How to Get Fast Results with Digital Marketing in 2025

In a way, we’re living during the peak of digital marketing. Online strategies have become cheaper and easier to execute. And everyone wants a part of it – almost every single company invests in digital marketing to stay relevant.

Bill Gates famously said, “If your business is not on the Internet, then your business will be out of business.” That is just as true now as it was 10 years ago.

But for many companies, digital marketing has become an exercise in frustration and futility. The low barrier to entry has created an overabundance of content and fierce competition for user attention.

Blogs and social media channels still work, but getting results now requires years of effort and substantial financial resources. It takes more than an online presence to compete with well-established brands – it takes innovation and fresh perspectives.

The Smart Approach to Digital Marketing in 2025

To succeed in the current market, you need to focus on channels that deliver results quickly without draining your resources.

Here’s the approach I take:

1. Analyze benchmarks: Identify what works for your niche or audience (even if you’re starting from scratch and just getting to know that audience).
2. Create a content plan: Focus on tactics with low competition to gain a strategic edge (target underserved audiences or untapped content opportunities).
3. Execute for speed: Implement strategies designed for quick wins while still aiming for long-term growth.

In 2015, that meant engaging with users on social media.

In 2025, it’s video marketing.

Here’s why:

• Higher engagement: Video content generates 1,200% more shares than text and image posts combined.
• Enhanced reach: Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels prioritize video, ensuring better visibility.
• Cost effectiveness: You can produce and edit high-impact videos with budget tools and affordable apps.

But let’s dig deeper so I can show you why video works so well.

Organic Reach for Video Content Is Insane: A Million Views for New Channels

Video marketing offers an unparalleled opportunity for new channels to reach a massive audience and build loyalty in a short time.

I’ve experienced this myself. Here’s what I achieved:

• TheSolitaire YouTube Channel: Gained 50K subscribers within a few months. Its audience primarily consists of high-income adults (earning over $100K annually), showcasing the platform’s ability to quickly attract followers in a niche market.
• UNmiss YouTube Channel: Surpassed 21.8K subscribers and garnered over 1.5 million views, proving that video content can still thrive in competitive industries.
• Becoin.net: A brand-new project launched just two months ago and has already surpassed 100K views on YouTube and TikTok combined.

Despite being in highly saturated niches, these projects are able to succeed for one simple reason: their competitors overlook the power of video marketing.

Just look at these numbers to see how they’re missing out:

It’s not just sales, though. Video marketing has other powerful benefits, like:

• Creating brand awareness: Videos build visibility and recall, even for new brands.
• Stronger customer trust: People connect emotionally with brands through videos, fostering loyalty.
• Saving time and money: Videos often deliver quicker results at a lower cost compared to traditional methods like SEO.

Faster Than SEO

Engaging in SEO means playing the long game. It can take years of hard work before you see any tangible results.

Video marketing delivers within a few months, even if you’re starting from scratch.

Your niche or the level of competition doesn’t matter. The organic reach of platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram is still high, so you can get eyes on your content quicker than ever.

And I know what some of you are thinking.

You’d love to turn on the camera and blow up on TikTok. But you just don’t have the kind of charisma, confidence, or camera presence you see with successful influencers.

Well, here’s the good news: you don’t need it.

Not only that, but you don’t even need to be on camera at all.

AI tools can generate avatars or animations that perform just as well as humans presenters. They have realistic emotions, perfect pronunciation, and smooth movements.

In fact, you’ve probably seen quite a few of them already without realizing you were looking at an AI.

The channels I mentioned above use a combination of real human presenters and AI avatars, and guess what? Most people can’t tell the difference!

And look, I don’t want to make it sound like I’m pitting video marketing against SEO. They can actually complement each other quite well.

Google rewards trusted brands by improving their search rankings, and customers prefer engaging with brands they recognize. Video marketing helps with that. It creates familiarity, which strengthens trust and builds a stronger foundation for long-term SEO strategies.

The Right Strategy to Succeed with SEO

After leveraging video marketing to create strong brand awareness and trust, the next step is crafting an effective content strategy.

Your content plan should focus on:

• Medium and bottom-funnel content: Target audiences closer to making a purchase decision.
• Topical authority: Establish expertise in a specific niche or industry.
• Low-competition topics: Prioritize areas where you can rank more easily.

While top-funnel content works wonders for video marketing (e.g., video shorts that get millions of views), it’s less effective for SEO:

• Top-funnel for SEO: Competing against giants like Wikipedia, Reddit, and other authoritative sites means struggling to get any clicks at all.
• Top-funnel for video: Even if 0.1% of your million viewers are relevant, that’s still 1,000 potential customers.

Search engines prioritize evergreen, authoritative content, which makes it nearly impossible to outrank well-established websites on broad topics.

Instead, you should focus on long-tail keywords directly related to your products or services.

