Your website exists, your social media does too, yet traffic is stagnant. This observation affects a growing number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in France. The Afnic 2025 study reveals a decline in the proportion of companies with a website, dropping from 70% in 2024 to 61% in 2025. Presence on social media follows the same trend, from 75% to 64%.
Producing web content is no longer enough: it is essential to understand what makes content work today.
Decline in online presence of SMEs: what the Afnic figures mean
This decline marks the first reversal of trend since the post-pandemic period. It affects all channels: websites, social media, directories, marketplaces. The paradox is clear, as almost all surveyed companies consider the internet useful or necessary.
Why this drop? Maintaining a website requires time, regular updates, and an editorial line. Without dedicated resources, many companies let their site age or disappear. An abandoned site is more harmful than having no site at all, as it sends a signal of neglect to both visitors and search engines.
The problem is therefore not awareness. It is the ability to produce and maintain structured content over time. Before multiplying channels, it is better to master one correctly. To explore concrete approaches on this subject, the content of Journal Du Web regularly discusses the mechanics that underpin a sustainable web presence.
Web content and natural referencing: the criteria that really matter
You may have noticed that some pages consistently appear at the top of Google results, even when their design seems outdated? SEO relies less on appearance than on the structure of the content.
What Google evaluates in content
A well-ranked text answers a specific question. Each page must target an identifiable search intent. For example, a baker writing a page on “homemade sourdough bread” targets internet users looking for that recipe or product locally.
A page that covers everything ranks for nothing. This is the most common trap: wanting to say everything on the homepage. It is better to create several short pages, each focused on a topic, than a single lengthy page.
The technical signals not to overlook
Loading speed, mobile adaptation, and HTTPS security are not options. They are prerequisites. A slow site on mobile loses the majority of its visitors before they even read the first sentence.
- Test the speed of your pages with a free tool like Google PageSpeed Insights, and prioritize correcting oversized images.
- Ensure that each page has a unique title (title tag) and a meta description that encourages clicks.
- Make sure your site uses the HTTPS protocol; otherwise, browsers will display a security warning to your visitors.
Natural referencing is a long-term job, not a one-time adjustment. An article published today may take several weeks to rank. The regularity of publication matters more than the volume.
Content strategy on social media: publish less but better
Publishing every day on three different platforms without a guiding principle disperses your energy. Before choosing a social network, ask yourself a simple question: where are your customers?
A construction artisan does not have the same audience as a jewelry creator. The former will find prospects on Google and local directories. The latter will have more impact on Instagram or Pinterest, where visuals are paramount.
The engaging format in 2025
Short video content (under 60 seconds) generates the highest engagement rates on most platforms. A tutorial filmed on a phone, showing a professional gesture, often performs better than a studio-retouched visual.
The authenticity of the content outweighs production quality. A restaurateur filming their kitchen in action captures attention more effectively than a photo of a dish on a white background. The audience wants to see the people behind the business.
Two regular and coherent posts per week with your activity are better than ten sporadic posts. Each post should serve one of these functions: inform, showcase expertise, or invite to a specific action (visit, call, order).
Digital compliance and web content: recent obligations
The Digital Services Act (DSA), fully applicable in the European Union, imposes new rules on online platforms. Although this regulation primarily targets large platforms, it has concrete effects for businesses that publish content there.
Platforms must now ensure greater transparency regarding content moderation and targeted advertising. For an SME, this means that sponsored content must be clearly identified as such. An unmarked advertising post can be removed by the platform without notice.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) complements this framework by targeting the practices of “gatekeepers” (Google, Meta, Apple, Amazon). Google search results must provide more visibility to third-party players. This is an opportunity for small structures with well-optimized content.
- Clearly identify any sponsored content on your social media to remain compliant with the DSA.
- Monitor changes in the terms of use of the platforms where you publish, as they regularly adapt to the new regulatory framework.
- Take advantage of the changes imposed by the DMA: search engines are diversifying their results, which can benefit well-structured niche sites.
Online presence is not just about creating content. It relies on three concrete pillars: a technically sound site, regular publications tailored to your audience, and monitoring the rules that govern the dissemination of your content. The decline observed among French SMEs shows that the difficulty is not in getting started, but in sustaining over time. Starting with one well-mastered channel remains the most cost-effective choice.
