Google’s March 2025 Core Update: What You Need To Know

As Google’s algorithms change, it releases core updates periodically to maintain the relevance and quality of search results. As part of this process, Google released its latest March 2025 core update, which took almost two weeks to roll out completely. The update began on 13 March and was completed 14 days later on 27 March 2025. It is Google’s first update of 2025. It has already started impacting the rankings of many websites and brands across all regions and languages, with significant implications for content creators, website owners, and digital marketers.

Like its previous updates, Google has significantly altered its algorithms, with a main focus on improving search quality, user experience, and E-E-A-T experiences and reducing the visibility of low-quality content. Unlike smaller updates focusing on targeted areas, core updates impact large websites and industries, prompting SEO professionals to understand its implications.  

Many websites are already noticing volatility, with certain gains and losses in their search results, due to Google’s latest tweaks. So, here is everything you need to know about Google’s latest Core update complete rollout. 

Google March 2025 Core Update: Key Takeaways 

• Update Name: Google March 2025 Broad Core Update.
• Rollout Period: March 13, 2025 (12:30 PM ET) – March 27, 2025 (8:34 AM ET)
• Focus: Evaluate and refine rankings across all types of content globally.
• Purpose: Not a penalty-based update—aims to reward high-quality, relevant content
• Reach: Affects search results in all languages and regions.
• Influence: Impacts Google Discover, featured snippets, and other search elements
• Recovery Strategy: Sites experiencing ranking drops should reassess and enhance content based on Google’s best practices.

Ongoing Updates: Google will continue refreshing the algorithm, though future tweaks may go unannounced.

Major Highlights of Google Core Update

Google’s latest Core update was announced on March 13, 2025, focusing mainly on enhancing the quality of search results. However, knowing what is included in the update will take approximately two weeks. Google released a statement saying: 

Today, we released the March 2025 core update to Google Search. This regular update is designed to surface better, relevant, and more satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites. We also continue our work to surface more content from creators through a series of improvements throughout this year. Some have already happened; additional ones will come later.

While Google is maintaining a slow and subtle speed with these new updates, some of the major changes that are expected include: 

• Focus on Content Quality: Google strongly focuses on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust), which is important for ranking.
• AI and Spam Detection: Better algorithms can detect AI-generated, low-quality, or spam content easily.
• Search Intent Alignment: Google is refining users’ intent more precisely so that any content that directly resolves user needs gets a leg up in the rankings.
• Core Web Vitals, complemented by mobile usability, such as loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability, shall ultimately become more vital ranking elements.
• Disregarding low-grade content: Google’s new algorithm may not prioritize low-grade or 100% AI-generated content to optimize the credibility and richness of original and relevant content.

Also Read: Top 10 Must-Use AI Tools for SEO Growth

What We Experienced With Google’s New Update (Complete Rollout)

Although Google calls it a regular update designed to surface better authoritative content for all types of websites. Here are certain things we all must know: 

1. Core System Enhancements

The March 2025 Core Update targeted Google’s core ranking systems, determining how content ranks in search results. This update was designed to improve the algorithm’s ability to evaluate and prioritize the most relevant, helpful, and high-quality content. 

Google has emphasized that the core update is not about penalizing websites but rather about rewarding content deemed valuable and satisfying to users.

2. Increased Volatility During Rollout

Tracking tools observed noticeable volatility during the update’s rollout, especially around March 16 and 26, 2025. While some sites substantially improved their search rankings, others faced steep declines. This suggests that the update did not have a uniform impact but affected different types of websites in varying ways.

The volatility spike towards the end of the update indicates that Google’s algorithms were still adjusting to the newly rolled-out changes. This type of fluctuation is typical for core updates as Google fine-tunes its algorithms.

3. Google Is More in Favor of Individual Creators

In its announcement, Google states it is “continuing our work to surface more content from creators through a series of improvements throughout this year.” This indicates that Google is making an effort to spotlight content from individuals with expertise as opposed to big brands or anonymous corporate pages.

Content creators have been seeing this trend bubbling for some time now, with Google increasing visibility to content with an assigned author possessing clear expertise. If you haven’t showcased the humans behind your marketing efforts, now’s a good time to start.

4. Impact on Search Visibility

While the March 2025 update did not appear to have as widespread an impact as some of Google’s previous updates, some sites experienced significant ranking changes. Websites that were either positively or negatively impacted should use Google Search Console to assess the update’s effects. 

For those whose rankings dropped, Google suggests reviewing their content and ensuring it aligns with its helpful content guidelines. Content that is user-focused and meets the audience’s needs is more likely to see improvements in rankings after future updates.

5. This Will Affect All Search Features

This update will not only affect your standard search rankings; it will also affect the following:

• Google Discover feeds: some publishers are already seeing in their Discover traffic
• Featured snippets: special answer boxes appear at the top of search results. Also referred to as “Position Zero”.
• Knowledge panels: information boxes appearing in search results related to brands, entities, people, etc.

Note: If you noticed any ranking fluctuations in March (before the 13th), they were not part of this change. Google confirmed that that was something else altogether. This has become quite commonplace in subsequent times: unplanned shifts, followed by official updates.

Who is Getting Impacted With Core Update 2025? 

As with any other update, the primary goal is to provide users with relevant, reliable, updated content that aligns with search engine algorithms. As user search behavior changes over time, it’s important to maintain a proper balance between SEO and user intent. 

