SEO Is Dead. Long Live Findability.
- Ryan Tungseth
- May 2
- 2 min read
For years, we’ve been told that SEO is the key to growing online. Rank higher. Get more clicks. Repeat.
But if you’ve tried to “do SEO” in the last couple years, you’ve probably noticed something: the old playbook just doesn’t work like it used to.
At Growth Forge Studio, we’ve been quietly testing a new model. One that actually reflects how people discover and engage with brands in 2025.
We call it Findability—and it's a lot bigger than just Google.
What Changed?
Traditional SEO focused on:
Keyword density
Meta tags
Backlink farms
Crawling and indexing tricks
Those tactics worked in a web ruled by 10 blue links. But the digital ecosystem has evolved. Your customers don’t just search on Google anymore. They explore maps, marketplaces, social platforms, and even voice assistants.
And even when they do land on your website, poor navigation or inconsistent branding might mean they bounce before finding what they need.
The new question isn’t “How do I rank on Google?” It’s:
“How do I get found by the right people, wherever they’re looking?”
Welcome to the Era of Findability
Over the past month, we’ve helped clients build systems that prioritize being findable across the entire customer journey:
✅ Business Listings (Google, Bing, Apple Maps, Yelp, and dozens of niche directories)
✅ Google Maps Optimization (critical for local businesses)
✅ On-Site Search Optimization (because if they can’t find it, it’s like it doesn’t exist)
✅ Social Platform Discoverability (LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok – each with their own “search engine”)
✅ Cross-Platform Brand Consistency (your name, tagline, visuals, and messaging all need to match)
✅ Real-World Triggers (events, local buzz, reviews – they all feed into digital relevance)
The Big Idea: Findability > SEO
We believe Findability is the more honest goal. It's about making sure the people looking for you—or people like you—can actually find you.
It's not about chasing algorithms. It's about showing up where your audience is already looking.
That includes:
Direct searches
Discovery via social
Voice assistants
Recommendations from friends or tools
And yes, still Google
Can You Measure Findability?
Yes—and we do.
We’ve developed a Findability Score that gives clients a simple snapshot of how visible and discoverable they are across channels. It includes qualitative and quantitative measures like:
Local listing health
Presence on key platforms
Brand consistency
Keyword relevance across search tools, not just Google
Website usability and internal search
Emerging tech readiness (like AI-driven search)
From there, we build a Findability Roadmap: clear, prioritized steps to improve visibility and consistency everywhere your brand lives.
If SEO Feels Broken, You’re Not Alone
We talk to a lot of businesses who’ve been burned by agencies promising #1 Google rankings, only to deliver bloated reports and no real results.
Findability is our fresh take—because it works, and because it aligns with how humans actually discover brands today.
Ready to Find Out How Discoverable Your Business Really Is?
We’d love to help you see where you stand.
At Growth Forge Studio, we offer a free Findability Review to assess how easily your customers can find you—across search engines, maps, social platforms, and more.
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