Navigating Google AI, Long-Form Content & Backlinks with Adaptify
Hansjan Kamerling
Feb 25
Hello there,
As the summer winds down and the kids head back to school, it's a great time to reset and refocus on your client’s strategies. Think of this as the SEO version of getting your backpack ready for the school year: It's all about preparing for what's ahead! Whether it's adjusting to Google's latest shifts or diving into long-form content, there’s always something new to learn.
Let's take a look at some important updates and tips to make sure you're ahead of the game this fall.
🐳 Summer is almost over, isn't it about time to get your feet wet with Adaptify? Start a 7-day free trial, or book a demo to discover how easy it is to wow your clients and close more deals—faster! Get started today! 🐳
Google's Latest on AI Overviews & What’s Really Happening?
As the kids head back to school Google is touting its AI-driven updates in search, claiming that AI is driving more queries and delivering higher quality clicks. According to Google, "quality clicks" mean users are spending more time on content and not bouncing back immediately. However, as noted in Search Engine Journal, these claims lack supporting data, leaving us with more questions than answers.
Google’s claims about more traffic and better click quality are compelling, but they come with vague details. The company suggests that AI is favoring certain types of content, such as forum posts, videos, and articles with "authentic voices." However, there's no clear explanation of which sites are benefiting or how much of an impact this is having overall. This lack of transparency is why it's crucial to look at your own data.
For example, one metric to track is your Click-Through Rate (CTR). In Google Search Console, filter for top queries and compare CTR before and after May 2024, when AI Overviews started making significant waves. If you notice impressions holding steady but CTR declining, it could be a sign that AI-generated responses are serving the answers users need, without requiring them to click through to your site.
Meanwhile, Search Engine Land offers a critical perspective. They argue that while AI Overviews may be increasing the visibility of links, impressions are not always translating into actual clicks. Google claims that AI is generating more queries and fostering deeper engagement, but without concrete metrics, it’s hard to determine if these "quality clicks" are truly beneficial for publishers. In fact, it’s possible that more queries are being answered directly on the search results page, reducing the need for users to visit your site at all.
At Adaptify, we help you monitor these shifts with clarity. Our performance data makes it easy to track changes in both impressions and clicks. By using our easy-to-scan graphs and reports, you can identify trends and gain insights into how AI is reshaping the way your content performs—giving you the power to tweak your strategy accordingly.
That means the days of optimizing for exact-match queries are fading fast. Instead, the key to visibility is:
Long-Form Content—Still Thriving in an AI World
As we slip into the back half of 2025 many are wondering if long-form content still has a place in SEO.
The good news—despite the rise of quick-answer summaries and AI-generated content, long-form content is holding its ground and, in some cases, thriving. As Search Engine Land explains, long-form content (typically anything over 1,500 words) is still the best way to satisfy user intent and rank well on search engines. It provides the depth and context that short-form content simply can’t, which is critical when users are looking for detailed, helpful answers to complex queries.
Long-form content allows you to explore topics fully, answer multiple related questions, and cover all angles. This not only satisfies Google’s preference for content that aligns with search intent but also provides value for your audience. Google’s algorithms are built to reward comprehensive coverage, which makes long-form content particularly appealing for ranking in organic search. It’s no surprise that top-performing blog posts often range between 1,500 to 2,500 words, a range that’s proven to outperform shorter posts, especially in highly competitive industries.
However, as AI continues to evolve, it's important to adapt long-form content to meet new search behaviors. Google’s AI Overviews now pull in more diverse content formats, including forum posts, videos, and articles with authentic and social proof voices. This means that long-form content needs to evolve with these trends to remain competitive. While text-heavy, traditional blog posts might still perform well, adding multimedia elements like videos, infographics, and podcasts can increase engagement and improve the likelihood of being pulled into AI summaries.
As noted by Search Engine Land, long-form content also plays a vital role in demonstrating experience, expertise, authority, and trust (E-E-A-T), which is crucial in a world where AI can sometimes be a gatekeeper for content visibility. High-quality, well-researched content continues to build your site’s authority and trustworthiness in search engines, especially in industries where expertise is paramount.
At Adaptify, we make it easy to track how long-form content is performing in this evolving landscape. Our platform also allows you to refine content length and strategy with ease. Using the AI Feedback button located in the bottom left corner of every article, you can give direct feedback to the AI on your content’s length and structure. This tool helps you tweak and refine your content to align better with what’s working in search, while keeping your client’s brand and voice in mind.
Long-form content isn’t just about word count anymore. It’s about aligning with evolving search intent and creating valuable, user-focused content. The takeaway? Don’t ditch those 2,000-word guides just yet. Instead, use your data and Adaptify’s AI-powered tools to optimize them for AI and ensure they continue driving traffic, conversions, and authority.
💡 Agency SEO Tip of the Week: Don’t overlook the importance of multimedia content in your long-form articles.
Google’s AI Overviews are favoring diverse content formats like videos, podcasts, and forum discussions. If your articles are primarily text-based, consider incorporating video summaries, infographics, or user-generated content to boost engagement. Not only does this increase your chances of being featured in AI-driven search results, but it also helps cater to different audience preferences, driving more time on page and improving your overall content performance. Keep your content fresh, engaging, and adaptable to new search trends!
Adaptify Training Corner: Back to Basics with Backlinks
Backlinks are a crucial part of SEO as they signal to search engines that your content is valuable and credible. Quality backlinks improve rankings, drive traffic, and enhance your site's authority. The more high-quality sites linking to your content, the better your chances of ranking well. Focus on securing backlinks from trusted, relevant sources for maximum impact.
Adaptify Training Corner: Boosting SEO with Backlinks
Adaptify offers two types of backlinks to boost your clients' SEO:
Content Backlinks (Guest Posts):
We write and publish content on external blogs to earn backlinks that improve rankings and drive referral traffic.
PR Backlinks:
We work with journalists to get your clients quoted in high-authority newspapers, magazines, and blogs across the country, boosting visibility and credibility.
This week we’re excited to introduce a new beta trial for high-quality backlinks, which requires extra setup to authenticate your clients’ sites. This will give you access to premium backlinks from top-tier sources. Here are a couple of recent, real client examples we have placed so you can get a feel for what’s possible:
To participate, simply reach out to us, and we’ll add you to the beta. After that, head to your Backlink Settings to complete an additional step for client authentication. A single authorization email will be sent to the address you use to sign up to the Premium Backlink Building.
This new feature offers some of the best backlinks, boosting your clients’ authority and rankings.
Additionally, if you're unhappy with a backlink for any reason, you can now easily replace it directly from your dashboard. Simply click on the backlink you want to replace, hit the “Replace Link” button in the lower-right corner of the pitch, and a new link will be generated and replaced within 3-4 weeks.
This new self serve feature saves you time and ensures your clients always have the highest-quality backlinks.
Goodbye Summer, Hello Better SEO
As we head into another busy season, it’s the perfect time to refresh your SEO strategy. AI is reshaping search, but with the right data and tools you can stay ahead of the curve.
Ready to get started? Schedule a demo or visit Adaptify.ai. For those of you already with us, keep refining your content, explore long-form opportunities, and experiment with multimedia formats to remain competitive. And remember, you’re not alone—Adaptify’s performance insights and AI tools are here to guide you every step of the way.
Here’s to a successful, data-driven fall!
Until next week,
Best,
Dominic, Hans, Bethany
Automate your Agency (by Adaptify SEO)
