Google's June 2025 core update has significantly shaken up the search results. The update, which ran from June 30 to July 17, 2025, is regarded by experts as one of the most impactful core updates in recent years.
Scope and Impact of the Google Core Update
The 16-day rollout of the June 2025 core update has led to significant shifts in website rankings. Data from various SEO tools indicates that this update caused more volatility than the previous March 2025 core update. According to Semrush, more than 16% of websites in the top 10 positions after the update had not even ranked in the top 20 before, the highest percentage in four years.
Notably, some websites that were previously affected by the September 2023 helpful content update and other core updates have now seen partial recovery. This suggests that Google may have adjusted its algorithm to reevaluate previously downgraded content. The volatility peaked particularly between July 11 and 14, with different sectors being affected in various ways. The financial sector exhibited relatively low fluctuations, while the healthcare sector experienced significant volatility in the top 5 positions.
Consequences for businesses and organizations
Companies immediately noticed the impact of this Google core update on their online visibility. E-commerce businesses benefited from improved rankings for brand-related search terms, as Google displayed fewer shopping carousels above the top position.
In particular, large and specialized retailers gained ground on broader product-related search terms, bringing more diversity to the search results. This shift directly affects organic traffic and, consequently, the online revenue of webshops.
AI Overviews were activated more frequently during the update, rising from about 10% to 20% of search queries, further changing the way users experience search results.
Recommendations for affected websites
Google emphasizes that there are no specific actions to recover from a negative impact of a core update. The advice remains unchanged: focus on creating useful, reliable content for people rather than for search engines.
Websites that have been negatively affected may see minor improvements between core updates, but the most significant changes typically come with the next core update. Companies are advised to evaluate their content based on Google's guidelines for people-focused content and to remain patient during this volatile period.