How the March 2025 Google Core Update Might Be Impacting Your Rankings

Google core updates are designed to improve Google search results by providing a better user experience with relevant and user-focused content. 

In a core update, Google makes significant changes in its systems and algorithms that affect the rankings of websites. 

These are the broad updates that happen several times a year. The core updates do not target specific sites, but they are designed to update the systems as a whole.

Google didn’t release a long technical breakdown this time, but SEO experts have spotted strong patterns:

1. Original content is the winner

Google’s algorithm now favours websites that create genuinely helpful, experience-based content. SEO-first or AI-generated blogs that do not provide any implicit value are experiencing massive traffic losses. 

2. Scaled and shallow content got hit

The bulk-created pages lost the rankings. Google is now better able to sense if someone is using filler and programmatic material. Quality over quantity was a major theme of this update.

3. Forums and UGC got revamped

Some forums that saw traffic boosts in 2023 dropped this year. Reddit kept winning, but many niche boards lost visibility. Google’s message? Not all user-generated content is valuable—only the content that truly helps users is favoured by Google.

4. Better UX and trust signals matter

Sites with confusing layouts, excessive ads, or weak credibility markers (like no author bio or outdated info) dropped. Even great content can underperform if the experience is annoying.

Google’s update didn’t play favourites. Sites across sectors felt the shift, but these stood out:

• Affiliate and review sites: If your site depends on product roundups without real insights, it likely dropped.
• Health and finance: Generic location-based pages (like “dentist in Mumbai”) were replaced by deeper content (like detailed doctor profiles).
• Retail: Some big players like lost visibility, while others with richer content gained traction.

Travel and local services: City pages got demoted in favour of pages offering clearer user value, like specific hotel listings or activity guides.

If your traffic took a dive post-March, here’s what may be happening:

• Your content was written for Google, not users.
• You’ve got pages with very similar or templated content.
• Your author expertise isn’t visible.
• Your site experience is frustrating (pop-ups, slow load times, etc.).
• You depend too much on AI content that hasn’t been manually edited.

Sound familiar? Don’t freak out. It’s reversible.

Here’s how to bounce back or even flourish following the update:

1. Content audit

• Find underperforming pages.
• Optimise or delete old or thin posts.
• Add new insights, data, and personality.

2. Establish trust signals

• Include author bios with credentials.
• Reference credible sources.
• Display reviews, testimonials, contact information.

3. Enhance user experience

• Simplify cluttered layouts.
• Minimise annoying ads or pop-ups.
• Ensure your site is mobile-friendly and loads quickly.

4. Emphasise experience-based content

If you have a parenting blog, don’t create “10 best toys” from scratch. Write about what actually worked for your toddler. Google prefers that.

5. Collaborate with the proper experts

A good SEO agency is aware of when and how to strike a balance between creativity and strategy. We don’t think that one needs to stuff keywords or write for search bots. We think that one should create content marketing that is actually relatable.

If you are providing digital marketing services, this update is a wake-up call. Keyword mapping and generic blogs are no longer sufficient. Clients demand:

• User-first content marketing strategies.
• Straightforward communication about what “quality” entails.
• Regular SEO check-ups and flexible strategies.
• Transparent reporting—not vanity metrics alone.

Absolutely. But only if you add human creativity, examples, structure, and emotion. AI is a smart tool, not a substitute. AI is the future, and it’s here to make our work easier, more efficient, and faster. Make it your assistant. Don’t let it do all the work.

Google is evolving fast. It changes its algorithm frequently. AI answers (called “AI Overviews”) are appearing more, especially for industries like travel, food, and entertainment. That means:

• Some of your organic traffic will shrink.
• Rich, unique content becomes your competitive edge.
• SEO isn’t dead, it’s just smarter now.

Search engine optimisation is changing. But that doesn’t mean you need to chase every trend or panic over every dip. Instead, focus on what actually matters: human-first content, strong UX, and clear expertise.

And if you need help with that? That’s where we come in. As a creative agency offering SEO and digital marketing services, we help you grow with strategies that actually work in 2025.