Google officially announced the rollout of the March 2025 core update yesterday at around 12:30 pm ET. This core update is expected to take up to two weeks to roll out. Google said this is a regular core update but did make a note about helping surface content from content creators.
Google wrote on LinkedIn two points:
(1) "This is a regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites," Google wrote
(2) "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," Google added. My gut, based on the wording here, is that we won't see much change in terms of improvement for most content creators hit by previous core updates or helpful content updates. But let's wait it out and see what happens over the coming weeks.
I am surprised this is the first core update we had of 2025, I was expecting more core updates, more often but who knows...
Google March 2025 Core Update Quick Facts:
Here are the most important things that we know right now in short form:
- Name: Google March 2025 Broad Core Update
- Launched: March 13, 2024 at around 12:30 pm ET
- Rollout: Will take about two weeks to roll out
- Targets: It looks at all types of content
- Penalty: It is not a penalty, it promotes or rewards great web pages
- Global: This is a global update impacting all regions, in all languages.
- Impact: The normal core update - updating some of the "core systems". Google said this March update is a "regular update." Maybe content creators will see better results but not sure on that.
- Discover: Core updates impact Google Discover and other features, also feature snippets and more.
- Recover: If you were hit by this, then you will need to look at your content and see if you can do better with Google's core update advice.
- Refreshes: Google will do periodic refreshes to this algorithm but may not communicate those updates in the future. Maybe this is what we saw the past couple of weeks or all those unconfirmed Google updates.
Google March 2025 Core Update Details
There are three pieces of unique details Google posted about this core update.
(1) Google wrote the rollout "may take up to 2 weeks to complete."
(2) Google wrote this is a "regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites."
(3) Google wrote they will continue "to surface more content from creators through a series of improvements throughout this year." Adding they did some efforts around this earlier and will do more later, "Some have already happened; additional ones will come later," Google said.
Below you will find the third-party tracking tools and chatter within the SEO community. The story that tells is that some feel Google was testing this core update in the wild for days or weeks prior to the rollout of this update. But as of the past day or so, volatility was pretty calm relative for a core update. That being said, as of this morning, the tools are also pretty calm, again, relative for a core update.
Previous Broad Core Updates
Here is a list of the most recent core updates we've seen since Google started to confirm them. Previously we nicknamed them Phantom updates or unconfirmed updates.
- December 2024 Core Update: December 12, 2024 through December 18, 2024
- November 2024 Core update: November 11, 2024 through December 5, 2024
- August 2024 Core Update : August 15, 2024 through September 3, 2024
- March 2024 Core Update : March 5, 2024 through April 19, 2024
- November 2023 Core Update : November 2, 2023 through November 28, 2023
- October 2023 Core Update: October 5, 2023 through October 19, 2023
- August 2023 Core Update: August 22, 2023 through September 7, 2023
- March 2023 Core Update: March 15, 2023 through March 28, 2023
- September 2022 Core Update: September 12, 2022 through September 26, 2022
- May 2022 Core Update: May 25, 2022 through June 9, 2022
- November 2021 Core Update: November 17, 2021 through November 30, 2021
- July 2021 Core Update: July 1, 2021 through July 12, 2021
- June 2021 Core Update: June 2, 2021 through June 12, 2021
- December 2020 Core Update: December 3, 2020 through December 16, 2020
- May 2020 Core Update: May 4, 2020 through May 18, 2020
- January 2020 Core Update: January 13, 2020 through mostly January 17, 2020
- September 2019 Core Update: September 24, 2019
- Google June 2019 Core Update: June 3, 2019 through June 8, 2019
Previous Helpful Content Update Impact
Here is the list of the previous Google helpful content updates:
- Septemebr 14, 2023 - September 2023 Google helpful content update - completing on Septmeber 28, 2023
- December 5, 2022 - December 2022 Google helpful content update, completing on January 12, 2023
- August 25, 2022 - August 2022 (original) Google helpful content update, completing on September 9, 2022
Google Tracking Tools On March 2025 Core Update
The tools were pretty calm this week, but they were heated the week prior. There was some chatter this week about some testing and reversals, though... But as you can see, the tools aren't yet picking up this core update, at least as of this morning:
Mangools (looks broken?):
SEO Chatter on the March 2025 Core Update
Here is the chatter we saw before this update was announced, showing people expecting the update soon. In fact, many felt Google was testing this core update in the wild for the past several weeks. Especially because of all the unconfirmed Google ranking volatility we've been seeing recently.
Glenn Gabe posted about this on X and LinkedIn and wrote:
Core is close IMO. I've heard from a number of sites owners this week seeing core update-like volatility, including losing Discover visibility completely, top stories, top rankings vanishing, then returning a few days later, etc. Google is probably testing the next core update, or specific systems within core. Stay tuned.
