Google SEO Updates 2025: Core Updates, AI Overviews & Ranking Shifts You Must Know

 Here are the most recent SEO-relevant updates to Google Search that you should know about from the past few months:

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1. June 2025 Core Update

• Google began rolling out a June 2025 core update on June 30, 2025, with completion expected over a ~3-week period.

• This marks the second core update of 2025, following March’s update.

• Action: Continue focusing on quality content, robust E‑E‑A‑T signals, and excellent user experience—no new recovery steps advised besides ongoing improvements.

2. March 2025 Core Update & Its Effects

• Rolled out March 13–27, 2025, this core update focused on ranking relevance and overall user satisfaction .

• Notable outcomes:

• Surge in AI Overviews across entertainment, restaurants, and travel queries—up by 528%, 387%, and 381% respectively.

• Rankings volatility seen across forums, programmatic content sites, and publishers—Reddit gained traction, while many forum sites lost ground.

3. Expansion of AI Overviews & AI Mode

• Google’s AI Overviews, introduced May 2024, now answer more search queries directly—especially in niches like food, travel, and entertainment.

• The new AI Mode (chatbot interface) is being gradually deployed and may soon become the default for U.S. users.

• Industry impact: There's a significant drop in organic clicks: CTR for top results dropped from ~7.3% → ~2.6% when Overviews appear.

From Reddit:

“Significant increase in Impression (1.6 ×), slight drop in clicks, average position unchanged… AIO is killing seo.” 

 

4. Technical & SERP-Level Updates

• Review counts (stars) are being removed from non‑eCommerce listings—only product pages retain them.

• Low-engagement pages risk removal: Martin Splitt noted pages with low user interaction may vanish entirely from search results.

• Google’s testing 47+ AI-powered SERP features, including “Info Sleuth,” “Fantasy Sports Researcher,” and interactive Health Overviews.

• A Google Search Console API update now gives 24‑hour hourly performance data across an 8‑day window—helping SEOs monitor real-time trends.

5. Strategic SEO Implications

• E‑E‑A‑T & human expertise: March and May core updates reinforced Google's preference for authentic, expert content. AI-generated or thin content sites have dropped.

• Mobile-first remains essential: With ongoing mobile indexing and Core Web Vitals significance, mobile speed and UX are mandatory.

• Combat thin or spam content: Google’s crackdown on programmatic and low-value content continues—strategists should audit and enhance such pages.

• Adapt to AI SERP real estate: Since Google is taking more attention via AI Overviews, focus on:

• Structuring content to be featured in Overviews (concise, structured, cited)

• Improving CTR through rich snippets, engaging meta titles, and content updates.

SEO Action Plan

1. Evaluate impact on your traffic via GSC since March and June updates.

2. Improve Core Web Vitals, especially INP, LCP, and CLS on mobile.

3. Enhance E‑E‑A‑T signals: author bios, expert quotes, sourcing.

4. Rewrite low-engagement content—add depth, visuals, interactive elements.

5. Schema markup: incorporate FAQ, HowTo, product, and review schema where relevant.

6. Monitor AI Overviews and optimize for possible inclusion.

7. Track Review Count changes and adjust schema priority to product surfaces.