Is SEO Still the Most Reliable Way to Drive Long-Term Traffic?

I’ve seen lots of marketers focusing on paid ads, social media, and even AI-generated content. So I’m wondering - in terms of consistent long-term traffic, is SEO still the primary option to depend on?

For example, I’ve seen some businesses working on digital marketing in Jalandhar getting better results through local SEO compared to paid campaigns. For those of you who are practicing SEO out there, what kind of results have you measured in 2025 compared to other channels? Do you think SEO will continue to dominate, or is it just a trend?