Does SEO Still Matter For Brands in 2025?

Written by Kandice Vincent

You’ve undeniably noticed a lot of chatter lately about how AI is shaking up the digital marketing world. So does traditional SEO still matter for brands?

With tools like ChatGPT and Gemini redefining how we search for and consume information, it’s natural to wonder if SEO is still effective—or worth the investment.

Add to that the challenge of tight marketing budgets, where every dollar needs to show a return, and the uncertainty around SEO becomes even more pressing. Is it still the reliable traffic driver it once was, or is it becoming obsolete in the age of AI?

The good news is, SEO isn’t going anywhere. It’s evolving—and for brands that adapt, it can still be one of the most powerful tools for building awareness, driving traffic, and converting customers. For purpose-driven businesses, including sustainable and plant-based brands, SEO remains an essential strategy.

Let’s explore why it’s still worth your time and resources in 2025 and how you can maximize its potential in this new landscape.

Google Remains King of Organic Traffic

Google continues to dominate the search engine market with an approximately 90% share, and its reach is unmatched when it comes to driving organic traffic. Even as generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini become more prominent, Google’s infrastructure, resources, and adaptability make it the primary player for the foreseeable future.

Why This Matters for Vegan Brands

For sustainable and cruelty-free businesses, Google is still the gateway to your customers. Whether it’s a shopper looking for vegan leather shoes or an investor exploring plant-based protein innovations, organic search is often their first step.

Pro Tip:

To remain competitive on Google:

Focus on high-value, original content that provides something new to the conversation.
Avoid keyword stuffing; instead, offer deep insights that align with your audience's values, such as sustainability tips or ethical sourcing transparency.

The AI Revolution and SEO Beyond Google

While Google is still dominant, AI-powered search models like Perplexity and ChatGPT’s new SearchGPT prototype are gaining attention. These platforms prioritize citation-based results, with high accuracy when it comes to academic content, technical documentation and general knowledge, providing an excellent opportunity for brands with authoritative, high-quality content to expand their reach.

How Vegan Brands Can Optimize for AI Search Platforms

Optimizing for AI search platforms involves applying traditional SEO principles with tailored strategies for AI-driven models. Here’s how to ensure your content stands out:

Create Authoritative, Well-Researched Content: Develop comprehensive resources that others in your niche will want to cite, such as in-depth guides or data-driven reports.
Focus on Niche Expertise: Highlight unique aspects of your brand, like cruelty-free innovation or plant-based certifications, to position yourself as a leader in your field.
Directly Address Questions: Given Perplexity’s emphasis on providing precise answers, craft content that answers specific queries directly. For example, include FAQ sections or headers that mimic common search queries (e.g., "What are the best plant-based protein sources?").
Use Structured Data: Implement schema markup to help AI tools identify and extract key information from your pages. Structured data makes it easier for AI models to pull your content into response boxes or summaries.
Prioritize Relevance and User Experience: Keep landing pages tightly aligned with user intent. Ensure the content is engaging, and provide clear navigation pathways to reduce bounce rates and encourage further exploration.

Authority Is the New SEO Superpower

The sheer volume of AI-generated content online has created an era of content saturation. In response, Google and other search engines prioritize brand authority as a ranking signal. For vegan brands, this means consistent, high-quality content and a strong backlink profile are more important than ever.

Key Elements of Brand Authority:

Backlinks: Earn links from reputable sources, such as vegan magazines, sustainable blogs, or industry organizations.
Branded Searches: Cultivate a loyal following by ensuring people are actively searching for your brand.
Thought Leadership: Publish data-driven insights, innovative ideas, or expert opinions to position your brand as an industry leader.

How to Build Authority:

Monthly Backlink Campaigns: Consistently reach out to ethical influencers, guest post on high-traffic vegan blogs, or secure media coverage in vegan and sustainable outlets.
Content Partnerships: Collaborate with like-minded brands for co-branded campaigns, shared resources, or cross-promotions to amplify visibility.
Authentic Storytelling: Share your brand's mission, values, and unique journey to create emotional connections with your audience.
Leverage Data & Trends: Conduct original research or provide fresh insights into sustainability and vegan trends to establish credibility and attract backlinks naturally.