Looking at the initial changes this core update has brought in from the last 10 days, here are certain types of websites that might get negatively or positively impacted: 

Quality Affiliate Sites (Impacted Positively)

All affiliate sites are not created equal. Some of the sites that will be positively impacted by this update include: 

• Websites that show evidence of having used or tested the products.
• Show genuine talking of pros and cons.
• Sites disclose their affiliate relationships.

1. Websites With Genuine Content By professionals

• Articles with author bios and relevant credentials
• Content integrating the original research or data that would not be available elsewhere.
• Studies based on personal experience.
• Editorials by persons acknowledged as authorities in their niche.

2. In-Depth, Specialised Content: Google rewards depth over breadth. Good examples of content include:

• Fully comprehensive guidelines that delve into niche subjects.
• Content that is created for niche audiences possessing specialized knowledge.
• Resources featuring custom-made visuals, including diagrams and original graphics.

3. Quick sites and User-Friendly: These include: 

• Fast loading on the page (especially mobile).
• Clean design without bouncing elements during loading.
• Mobile-friendly to operate on smaller screens.

Sites That Are Negatively Impacted

100% AI Generated Content with No Human Contribution. Websites that incorporate a lot of content generated by AI undergo heavy losses, especially under these grounds:

• If the content is not or has not been subject to any review, modification, or enhancement done by human experts,
• If several pages follow the same AI-generated template.
• If the content makes claims without backing them up with sources.

1. Thin Content That Doesn’t Answer Questions

Sites with pages that cover their subject too superficially are losing some visibility:

• Short articles under 500 words that don’t really solve the user’s problem.
• Hub pages that only link to other content without providing any actual value.
• Product pages with little more than a stock description.
• List articles that give no explanation or context.

2. Websites With Needless Navigation

Technical challenges are penalized more now:

• Pages with annoying pop-ups or too many ads.
• Websites are slow to load, particularly on mobile.
• Pages where content jumps around while elements load.
• Confusing navigation constraints efforts to find information.

3. Duplicate or Repeated Content

Sites with most content overlapping or repeated content that include:

• Almost identical pages targeting very small variations of the same keyword
• Location pages that are otherwise identical save for the city name
• Product pages with the same manufacturer descriptions found on rival sites
• Blog articles about the same topics without adding anything fresh

Got Dropped By Google’s New Update? Here Is How You Can Recover

So, if you are among those whose websites saw a major drop in ranking with Google’s core update 2025. Here are some of the essential things to keep up the right pace: 

1. Evaluate Google’s Search Quality Standards

Google’s search quality guidelines emphasize what people like to see and how they decide which sites should rank well. The guidelines base themselves on useful, trustworthy, and relevant content.

If your site does not meet the above expectations, you may see a drop in rankings. 

For example, websites with thin pages with little value or pages with misleading information.

Therefore, it is important to study Google’s content guidelines and prepare of set of questions for yourself, asking: 

• Does my content answer real user questions? 
• Is the content original? 
• Does my content include trust through citations, research, and demonstrated expertise

2. Strengthen Your E-E-A-T Signals

Google’s new algorithm now prioritizes content with (E-E-A-T) experience, expertise, authority, and trust. Here is how you can strengthen it:

• Know who the writers are: Include author bylines with links to detailed bios.
• Develop author pages: Qualifications, education, work experience, and subject expertise.
• Show credentials prominently: Put together certifications, awards, and industry recognition.
• Freshness of content: Publication dates and when content was last updated
• Cite trustworthy sources: Link to worthy references for claims and data
• Genuine results: Include case studies and hence client testimonials

3. Monitor Your Website Performance

Another way to make if Google’s Core update hits you is by tracking and monitoring your website performance:

Use Google Search Console to see which pages and keywords have decreased ranking. 

• Enhancing page load speed: Image optimization, JavaScript minimization, and browser caching
• Improving the mobile experience: Making text readable, buttons easy to tap, and content fitting small screens
• Add relevant structured data: Schema markup to aid Google in comprehending your content.
• Refine the site’s structure: Repair broken links, formulate logical URL paths, and implement clear headings.

What More To Expect? 

Google Core Update brings some major improvements to content creator visibility. Some of the main things expected in this regard include: 

• Better Evaluation of Expertise: 

Google refines its algorithms to distinguish the real content creators from those falsely claiming to be one. It will give professional creators higher rankings, visibility, and trust.

• Improved Attribution Tools: 

New update features will assist Google in identifying original content creators, crediting the work to these individuals, and preventing others from gaining undeserved recognition to ensure fairness in search rankings.

• Smarter Analysis of User Interaction: 

Google plans to analyze engagement patterns far better to enhance content that truly satisfies users instead of anything that only seems relevant, thus improving the search and user experience.

Conclusion 

In a nutshell, Google Core Update March 2025 again updates what we have seen for a long time i.e., creating a sustainable search process that gives value to the original content and puts the user first. While these updates may bring certain fluctuations to the search rankings, sites with authoritative content will always perform well. From prioritizing E-E-A-T experiences to decreasing the value of irrelevant content, Google core update promises to rank valuable content that follows all algorithmic guidelines. 

So, if you are concerned about your website’s health, it’s better to partner with an expert agency like ResultFirst to navigate these changes effectively. We are market experts with years of experience in SEO and content optimization, and we will ensure your website ranks up despite any change in search engine algorithms.