How to Find the Right Keywords to Target

A lot has changed in this business since 2008, but one thing still remains true: choosing the right keywords is vital for your SEO.

That’s why keyword tools are indispensable. Here are a few that I recommend:

1. Keyword Density Checker: Analyze competitors’ keywords for insights and ideas.
2. Keyword Clustering Tool: Group a list of keywords immediately to choose which to prioritize.
3. SE Ranking: Offers multifunctional features and excellent technical SEO capabilities.
4. Ahrefs: An expensive tool that provides comprehensive metrics, including backlink analysis and traffic value.
5. Semrush: A costly option that includes extra tools for digital marketing beyond SEO.
6. Moz: A pricey solution that offers unique metrics like keyword priority and strong local SEO features.
7. Ubersuggest: A more affordable option, though less advanced compared to others.

Any of these tools will give you an overwhelming number of keyword suggestions.

Not having enough keywords isn’t really an issue. The mistake most webmasters make is trying to target too many of them.

Instead, choose a few high-priority keywords and create the best possible content around them. Look for keywords that have:

• High traffic value: Keywords with higher traffic value are more likely to bring monetary returns than high-volume, low-value ones.
• Low competition: Look for keywords where competitors haven’t acquired many backlinks, offering opportunities for newer websites.

It’s not just about finding keywords your competitors are neglecting, though. It’s also about establishing yourself as an authority.

By focusing on a single niche and creating comprehensive content about it, you can demonstrate superior expertise compared to sites that try to cover anything and everything.

Think of it this way: when you need medical treatment, would you rather see a specialist or a general practitioner?

It’s the same with SEO – specialization wins.

Great Writers Can Get Organic Reach

Once you’ve developed a content plan and selected priority keywords, you have two options:

1. Start writing the content yourself.
2. Hire skilled writers who can produce high-quality, engaging, and authoritative content for you.

If you’re naturally gifted and have the time, the first option can work wonders.

For most of us, it’s better to get someone else to research, write, and edit the content. That way, you can build a strong foundation for your long-term SEO success without spreading yourself too thin.

But don’t hire just anybody – not if you want results. Find experienced writers with a proven track record of generating high organic reach.

If you’re not sure where to look, here’s the process I use:

1. Search for popular blogs: Identify top-ranking blogs in your niche using Google.
2. Create a list of authors: Note down the authors publishing on these websites.
3. Analyze URLs on Ahrefs: Use a batch analysis to determine which authors’ content drives significant traffic.
4. Filter for high-traffic authors: Focus on those who get strong results consistently.
5. Find their contact information: Use tools like RocketReach to locate their email addresses or LinkedIn profiles.
6. Reach out with a proposal: Offer these authors freelance opportunities to write for your website.

These writers aren’t typically job-hunting on platforms like Upwork, but many are open to earning extra income if you reach out to them directly.

Hiring authors who publish on Forbes, Investopedia, Search Engine Journal (SEJ), and other leading platforms allows you to access high-quality content without needing to pay someone a full-time salary.

But be aware that even high-profile writers sometimes generate texts using AI tools. Since Google can penalize AI-generated content, always run the copy they submit to you through a free AI content detector. If it gets flagged, just explain that you need the article to be written manually.

Once you’ve onboarded talented writers, the next step is to align their work with your content plan. Prioritize tasks that maximize their expertise and line up with your strategic goals. Spend less time on over-saturated topics and aim instead for niche, high-impact content.

And be sure to focus on tools, not blogs. Here’s why.

AI Is Slowly Killing Blog Content, But Tools Are Growing

Blog content still drives significant traffic. You managed to find this post, after all.

But blogging is far less effective than it used to be.

First, there’s the sheer volume of content being published. Blogs used to be a bit of a novelty. Now, there are 7.5 million new blog posts added to the internet every single day. Even if you write a fantastic, well-researched, and highly engaging post, there’s a good chance it will be drowned out by the millions of others that went up alongside it.

Worse, AI search engines are cannibalizing blog traffic. Instead of finding your page in search results, users are being served instant answers and short summaries.

So, what’s the solution?

Instead of relying solely on your blog, consider launching AI-driven tools tied to your brand.

It’s a strategy that has worked exceptionally well for me with UNmiss.

Unlike blog posts, tools provide practical, repeatable value to your audience.

Their competition is usually lower, too. Millions of blog posts are published each day, but digital tools are few and far in between.

For example, I developed 27 digital SEO tools that integrate our own technologies alongside resources from GitHub, GitLab, and Codecanyon.

You can’t just make a bunch of copycat tools and hope it will drive traffic, though. It has to serve a purpose that isn’t already being met.

In our case, we identified gaps in the market where existing solutions didn’t fully satisfy our needs. So we filled those gaps with tools tailored for specific demands.