Content Quality Is Your Differentiator

AI tools can churn out decent content in seconds, but they can’t replicate your brand’s unique voice, perspective, and expertise. For vegan brands, your values—like transparency, sustainability, and ethics—should shine through in your content.

Winning Strategy:

Bring something new to every keyword you target.

Instead of another "Top 10 Vegan Protein Powders" post, dive deep into how protein sourcing affects sustainability or showcase a behind-the-scenes look at your brand’s manufacturing process.

Repurpose for Impact:

Leverage your blog content across multiple channels to maximize ROI:

YouTube Videos: Break down your blog into quick tips or tutorials, optimized for SEO.
Social Media Posts: Share bite-sized insights on platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn.

Video SEO and Rich Results

Video continues to dominate as a preferred content format, with Google prioritizing video content in search results. Sustainable brands that embrace video SEO can increase visibility while engaging audiences visually.

How to Use Video Effectively:

Create short videos explaining your brand’s mission, sustainable practices, or product benefits.
Optimize videos with keywords, transcriptions, and metadata to rank higher in both Google and YouTube search results.

Example: Cultivated meat startup Beliver Meats created an explainer video on cultivated meat, and the process behind growing their cultivated chicken from cells in bioreactors. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding cultivated meat, and videos like this can help potential consumers understand what the process actually entails. These videos can come up both as Google video snippets, and in YouTube searches, helping to amplify their reach.

The Role of Data in SEO Success

SEO without analytics is like flying blind. Tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, and Ahrefs provide critical insights into what’s working and what needs improvement.

Metrics That Matter:

Organic Traffic Growth: Are people finding your vegan brand through search?
Backlinks Acquired: Are other reputable sites linking to your content?
Keyword Performance: Are you ranking for industry-relevant terms like "plant-based leather" or "sustainable protein sources"?

Challenges and Opportunities for Vegan Brands

Navigating the digital marketing landscape in 2025 isn’t without its hurdles, especially for plant-based brands. While ethical consumerism is still on the rise, the overall vegan market has hit a bit of a slowdown, making it tougher to stand out. But with every challenge comes opportunity, and there are plenty of ways for savvy brands to shine.

Challenges:

Competition From Big Players: With mainstream companies jumping on the plant-based bandwagon, vegan brands and start-ups are now competing with big (non-vegan) players for the same keywords. This makes standing out in search results even more challenging.
AI Content Saturation: The internet is flooded with AI-generated content, which makes it harder for brands to break through the noise. Generic, run-of-the-mill posts just won’t cut it anymore.
Stagnation in the Vegan Market: It’s no secret that the vegan market isn’t growing as quickly as it was a few years ago. Sales of plant-based meat alternatives in the US dropped by 9% in 2023, based on data from GFI. And that means brands need to step up their game to keep consumers engaged.

Opportunities:

Niche Focus: There’s a silver lining to all this—focusing on niche keywords can help you target a highly engaged audience. These are areas where you can really stand out and show off your expertise.
Educational Leadership: Position your brand as a thought leader by creating content that educates and informs your audience about topics in your niche, like the “science of fermentation in alternative proteins,” or “sustainability metrics of food tech innovations.”
Authenticity: Let’s face it—people can tell the difference between a real story and something churned out by AI. Conscious consumers crave transparency, and sharing your brand’s genuine values, ethical practices, and sustainability efforts can build trust and loyalty like nothing else.
Collaboration With Adjacent Industries: Partner with tech companies, ingredient suppliers, or sustainability-focused organizations to expand your reach.

Final Thoughts: Is SEO Still Worth It for Purpose-Driven Brands?

In 2025, SEO is not just worth it; it’s essential for plant-based and ethical brands looking to grow their impact. The rise of AI tools and saturated content landscapes means that only the brands offering true value and authority will succeed. For entrepreneurs in this, and every industry, SEO offers a powerful way to connect with audiences who care about sustainability, ethics, and innovation.

By prioritizing originality, authority, and adaptability, businesses can ensure their message reaches the right people—whether they’re searching on Google, AI platforms, or watching videos online.

Visit The Conscious Content Initiative for further insights into advanced content marketing strategies tailored to vegan enterprises or for one-on-one support in creating and implementing your own.