Essential website updates for 2025

If it’s been a while since you touched your website, now’s the time to give it a proper look. Not a “yep, it still loads” look. I mean a real look.

 

Because even if it was working fine a year or two ago, things have shifted. Search has changed. User habits have changed. AI is now pulling info straight from websites, whether we like it or not. And if your website’s stuck in 2021, you’re probably not showing up where you want to.

 

In blog one of this Website optimsation series , we covered why your website is your best marketing tool. In blog two, we talked about UX and how to make your site easier to use.

This one is about what to actually update. The practical stuff. The bits that can help your site work harder, show up better in search, and be more useful for real humans. (Not just the bots.)

 

1. Update your content to answer real questions

 

Let’s start with the obvious. Content.

 

Old, vague, or fluffy copy just doesn’t cut it anymore. Especially not with Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) becoming more important.

 

If you want your website to show up in those little AI-generated answers at the top of the page (and help with traditional SEO too), your content needs to actually answer the questions your ideal clients are asking.

 

For me (Starfish Marketing), that might look like:

• What does a marketing strategy include?
• How do I know if my website is working?
• What’s the difference between organic and paid social?

 

Not everything has to be in blog format either. Your service pages should be answering questions too. Clear, helpful, easy-to-skim content wins every time.

 

Oh, and make sure your info is up to date. If you’re talking about services you don’t offer anymore, or referencing tools or platforms that don’t exist, it’s time for a tidy-up.

 

2. Refresh your headings and structure

 

Headings aren’t just there to make a page look neat. They help both your visitors and search engines figure out what’s going on.

 

If your website’s using headings like “Welcome” or “Stuff we do”, you’re making Google’s job harder. And people’s too.

 

Use headings to describe the content clearly. 

 

Again, using Starfish Marketing as an example, this might include things like:

• Marketing services
  • Marketing Mentor
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Digital Marketing
  • Content Creation
  • Social Media
• Working with Mell
• The Starfish Story
• Free marketing tips

 

Not only does that help with keyword relevance (hi SEO), but it gives your content a better chance of being pulled into AI-generated answers (hi AEO). Because AI needs context. And headings provide it.

 

3. Add or update FAQs

 

FAQs used to be a bit of an afterthought. Now they’re gold.

 

Why? Because FAQs mirror the way people actually search. They type in full questions. And when your site has those same questions with helpful answers, you’re more likely to get featured in search results.

 

Also, Google loves pulling FAQ content into snippets. And AI tools often look there too when generating responses.

 

So go beyond the basics. Instead of “How much does it cost?”, try things like:

• How long does it take to launch a marketing strategy?
• What if I don’t have a website yet?
• Do you work with businesses outside of Albury Wodonga?

 

You can pull these from real client conversations, emails, or the questions people ask in discovery calls. (And if you’re not sure, ask your clients what they wish they knew before working with you.)

 

4. Improve your site speed

 

I know, I know. This one feels boring. But a slow site will hurt your SEO rankings and make people bounce before your page even loads.

 

Plus, if AI is crawling your site to pull answers, it’s not going to wait around for your page to load. If your site is sluggish, you're not helping anyone.

 

Some simple ways to improve load time:

• Optimise your image sizes (this one’s a biggie)
• Remove any plugins you’re not using
• Avoid fancy background videos hosted on your site (this really slows things down) – link to external sites for hosting videos, like YouTube.  
• Make sure your hosting isn’t letting you down

 

You don’t need to be a developer to improve this stuff, but if tech’s not your thing, it’s worth getting someone to check it for you. Improving site speed is one of the essential website updates for 2025, especially if you want people (and search engines) to stick around.

 

5. Add structured data (aka schema)

 

Ok, stay with me. I know I said no jargon. But this one is worth mentioning.

 

Structured data (sometimes called schema) is a little bit of behind-the-scenes code that helps search engines understand your content. It’s what allows Google and AI tools to pull things like your business hours, reviews, service descriptions, and FAQs into search results.

 

You don’t need to understand how it works in detail. You just need to know it’s helpful. And if your website doesn’t have it yet, ask your web person to add it. There are tools and plugins that make it easy.

 

If you're on WordPress, a tool like Yoast can make it easier. It helps with both SEO and AEO. Double win.

 

6. Check your contact info and calls to action

 

This sounds so basic, but I’ve seen so many websites where the contact page is broken, the form goes nowhere, or the call-to-action button links to the wrong thing.

 

And no one tells you, because most people just give up and leave.

 

So take a moment to check:

• Does your contact form work? (Test it)
• Is your phone number correct? (It happens)
• Do your call-to-action buttons lead to the right page?
• Is there a clear next step on every page?
• Do you have easy to find contact details in your headers and footers

 

If people have to go digging for how to contact you, they probably won’t.

 

7. Make sure it looks good on mobile

 

I know we covered this in blog two, but it’s worth repeating here because it’s also a key update.

 

If your site doesn’t work well on mobile, none of the content or calls to action will matter. Google prioritises mobile usability when ranking sites. And AI crawlers are checking mobile versions of your site too.

 

So grab your phone and go through your entire website. Tap every button. Read every heading. Fill out every form. And if anything’s hard to use, fix it.

 

Mobile-first is not a trend. It’s the standard.

 

Keep it realistic and useful

 

At the end of the day, your website doesn’t need to be flashy or clever. It needs to be clear, easy to use, and actually helpful.

 

That’s what search engines want. That’s what AI tools look for. And most importantly, that’s what your ideal clients need.

 

So if your website hasn’t had a decent update in a while, now’s a good time. You don’t need to burn it down and start from scratch. But a few focused updates, like these essential website updates for 2025, can make a big difference.

 

Need a hand figuring out what to fix first? Let’s do a quick review. I’ll tell you what’s working, what’s not, and what to update to get better results.