Google releases March 2025 core update

Three days ago, on March 13, 2025, Google Search Central announced the release of their March 2025 core update. This marks another significant adjustment to Google's search ranking systems as part of their ongoing effort to improve search quality and surface more relevant content for users.

According to Google Search Central's LinkedIn post, "This is a regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites." The company also emphasized their continued work on surfacing more content from creators through "a series of improvements throughout this year," noting that some changes have already been implemented while additional improvements are planned for later implementation.

The update began rolling out at 9:00 AM Pacific Time on March 13, 2025, with Google indicating that the full rollout may take up to two weeks to complete. This timeframe is consistent with previous core updates, which typically require 1-2 weeks for full implementation across Google's search systems.

What are core updates?

Core updates represent significant adjustments to Google's search ranking systems. Unlike smaller, more frequent updates that occur thousands of times per year, core updates are considered notable enough for Google to announce publicly.

Google's search ranking systems consist of multiple components that determine how websites and content are ranked in search results. According to a Q&A published by Google in November 2023, "We have different systems that are considered core to our ranking process; this month's core update involves an improvement to a different core system than last month."

Danny Sullivan, public liaison for Google Search, explained in the same Q&A that ranking systems are "what we use to generate search results. We use multiple ranking systems that do different things." Meanwhile, updates represent "when we make an improvement to a ranking system."

Impact on websites and content creators

Core updates often lead to noticeable changes in search traffic for many websites. SEO expert Glenn Gabe observed in a LinkedIn post on March 15 that many sites had already begun experiencing "core update-like impact" as early as March 6, about a week before the official announcement.

"Some sites are seeing recent surges or drops (post Google announcement), but there are many that saw surges or drops starting around 3/6," Gabe noted. He added that there are "some wild swings in the mix," indicating that this update may be causing significant ranking fluctuations for certain sites.

Gabe also mentioned that "some affiliate marketers are going to be very happy with the March core update if this keeps up," suggesting that affiliate sites might be seeing positive results from this update. However, he cautioned that "other core systems could be updated throughout the update, which could counterbalance other systems that caused those surges."

This observation aligns with how Google's updates typically work. Different components of their ranking systems may be updated at different times during the rollout period, meaning that initial traffic changes might not reflect the final impact once the update is fully implemented.

What should website owners do?

For most website owners who have been focusing on creating helpful, reliable content, Google suggests there is likely nothing specific they need to do in response to core updates.

According to Google's Q&A on updates, "If there's an update, chances are, there's nothing to do for most creators who have already been working to create helpful, reliable, people-first content. That's what our systems seek to reward. Those doing so will largely see updates come and go without notice, or they might find themselves performing better in search."

For those who do notice traffic changes following the update, Google recommends reviewing any guidance provided specific to that update. This information is typically linked from the Google Search Status Dashboard, which tracks current and historical updates.

If traffic drops occur after a non-spam update like this March 2025 core update, Google clarifies that it's not indicative of spam issues but might point to other content-related factors that could be improved.

Timing of the update

Google typically tries to avoid major updates during the holiday shopping season (late November to mid-December) but does not generally restrict updates during other times of the year.

In response to questions about update timing, Google has previously stated, "We do try to avoid having updates during the late-November to mid-December period when possible. But it's not always possible. If we have updates that can improve Search, that have been developed over the course of several months, we release them when they're ready."

Evaluation process for updates

Google maintains that all search changes undergo a thorough evaluation process before implementation. As Sullivan explained in the November 2023 Q&A, "We put all possible changes to Search through a rigorous evaluation process to analyze metrics and decide whether to implement a proposed change."

This process is designed to ensure that updates genuinely improve search results for users rather than simply changing rankings without measurable benefits.

The focus on creator content

A particularly noteworthy aspect of this update is Google's stated emphasis on "surfacing more content from creators." This suggests that the company is making a conscious effort to highlight original content from individual creators rather than solely focusing on content from larger publications or aggregators.

In their announcement, Google mentioned that some improvements in this area "have already happened" while "additional ones will come later," indicating an ongoing initiative to better showcase creator content throughout 2025.

Concerns from small business owners

The update has already prompted some concerns within the search community. Daniel Hart, identified as a "Category Manager / Founder-Director of Ready Steady Cut" commented on Google's announcement post: "If any journalist wants to speak to me about Google's extinction event on small to medium businesses since September 2023, I'm available. The company continues to destroy the web."

This sentiment reflects ongoing tensions between some content creators and Google's evolving search algorithms. Some small business owners have expressed frustration with recent updates, feeling that changes have negatively impacted their visibility in search results.

Timeline of Google's recent core updates

• March 13, 2025: March 2025 core update begins rolling out (expected to take up to 2 weeks to complete)
• December 12, 2024: December 2024 core update (lasted 6 days, 4 hours)
• November 11, 2024: November 2024 core update (lasted 23 days, 13 hours)
• August 15, 2024: August 2024 core update (lasted 19 days, 4 hours)
• March 5, 2024: March 2024 core update (lasted 45 days)

The frequency of these updates underscores Google's ongoing commitment to refining its search algorithms, with major updates occurring roughly every 3-4 months. The March 2025 update continues this pattern of regular adjustments aimed at improving search quality and relevance.

As with previous updates, the full impact of the March 2025 core update will only become clear once the rollout is complete, which is expected to be around the end of March. Website owners are encouraged to monitor their traffic patterns during this period and focus on continuing to create high-quality, relevant content that serves their audience's needs.