Google Launches June 2025 Core Update: What You Need to Know
Google has officially rolled out its second core update of 2025, which is expected to take around three weeks to complete. According to Google’s announcement, the rollout began today, and the company will update its ranking release history once the process wraps up.
Why Core Updates Matter
Core updates are major changes to Google’s search systems and ranking algorithms. They typically happen several times a year and can lead to significant shifts in search rankings. This is precisely why Google makes a point of publicly confirming when they occur.
The June 2025 update comes a little over three months after the last core update in March. If your site traffic or rankings change noticeably over the next few weeks, this update is likely the reason.
What If Your Rankings Drop?
Google hasn’t provided any new, update-specific guidance for this release. Instead, their longstanding recommendations still apply:
- A decline in rankings doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong with your website.
- There are no guaranteed actions that will restore your previous positions overnight.
- Between core updates, you may see gradual improvements, but significant recoveries often align with future core updates.
- Google consistently emphasizes focusing on helpful, high-quality content designed for people, not just search engines.
If you notice a drop in performance, it’s a good idea to revisit Google’s people-first content guidelines and reflect honestly on whether your content is truly satisfying user intent.
Looking Back: Timeline of Recent Core Updates
To understand the bigger picture, here’s a timeline of the last several core updates:
- March 2025: Rolled out March 13 – March 27
- December 2024: December 12 – December 18
- November 2024: November 11 – December 5
- August 2024: August 15 – September 3
- March 2024: March 5 – April 19 (described by Google as the largest core update to date)
- November 2023: November 2 – November 28
- October 2023: October 5 – October 19
- August 2023: August 22 – September 7
- March 2023: March 15 – March 28
Why This Update Matters to You
Every core update brings notable volatility to search results. While these changes aim to improve the quality of results overall, some sites inevitably experience ranking declines. If you manage a website or run SEO campaigns for clients, monitoring these fluctuations is critical so you can adjust your strategy where needed.
Pro Tip for Website Owners
If your traffic drops, don’t panic or make rushed changes. Instead, do the following:
✅ Audit your content quality and relevance.
✅ Check your site’s technical health.
✅ Compare your pages with higher-ranking competitors.
✅ Continue publishing useful, authoritative content.
Remember, Google’s updates are designed to reward the most helpful and trustworthy content, not to penalize individual sites arbitrarily.
Early Reactions from SEOs: Mixed Signals and Cautious Optimism
So far, the SEO community has shared a range of observations and opinions about the June 2025 Core Update. Some site owners reported traffic improvements and minor ranking gains, while others have already seen noticeable drops in traffic, conversions, or affiliate earnings. A recurring theme in discussions is that topical relevance and fresh content seem important, and there’s speculation that Google is surfacing more video content in search results.
Several commenters noted ranking fluctuations primarily in industries that rely heavily on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), while others expressed frustration over ongoing volatility and the perception that updates never truly stop. Since it’s still very early in the rollout, most SEOs are monitoring data closely before drawing conclusions. Overall, the sentiment is cautious: if your site prioritizes helpful, high-quality content and a positive user experience, you’re likely in a better position to ride out the changes.
What community says
Observed Effects (Expanded):
Initial Volatility Timeline and Detection
The first signs of ranking volatility began manifesting on July 2nd, 2025, with Google announcing the update on June 30th around 10:37 AM ET. Most core updates are typically not felt immediately on announcement day but within the first few days, and while most SEOs hadn’t yet seen the impact, tracking tools were already detecting the changes at 100% certainty.
Glenn Gabe, a prominent SEO expert, was among the first to spot the volatility early, posting on X:
Multiple industry tracking tools including Semrush, Advanced Web Rankings, Mozcast, Sistrix, Cognitive SEO, SimilarWeb, Accuranker, Mangools, Wincher, Data For SEO, SERPstat, and Algoroo detected substantial fluctuations.