Core is close IMO. I've heard from a number of sites owners this week seeing core update-like volatility, including losing Discover visibility completely, top stories, top rankings vanishing, then returning a few days later, etc. Google is probably testing the next core update,… pic.twitter.com/nAXEOb7gGn
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) March 13, 2025
More about the March core update: Again, I had a number of site owners reach out recently with core update-like movement. Some lost Discover visibility completely while others saw top rankings disappear, then return, then drop, etc. And some were heavily impacted by previous core… pic.twitter.com/H1gsxSuZWO
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) March 14, 2025
Here are some people who replied about the recent Google volatility:
Definitely seeing some volatility since saturday, fluctuations for sure are happening.
— Gustavo Falcão (@falcao_r) March 13, 2025
The evident collapse of traffic has been felt Monday 10 March
— 卄乇尺爪卂Ҝ (@PXOOO1O1S1O) March 13, 2025
yes, but started previous week pic.twitter.com/1s0rSYU1jW
— Peter Nikolow (@PeterNikolow) March 13, 2025
Discover is our main source of traffic. Mayor drop (almost 50%) over the last few weeks. Same content quality, same content volume. No logical explanation. pic.twitter.com/JtBayoGupY
— Beatriz L. (@blferime) March 13, 2025
Huge Drop from 5th of March 2025 pic.twitter.com/EDsfDWszfM
— yogeshh pranjale (@yogeshhpranjale) March 13, 2025
I have seen a couple of unusual and dramatic drops, yes.
— Marie Haynes (@Marie_Haynes) March 13, 2025
It's been rolling since March 4, rn only losers focus on just SEO https://t.co/G6PrJwcIUz
— Azeezahgb (@abikeyoyoyo) March 13, 2025
Yep, we were due for one any day, and here we are, with the first one of 2025. Lots of movement began earlier this week actually. Stay tuned. Should be interesting. https://t.co/pqkEOzO09K
— Vlad Rappoport (@vladrpt) March 13, 2025
I am also seeing chatter on this site here and here over the past couple of days:
Is there a core update rolling out through March? We've been absolutely hammered (50% drop)
All of March has felt like update suppression for us. Traffic is non-converting crap. For a while this would happen temporarily while Google turned the knobs, then traffic would return to normal. This feels like an extended stay in search purgatory.
Agree; something has definitely changed traffic. Started for me 2 days ago, today is day 3.
Our Google traffic has been up sharply today, but I've seen a lot of peaks and valleys lately. The mix of top pages doesn't change much, but UVs and pageviews are a lot less consistent than they used to be.
Traffic is fluctuating again. Just saying.
And also some on WebmasterWorld:
Traffic sucks BIG time today without any sign of SERP volatility
Anyone else's Discover been sent to zero since early March?This may be the end...
March 10 and 11 we had good traffic and a lot of sales. Yes, the economy and economic uncertainty are a factor but Google clearly has both hands on the steering wheel. Maybe the reason why we had a couple good days is because Google was testing some new layout to combat the bad press and lawsuit about AIO sending no traffic. On March 12, traffic and sales quickly retreated back to their stagnant state.
Here is the chatter on the comment about rewarding creator content:
Do you believe this? I don't think many do at this point.
— Daniel Hart (@Okayy_Dan) March 13, 2025
I mean, obviously, this is untrue. The gaslighting is gross.
— Josh Tyler (@joshtyler) March 13, 2025
**ENOUGH** with Google's delay tactics already!
— Nate Hake (@natejhake) March 13, 2025
They VERY clearly told us at the Web Creator Summit that *this* update would be the one where they'd fix the issues they claim they have
If that doesn't happen - Google should be given ZERO more patience by anyone
For many of…
Some have already happened? To who? 🤣
— Blaine Smith (@GHBSmith) March 13, 2025
Yeah, that seems like a hedge to get ahead of creators not getting much ahead, again.
— Ben Huber 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@vtgrad2010) March 13, 2025
Does "surface more content from creators" mean they will actually link to/drive traffic to the creators, or just steal it and "surface" the content via their AI without attribution?
— Jeff (@iamjeffw) March 13, 2025
We know what that means. It means the opposite.
— Erik Zancanari (@erikzancanari) March 13, 2025
I don't know why they keep lying. Few people believe them. Unnecessary PR.
— San Mor (@Warriorne) March 13, 2025
Which honestly is unacceptable. It’s been a year and a half. You can’t seriously expect businesses to wait around with no revenue and no actual concrete hope.
— Morgan (@CharlestonCraft) March 13, 2025
Here is some early chatter about movement earlier this morning:
OK. with the update rolled out sales are off. coincidence?And i didn´t realized it but today the is the entry at the very top
results for "my location" - choose region
so result seems to be 100% geolocation. And there is no way to disable geolocation.
For me, it's the other way around: Yesterday at 5 p.m., the shop was overrun. We haven't had a day like that since December. Currently, however, it's rather quiet again, but that's probably because of the time of day.News site today: some Discover traffic again, which is strange because all the big news sites are reporting on an incident in my niche today. My site usually doesn't stand a chance in such cases.
Of course, we will track this update as it rolls out and keep you posted on what we see.
Here is a YouTubey video I made on this topic - feel free to hit play and watch until the end, like, subscribe and comment (all those metrics matter):
Forum discussion at X, LinkedIn, BlackHatWorld and WebmasterWorld.
