PR and I’m gonna prove it to you!

Instead of SEO, focus on becoming Visible. Visibility in media and important websites will result in citations which will result in visibility to the AI which will result in visibility to your desired audience.

Local, and affordable PR can look like this:

• Teaching a class at your local library (free to do)
• Helping in a Facebook group related to your niche (free)
• Speaking at a local business Meetup (free)
• Getting listed on a tool’s “recommended experts” page (also free)
• Being interviewed on a niche podcast (free again)
• Getting quoted in a local news story or community flyer (free ahem!)
• Posting in the NextDoor app or community Facebook groups (free, free, free)

This isn’t hypothetical. It’s what works. It’s what has always worked. And I’m gonna show you how it worked for me with WPBarista. I believe in this because it is doable, affordable and it works. And it works right away – or fails right away – so you can pivot.

Real-World Examples: How PR Got Me Clients

I used to regularly (I should do this again) answer questions in the KadenceWP Facebook Group. People who need my services, see me helping – authentically helpful not just for a sale. Now, they know who to call, when they need paid support.

Because Restored316 website is much bigger than WPBarista, one guest blog post resulted in a stream of qualified leads. Lauren and I started chatting in a forum a long time ago – pre-Genesis days. And the relationship developed naturally. She’s a wonderful person and an amazing business woman!

Once upon a time, GoDaddy offered a free business listing to WordPress Agencies – GoDaddy Pro. Signing up got me listed in their directory. That resulted in some leads too. Now we are on BigScoots’ expert list, Ewww and WP Rocket. And that is not paid placement.

Next for me will be pitching the local paper on how I’m ‘coming back to Canada’ (I’ve always been here but… tariffs), I’m hoping to stir up some local business. I’ll let you know how it goes!

These are small, doable actions you can do too!

Why PR Beats SEO

SEO is slow and with AI Mode, almost impossible. PR is fast and relational. We are all quite sick of the digital world. We crave personal connection. If you can provide connection you can increase your brand awareness and community simply, and quickly.

Using PR is especially good at:

• Conferring trust from people who already follow the person featuring you
• Earning referral traffic from real readers, not bots
• Gaining backlinks that help citations & visibility
• Growing in confidence and recognition in your field

Best of all? You don’t need to hire any developers/designers to implement!!

Starting Fresh: A DIY PR Plan

Download the DIY PR plan for newbies. We include hashtags for searches on X, AI prompts and a Media Kit template. You got this!

PR is Your Best Bet

“Your job is essentially, to do PR and content marketing across all the platforms that you know your audience pays attention to.”
~ Rand Fishkin

The real problem with SEO is that it doesn’t work any more – at least not for small or medium size businesses. You need the big bucks to compete. Instead of focusing on SEO, focus on visibility. Instead of the time and effort to learn SEO, learn PR instead. Reach out, make friends, pitch to media outlets and podcasters. Foster the community that you already have. With visibility will come more brand awareness and with more brand loyalty will come more referrals.

Should you still write? Of course! Be seen. And yes – write about your expertise! But make sure someone’s paying attention when you do.

Because in 2025, visibility beats SEO every time.