Google has always been in motion, but 2025 has brought one of the most significant waves of algorithm changes we’ve seen in years. With two major core updates already rolled out and deepening integration of AI into search results, the landscape is shifting fast.
For businesses relying on organic visibility, what worked even a few months ago might not be enough today.
From March’s push for higher-quality, people-first content to June’s more nuanced quality signals and AI-driven overviews, Google’s updates are redefining how content is ranked, discovered, and consumed.
It is important to understand the breakdown of what exactly has changed and how it is affecting search trends to know what your brand should be doing now to adapt.
Core Algorithm Updates: What Actually Changed?
2025 has already delivered two major core updates from Google. One in March and the other in June, each targeting content quality.
March 2025: Clearing Out Low-Volume Content
This update focused heavily on eliminating unoriginal, low-value, and AI-spam content. Google enhanced its systems to better identify content that exists solely to game rankings.
The impact was swift, many sites with thin or aggregated content saw sharp declines in visibility.
Key takeaway from March 2025 update: Google is doubling down on rewarding content created for people, not algorithms.
June 2025: Quality Signals Go Deeper
While less disruptive than March’s, the June update added finer-grained quality assessments to Google’s ranking systems. It zeroed in on content experience looking at how useful, authoritative, and trustworthy it is in context.
This coincided with Google’s continued rollout of AI overviews, reshaping how searchers interact with results and how websites get seen.
Key takeaway from June 2025 update: Your content can’t just be optimized, it has to actually solve problems, answer questions, and deliver real value.
The Rise of AI Overviews & What It Means for Your Content
One of the most visible shifts in 2025 has been the expansion of Google’s AI Overviews, the generative summaries that now appear at the top of many search results.
These overviews pull together information from multiple sources to answer queries instantly, often without users needed to click through to a website. While this improves the user experience, it also presents major changes to how organic traffic flows.
- Fewer clicks for broad queries: If your content answers a commonly asked question, it may be summarized in the AI Overview without driving a visit to your site.
- Higher competition for source inclusion: Getting cited in AI Overview means your content has to be extremely authoritative, well-structured, and trustworthy.
- Opportunities in long-tail search: AI Overviews are less dominant on the niche, specific searches, giving brands a chance to show up where users are still actively clicking.
Content strategies in 2025 need to be layered and optimized for both visibility and value, structured to earn citations, and rich enough to stand out where users do click.
This is an evolution of SEO. Brands that focus on deep, user-first content creation still have room to thrive, but visibility is now more dependent on quality, structure, and intent alignment than ever before.
E-E-A-T Signals ARe No Longer Optional
In 2025, Google continues to double down on E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) as core ranking signals. For businesses and content creators, this is a survival requirement.
Google’s recent updates have placed more emphasis on real authorship, first-hand experience, and credible sourcing. This means:
- Content authored by identifiable experts with relevant experience and background is favored.
- First-person insights, case studies, and original data are being ranked higher than generic summaries.
- Websites need to clearly establish who is behind their content and why they are qualified to share it.
If your brand produces AI-assisted content, that is okay. However, without a human voice, credentials, and editorial oversight, your pages could struggle to rank.
Spam Policies & AI-Generated Content: What’s Allowed Now
In June 2025, Google clarified and reinforced its spam policies, particularly around scaled AI content. While Google does not outright penalize AI-generated content, quality and originality matter more now than ever.
A key change that is being enforced is websites that publish massive amounts of unoriginal or AI-written text with minimal human oversight are now at a risk of ranking loss. Along with that, pages that are programmatically rephrased versions of other content risk being flagged as spam.
This doesn’t mean that brands can’t leverage AI, it just must be guided by editorial standards, strategic insight, and human value.
Think of AI as a tool. The best-performing content in 2025 combines speed and structure from AI, but with the expertise and voice from real people.
What This Means for Your 2025 SEO Strategy
Google’s 2025 updates signal a shift toward deeper content integrity, smarter intent-matching, and stronger user-first signals.
What this means for your SEO strategy:
- Double down on quality
- Prioritize helpfulness
- Optimize for E-E-A-T
- Get technical
If you are relying on outdated tactics or trying to shortcut SEO with automation alone, your rankings are already at risk.
At Deksia, we approach SEO with one goal: strategy first. Our team blends deep technical knowledge with brand-forward thinking to help clients rank both smarter and higher.
Staying Competitive in Google’s Evolving Search Landscape
Google’s 2025 algorithm shifts clearly mark a new era for search. With AI-powered overviews changing how people interact with search results and heightened emphasis on E-E-A-T signals, brands must evolve beyond traditional SEO tactics.
For businesses and brands looking to maintain and grow their organic presence, this means doubling down on expertise, originality, and technical excellence while thoughtfully integrating AI as a strategic tool.
Staying ahead in this rapidly changing landscape requires a smart, holistic, SEO approach tailored to the 2025 realities of search.
At Deksia, we’re here to help brands navigate these changes with precision and creativity, ensuring your content not only ranks but truly connects with your audience. Ready to future-proof your strategy? Let's talk.