Dramatic Traffic Losses and Specific Percentages
The community reports revealed severe traffic impacts across different website categories:
Immediate Impact (Early July 2025):
- One site owner reported: “Today traffic is -30%. remaining traffic is 100% zombies”
- Another publisher noted: “traffic increased by ca. 10-20% vs. last week, but it’s still about 30-40% lower than this year last time”
- Some sites experienced the opposite effect: “Many sites are up 40 to 50% compared to last week”
Severe Long-term Declines:
- One publisher described a devastating long-term trend: “My traffic continues its downward SLOPE trend day by day, slow and steady from 5k clicks before AIO to 500 ish, impressions and positions remain unchanged” – representing a 90% traffic decline
- Forum participants described experiences like: “My site has dropped to the second page, and even some pages that were ranking in the zero position have fallen”
Industry-Specific and Geographic Patterns
The volatility demonstrated substantial reach across different content categories and geographic regions, affecting both English-language and international search results. In Germany specifically, one publisher noted: “The update seems to be boosting large publishers in Germany and sweeping away small ones. Rankings have completely collapsed, Discover is dead”.
Technical Tracking Data and Tool Confirmation
Multiple tracking platforms recorded synchronized spikes in ranking volatility beginning June 28, with Algoroo’s chart showing significant movement continuing through June 30. Temperature readings from ranking tracking services suggest this update may have broader scope than recent algorithmic adjustments, with Sistrix and Cognitive SEO tools both registering elevated volatility scores compared to typical daily fluctuations.
Conversion and Revenue Impact
Beyond traffic metrics, the update affected business outcomes significantly:
- One site owner reported: “We are seeing a little drop in traffic but a huge drop in conversions. That is something that is now common within updates. Conversions vanish directly with the start”
- Publishers noted economic impacts extending beyond individual websites, with the changing search landscape affecting content creation economics across multiple sectors, from news publishing to specialized technical resources
Phased Implementation Effects
Several website owners reported experiencing what one forum user described as “traffic spikes until Monday, then drops off a cliff.” This pattern suggests the update implementation occurred in phases, affecting different website categories at different times.
AI Overview and Zero-Click Impact
The update coincided with broader shifts in search result presentation, with AI Overviews and enhanced SERP features increasingly answering user queries without requiring clicks to source websites. One Search Engine Roundtable commenter observed: “AI Overviews and AI Mode are the final nails to the coffin. Google is effectively diverting all our traffic. Even if you rank first now, your traffic will still be horrible”.
These presentation changes compound traditional ranking volatility effects, with publishers reporting that maintaining high positions no longer guarantees proportional traffic levels, as search features provide information directly within results pages.
Final Thoughts
We’ll keep tracking this rollout over the coming weeks to see how it impacts rankings across industries. Ideally, this update will help reward websites delivering genuine value to their audiences and improve search experiences for everyone.
If you’d like to learn more about Google’s core updates, you can explore their official documentation.
This post will be updated as soon as we recived new data about this update.
upd. 07/07/2025
The Google Core Update rollout was complete as of July 17, 2025.
Market Response Analysis
Severe Traffic Disruptions: The community feedback reveals dramatic impacts:
- Reports of 70% traffic drops
- Complete sales decimation for some sites
- Increased bot activity with decreased genuine user engagement
Winner/Loser Patterns:
- Sites with thin, keyword-stuffed content suffered severe ranking losses
- Some previously penalized sites experienced partial rehabilitation
- High-quality content sites showed mixed results, suggesting nuanced quality assessments
Strategic Recommendations
Immediate Actions:
- Content Audit: Evaluate content depth, originality, and user value proposition
- User Experience Review: Assess page speed, mobile optimization, and engagement metrics
- Quality Signal Analysis: Review E-A-T signals, authorship, and topical authority
Long-term Positioning:
- Content Strategy Pivot: Move away from keyword-focused content toward comprehensive, user-intent driven material
- Authority Building: Strengthen domain expertise signals and author credibility
- Performance Monitoring: Implement robust tracking for sustained volatility periods
Recovery Framework
For negatively impacted sites:
- Follow Google’s core update advice Google June 2025 Core Update Done Rolling Out focusing on content quality improvements
- Expect potential periodic refreshes to this algorithm Google June 2025 Core Update Done Rolling Out that may not be announced
- Monitor for continued volatility as algorithmic adjustments settle
Industry Implications
This update reinforces Google’s commitment to content quality over quantity, with particular emphasis on user satisfaction metrics. The extended rollout and continued volatility suggest this represents a foundational shift in how Google evaluates content value rather than a tactical adjustment.
Sites should prepare for ongoing algorithmic refinements and prioritize sustainable, user-focused SEO strategies over short-term ranking tactics.
Ty.
Is a senior SEO expert with over a decade of experience dominating the digital marketing battlefield. Since 2023, I’ve been riding the AI wave. Since 2024, I have started to work with the SEO Bazooka Blog.
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