Building on the major changes I tracked in 2024's algorithm updates, 2025 has brought its own wave of updates that I believe every SEO professional needs to understand. Google has continued refining its approach to AI integration, content quality evaluation, and spam prevention — with some notable shifts in how the search engine processes and ranks content.
Key Updates in 2025 So Far
1. March 2025 Core Update
The March core update was one of the broadest I've seen in recent memory, affecting sites across all categories. Here are my key observations:
- Sites with strong E-A-T signals saw ranking improvements, consistent with Google's ongoing emphasis on authority
- Content that demonstrated first-hand experience outrank content that merely summarised other sources
- Pages with poor Core Web Vitals scores were disproportionately affected in competitive niches
- Forum and UGC content continued to gain visibility, extending a trend from 2024
2. AI Overview Expansion (May 2025)
Google significantly expanded the rollout of AI Overviews to more query types and languages. I cover this update in detail in my article on AI Overviews and the future of organic search. The key takeaway I want to emphasize: informational queries now frequently receive AI-generated summaries, pushing traditional organic results further down the page.
3. Spam Policy Update (July 2025)
Google updated its spam policies to address emerging manipulation tactics. Here's what I've seen them target:
- AI-generated content at scale: Sites publishing large volumes of AI-generated content with no human editorial oversight were targeted
- Parasite SEO: Google cracked down on sites that rent out subfolders to third-party content for ranking purposes
- Scaled content abuse: The line between "helpful AI assistance" and "scaled content abuse" was clarified — human review and editing are now expected
- Expired domain manipulation: Buying expired domains to redirect their authority to unrelated content was further devalued
For guidance on staying on the right side of these policies, review our white hat link building strategies and AI content SEO best practices.
How Rankings Have Shifted
The most notable trend I'm seeing in 2025 is the rise of what Google calls "experience signals." Sites that can demonstrate real-world expertise — through original images, first-person accounts, verified reviews, and unique data — are outperforming sites that rely on aggregated or synthesised content.
Winners in 2025:
- Sites with original research and proprietary data
- Local businesses with strong review profiles and optimised local SEO
- Publishers who demonstrate clear author expertise (see our E-A-T guide)
- Sites with fast, mobile-first experiences (check your mobile optimisation)
Losers in 2025:
- Content farms publishing thin, AI-generated content
- Sites with outdated technical foundations and poor page speed
- Affiliate sites with no unique value beyond aggregating product links
- Sites that lost links from expired or deindexed domains
Actionable Steps for the Rest of 2025
Audit and Fix
I always start with a comprehensive technical SEO audit to identify any foundational issues. I also check sites' HTTP status codes with our bulk HTTP status checker to catch broken redirects and error pages that could be hurting rankings.
Strengthen Your Content
When I review top-performing pages, I ask: does this content offer something that an AI cannot generate? If not, it is vulnerable. I add original insights, expert quotes, case studies, and data that only your organisation can provide.
Improve Your Structured Data
Google increasingly relies on structured data to understand and rank content. I use our schema generator and meta tag generator to ensure pages are properly marked up. Proper schema helps Google understand your content in the AI era — and can earn rich results that stand out even when AI Overviews are present.
Monitor Your Rankings Without AI Clutter
I use our UDM 14 search to check organic rankings without AI Overviews, ads, and other SERP features obscuring the view. It gives me a clearer picture of true organic position and helps track the impact of algorithm changes.
Looking Ahead to Late 2025
Based on the trajectory of these updates, I expect Google to continue:
- Expanding AI Overviews to more query types
- Refining its ability to detect and devalue AI-generated spam
- Rewarding sites that demonstrate genuine expertise and experience
- Placing greater weight on user experience signals
In my view, the sites that will thrive are those that invest in quality, originality, and technical excellence now — not those that wait to react after the next update hits.
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