THINK WITH ALEC

What Types ofContent Rank on Page 1 of Google in 2025?

A data driven look at seo trends in 2025

SEO is constantly evolving, but one thing remains consistent—some content types are more likely to rank on Google’s first page than others.

Recent research from NP Digital analyzed over 11 million search queries to identify the content types that dominate Page 1 rankings. The findings? Blog articles still lead the way, but video is quickly gaining ground.

Breaking Down the Top-Ranking Content Types

According to the study, here’s how different content formats perform in search rankings:

  • 64.1% – Blog/Articles 🏆
  • 32.7% – Long Videos (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
  • 18.3% – Images
  • 5.6% – News Content
  • 4.4% – Short Videos (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts)
  • 0.2% – Podcasts
  • 7.9% – Other Formats

Key Takeaways: What This Means for Your SEO Strategy

1. Blog Content is Still King 👑

Despite the explosion of video content, well-structured and optimized blog posts remain the #1 content format for ranking on Google.
✅ Blog articles answer user queries in detail, making them Google-friendly.
✅ They help build topical authority, which is key for long-term rankings.
✅ They are evergreen—unlike social media, blog content continues driving traffic for years.

🔹 What you should do: If you’re not creating and updating blog content regularly, you’re missing a huge SEO opportunity. Focus on high-quality, long-form, value-driven articles that answer searchers’ questions comprehensively.

2. Long-Form Video is Gaining Major SEO Traction 🎥

With 32.7% of Google Page 1 rankings including long videos, it’s clear that YouTube and video SEO are critical for digital marketers.

✅ Google owns YouTube, meaning it favors video content in search rankings.
✅ Long-form videos provide deep, educational content, making them perfect for SEO.
✅ Tutorials, product demos, and explainer videos tend to rank well for informational and commercial search queries.

🔹 What you should do:

  • Create long-form, in-depth videos on YouTube and optimize titles, descriptions, and tags for SEO.
  • Embed relevant videos in your blog posts to boost engagement and dwell time.
  • Add transcripts and captions for better accessibility and search indexing.

3. Images and Short Videos Are Gaining Momentum 📸📲

Images rank on 18.3% of Google Page 1 results, while short videos are still emerging with 4.4%.

✅ Image SEO is crucial for Google Image Search and product-related queries.
✅ Short videos (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts) are gaining visibility in search results but haven’t yet overtaken long-form video.

🔹 What you should do:

  • Optimize image alt-text and file names to rank in Google Image Search.
  • Test short-form videos in content marketing strategies, especially for mobile-first audiences.
  • Use WebP image formats and compressed, fast-loading images to enhance website speed and SEO.

4. News Content is Ranking, But It’s Highly Competitive 📰

Google prioritizes fresh, authoritative news content, but only 5.6% of Page 1 results are news-related.

✅ News articles rank quickly, but they decay fast unless they remain relevant.
✅ Google’s Top Stories carousel prioritizes major news outlets and authoritative publishers.

🔹 What you should do:

  • If you operate in news, finance, or industry updates, publish timely, data-driven articles to rank.
  • Use structured data (Schema markup) for better visibility in Google’s News carousel.

5. Podcasts Struggle to Rank (For Now) 🎙️

Despite the rise of podcasts, only 0.2% of Google Page 1 results include them.
✅ Podcasts excel at brand awareness and engagement, but SEO discoverability is still limited.
✅ Google’s podcast indexing is evolving, but text-based content remains dominant in rankings.

🔹 What you should do:

  • Repurpose podcasts into blogs (e.g., transcripts, key takeaways).
  • Use structured podcast markup to improve search visibility.
  • Cross-promote podcasts with YouTube clips and blog embeds for multi-channel engagement.

What Should Marketers Do Next?

With these insights, it’s clear that SEO is not just about one content type—it’s about a multi-format strategy that aligns with search trends.

Here’s a simple SEO action plan to maximize your rankings:

✅ Double down on blog content – It’s still the most dominant format on Page 1.
✅ Leverage YouTube SEO – Long-form videos rank well and boost engagement.
✅ Optimize images & visual content – They enhance search rankings and user experience.
✅ Stay ahead of short video trends – Experiment with TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
✅ Test structured data & multimedia SEO – Rich content (news, podcasts, interactive elements) is growing.

The future of SEO is about diversity—a combination of text, video, and visual content that captures Google’s evolving ranking preferences.

Final Thought:

If your content strategy isn’t adapting to these shifts, you risk falling behind.
The key to SEO success in 2025 and beyond?
A strategic mix of high-quality blogs, long-form videos, and engaging multimedia content.

Are you optimizing for the right content formats in your SEO strategy? Let’s discuss in the comments! 👇

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