For us, that meant developing well-designed SEO tools. For you, it will depend on your niche

Here are some examples:

For Weight Loss:

• Calorie Counter
• Macronutrient Tracker
• BMI Calculator
• Weight Loss Progress Tracker
• Intermittent Fasting Timer
• Keto Diet Planner
• Exercise Calorie Burn Calculator
• Step Goal Tracker

For Trading:

• Fundamental Analysis Tool
• Technical Analysis Tool
• Risk Management Calculator
• Bot Trading Platform
• Order Management System
• Stock Price Forecasting Tool
• Cryptocurrency Exchange Platform

If some of those tools are already available, find ways to outdo them. You could make one that gives more detailed information, one with a simpler interface, or an option that’s completely free.

Then, take the steps to build it:

1. Create a Detailed Task: Use spreadsheets to document your ideas, including:
   • Formulas and calculations
   • API resources
   • Detailed explanations of how the tool should function
2. Find Specialized Developers: Hire developers experienced in building tools. With their expertise, they’ll be able to refine your ideas, add unique features, and make your tools even more competitive.
3. Start Small: Creating multifunctional tools would require large teams and years of development. Start with simple calculators and converters that solve specific problems.

Tools don’t just attract new users – they retain them. People return to tools they find valuable or practical.

That said, don’t neglect your blog entirely. Continue publishing posts to complement your tools and maintain fresh content for your SEO.

The Future of SEO: Get Extra Traffic from AI Search

AI search is rapidly gaining popularity. Users are turning to tools like ChatGPT for direct, specific answers instead of browsing extended results on Google.

While this is clearly a major challenge for SEO professionals, it’s also an opportunity for those who can adapt their strategies.

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To capture traffic from AI search:

1. Focus on earning high rankings on Google: AI tools often rely on the top results from Google to generate responses, so keep doing what works and move your way up the search rankings.
2. Write conversational content: Optimize your content to answer long-form, conversational questions (think FAQs, how-tos, and detailed answers tailored to specific queries).
3. Test and refine: Use AI tools like ChatGPT to explore popular questions and see what content they reference. If you find gaps or weaknesses in the responses, create better, more comprehensive content to fill those voids.

So fundamentally, ranking high on AI search still comes down to ranking high on Google. And doing that requires a two-pronged approach:

1. Excellent content: Creating unique, actionable, and engaging content that solves user problems better than competitors.
2. Link building and PR: Building quality backlinks and investing in public relations to gain exposure and authority.

The Right Approach to Link Building

Link building is essential – it can make or break your SEO strategy. But you need to approach it the right way.

There’s no shortage of link builders who guarantee fast rankings through questionable tactics.

It’s better to avoid them and play it safe. When you work with agencies that violate Google guidelines, you risk incurring penalties for your site – and undoing all your efforts.

Before hiring anyone, give yourself a crash course on the basics of White Hat SEO (Ahrefs, Semrush, and Backlink are great resources for this). That way, you’ll know how to spot red flags and avoid wasting your time and resources.

Look for professionals or agencies that engage in effective and ethical link building strategies like:

• The Skyscraper Method: Creating better versions of high-performing content to attract backlinks.
• Broken link building: Finding broken links on authoritative sites and offering your content as a replacement.
• Resource list outreach: Reaching out to websites that list resources similar to yours and recommending your content.
• PR and outreach: Using press releases to amplify your content and attract links naturally.

Creating Link-Worthy Content

Of course, you won’t actually get any links unless you have pages that people actually want to link to.

Sites won’t give you backlinks out of the kindness of their hearts. They’ll do it because your content provides some kind of value to them or their audience.

Two of the best ways to attract links is by publishing:

• Studies
  • Conducting unique research or gathering and synthesizing data from multiple sources.
  • Visualizing those findings with infographics to increase shareability.
• Statistics Pages
  • Aggregating industry-relevant statistics into a single, convenient resource.
  • Including key data points that journalists and bloggers are likely to search for and include in their articles.

Brian Dean calls this Reverse Outreach. Instead of blasting out hundreds of emails asking people to share your content, you create content so compelling that people will naturally want to reference it.

That doesn’t mean you should give up on outreach entirely, though. Press releases are a powerful tool for promoting your studies and statistics pages. By distributing them strategically, you can earn links from reputable publications and improve your site’s authority.

Conclusion

SEO remains a powerful channel, but it’s not enough to have an SEO strategy – you need the right one.

If you’re running an established website, you can rely a bit more heavily on traditional methods. Your focus should be on maintaining and growing your authority with advanced SEO strategies and consistently publishing high-quality content.

If you’re trying to get visibility on a new project, start by building an audience. Establish yourself on social media, lean on video content, and create useful tools before diving deep into SEO.

Digital marketing isn’t as easy as it was when I first started. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get results. By finding the opportunities your competitors are missing, you can still grow your traffic, strengthen your brand, and build a loyal audience.