Google is launching its first core update of 2025: prepare yourself for an SEO earthquake

Google has launched the first core update of the year. As in 2024, March has been chosen by the search engine to update its search algorithm, in a process that it expects to complete in two weeks.

In a brief statement, the company limited itself to explaining that «Today we released the March 2025 core update for Google Search. This is a regular update designed to better display relevant and satisfying content for people searching on all kinds of sites. We are also continuing to work on displaying more creator content through a series of improvements throughout this year. Some have already been implemented; more will be added soon.»

The start of a turbulent year for SEO?

While core updates can be both positive and negative for websites, it is likely that the SEO community has received this news… with some stress. 2024 was a very turbulent and controversial year in this field, with up to four core updates that shook search results:

• The March update was a broader update than usual, modifying its algorithm to improve the quality of search results and decrease spam. On that occasion, Google reported a 45% reduction in non-original or low-quality content in the results, along with optimizing the detection of useless pages that provide a poor user experience and are designed to appeal to search engines without offering real value to people.
• In the case of the August update, it was aimed at correcting issues generated in the implementation of past updates, especially the one developed in March and the helpful content update from September 2023, which provoked complaints from small publishers who saw their websites fall into irrelevance.
• The November update arrived at the worst time for the eCommerce sector, during the peak season marked by Black Friday discounts and its preceding weeks, as well as Christmas shopping. Finally, the feeling within the sector is that the volatility in search results was less than on other occasions.
• Finally, Google launched its fourth core update of the year in December, just before Christmas, straining the final phase of the high sales season terribly. The websites and eCommerce platforms affected by this Google algorithm update did not have the final balance until December 19.

What is a Core Update

According to Google itself, «core updates are changes we make to improve search in general and keep pace with the ever-evolving web. While nothing in a core update is specific to any particular site, these updates can produce some noticeable changes in how sites perform.»

In fact, Google makes changes aimed at the way search results are ranked almost every day. Although most are not noticeable, they help continue to refine the algorithm, striving to reward the most relevant content suitable for each search performed by users. However, there are occasions, like this one, when a core update, or central update, occurs, which has a greater impact on SEO.

In the current context, where searches performed with AI are gaining prominence, that impact is amplified and becomes more uncertain. Google continues to adjust its algorithms to prioritize useful and high-quality content, which requires SEO experts to focus even more on creating original, well-structured, and value-added material. The proliferation of content generated by artificial intelligence has led Google to reinforce its criteria for assessing the experience, authority, and trustworthiness of sources, which means that strategies based solely on volume or massive automation are at greater risk of losing rankings.

• For more information: Chegg is suing Google over its AI Overviews, accusing them of reducing its web traffic

Furthermore, algorithm updates can change the way search intent signals are interpreted, affecting not only website rankings but also the way users interact with the results. With the integration of AI models in searches, such as Google’s generative search, SEO professionals must adapt to an environment where featured snippets, direct answers, and contextual semantics carry increasing weight. This means optimizing not only for traditional keywords but also for more conversational formats and specific questions that AI models tend to prioritize.

How to Face a Core Update

Google provides this example to better understand how an update of this type works: «imagine that in 2021 you made a list of the 100 best movies of all time and you want to update it in 2024. It is clear that there will be changes to the list. You will want to include new movies that did not exist in 2021, but which have since captivated audiences. You may also want to change the position of movies already on the list. The list will change, and some movies may drop a position, but that does not mean they are bad, rather that there are other movies that deserve a higher spot.»

Despite Google’s assertion that there is generally nothing you can do following a core update to its algorithm and that these changes are focused solely on enhancing the system’s ability to evaluate overall content, there are still some points you can review to improve your content and, of course, enhance your positioning on Google, beyond this update or the next ones.

To check if your page and content have the proper configuration, Google suggests answering the following questions:

Content and Quality Questions

• Does the content provide original information, report data, research, or analysis?
• Does the content offer a substantial, complete, or comprehensive description of the topic it addresses?
• Does the content provide interesting and non-trivial information, or analyze a topic from a useful perspective?
• If the content cites other sources, does it add enough value and originality or, on the contrary, does it simply copy or rewrite information included in those sources?
• Is the title of the content or page useful and descriptive?
• Does the title of the content or page avoid exaggerations or sensational language?
• Is it the type of page you would bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend to someone?
• Would you expect to see this content in a magazine, encyclopedia, or book, even just as a reference?
• Does the content provide valuable information compared to other pages appearing in search results?
• Does the content have spelling or stylistic errors?
• Is it apparent that time and effort have been spent creating the content, or does it seem careless or hastily produced?
• Is the content mass-produced by a large number of writers or spread across a wide network of sites, causing each specific page or site to receive little attention or care?

Authority Questions

• Does the content present information in a trustworthy manner? For example, does it clearly cite sources, appear to be produced by an expert, or provide information about the author or the publishing site, for instance through links to an about page?
• If someone sought more information about the site publishing the content, would they conclude it is trustworthy or a recognized authority on the topic it covers?
• Is the content written by an expert or enthusiast with demonstrated knowledge of the topic?
• Has the content been checked for easily verifiable errors?
• Is it clear to visitors who created the content?
• Do the pages include a signature, displayed in the indicated location?
• Do the signatures provide additional information about the author or involved writers, providing details about them and the topics they write about?

And of course, Google reserves a place for AI in the «how» this content was created:

• Is the use of automation, including AI generation, evident to visitors (through notices or other means)?
• Do you provide information about how automation or AI generation was used to create content?
• Do you explain why automation or AI has been helpful in producing the content?

Beyond asking yourself these questions, consider an honest evaluation by other people regarding your website and content, and of course, conduct an assessment of the pages you have published that have the most impact, to understand what type of searches these high-impact pages are associated with. With this information, you will comprehend how other published pages are evaluated.

Remember that these are general recommendations and there are no specific actions you need to take to recover in case you experience a negative impact following Google’s latest core algorithm update.

Image: Flux Schnell