Recently, Google has been an influential power in determining search engine rankings and necessitating continual adaptation. And, Google algorithms are a complex system. It is used to retrieve data from its search index and deliver relevant results for a query.
Change is the only constant! Over the past few years, Google have taken the charge and released several major algorithm updates like Panda, Penguin, BERT, Jagger, Vince, Caffeine, and Hummingbird.
2025 is no exception. This year, Google have introduced multiple core updates and a widely-discussed spam update. Since SEO services in India are in high demand, businesses need to be familiar with the updates introduced in 2025, listed below.
March 2025 Core Update
After 2024, Google again started rolling out updates. Its March 2025 Core Update was first introduced on March 13, 2025, and takes two weeks to complete by March 27, 2025. This was the very first broad core algorithm update of the year.
Unlike targeted tweaks, this update was related to comprehensive adjustments to Google’s main search algorithms and systems. However, the March core update brings noticeable changes to search rankings across the web, rather than focusing on specific issues.
SEO Response Tips To Handle the Situation
If your site was affected negatively by the March update, consider:
- Audit the website and review the top-performing and declining pages in Google Search Console to see what is working and what is not.
- Start improving the quality of content already available. For better results, try to produce more comprehensive answers, better examples, statistics, and expert insights.
- Lastly, focus on UX (user experience) and work in the interests of readability, structure, relevancy, and correct information.
June 2025 Core Update
In the month of June, Google continued rolling out the core update on June 30, 2025, which was officially completed on July 17, 2025. According to Google’s Search Status Dashboard, Google’s June Core Update was a broad ranking system update.
The key highlights involve extensive changes to Google’s ranking systems and are not targeted to any specific type of content or violations. As a result, this update helped Google improve their ability to surface high-quality content in search.
What aspects should providers of SEO services in India look for? Upon successful completion of this rollout, websites and businesses should assess the following:
- Monitor the ranking fluctuations and start comparing pre- and post-update performance across various search terms.
- Keep an eye on lasting changes in organic search traffic.
- When it comes to search console insights, experts have to keep a check on average position data, review impressions, and clicks.
- Follow the competitor trend and observe how your niche was impacted.
Overall, Google keeps releasing core updates several times a year. After this one, many sites see immediate impacts while others experience more gradual shifts. So, if one of your sites was negatively affected because of this update, we recommend investing some time and evaluating the content through the lens of Google’s guidance.
August 2025 Spam Update
On August 26, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, Google released the spam update across all languages and regions. This update was in favour of improved search quality. Consequently, Google will not index low-quality content in search results. As of now, Google haven’t announced any targeted behaviour for this update. So, the safest way to amplify the digital game is to work with the established quality and spam policies.
SEO service providers in India have to watch out for:
- Search Console Trends: The official start time annotates dashboards with impressions, clicks, and average position.
- Peer Movement: If there is a change in ranking, then compare it against the close competitors to figure out site issues from ecosystem changes.
- Query and Page-Type Patterns: Look for the movements across the group, not just single URLs.
As the update progressed, a few websites in India saw a noticeable drop in organic traffic and rankings. This was especially faced by sites relying heavily on:
- Spammy pages
- Duplicate or scraped content
- Manipulative SEO techniques without user value
At the end, the sites that remain aligned with policy guidelines will be positioned well in search results once the rankings stabilise.
December 2025 Core Update
A few days back, Google released the December 2025 core update on December 11, 2025, beginning at 9:25 a.m. It is the third broad core algorithm adjustment of the year, followed by updates in March and June. This update will still take up to three weeks to complete. Besides, it was announced via the Google Search Status Dashboard and is labelled as an “incident affecting ranking”.
The label means that ranking systems are being revised across Google Search, not that there’s a site outage or indexing issue.
What Does the Update Do?
There is a rumour that the latest update is bringing so many sites down. In reality, core updates aren’t aimed at knocking down sites with specific offences; rather, they reassess how pages are judged by Google’s search systems.
Google says, “pages that drop in rankings aren’t necessarily ‘doing something wrong’, instead, Google is simply prioritizing content that better matches user needs”.
Meanwhile, what you have to look forward to is any update on the Search Status Dashboard when the rollout is finally completed. Till then, SEO service providers are suggested to monitor their rankings and traffic for the next three months. And, if there are any changes in ranking, document it as it may be occurring relative to the rollout timeline.
How Algorithm Updates Affect the SEO Strategy?
Every update in 2025 reinforced one clear principle i.e., Google will only reward content that satisfies people, not just bots. This straight-up means that the providers of SEO services in India have to practice website optimization in a completely different way.
Below, we’ve mentioned how Google updates have affected the SEO strategies:
Totally Changed Ranking Factor
Google continues to expand beyond traditional ranking signals, which is directly impacting SEO strategies followed by experts. Each of the above-mentioned update give weightage to factors including content quality, user experience, backlinks, and mobile-friendliness.
Let’s understand with an example:
The updates named “Panda (released in 2011)” and “Penguin (released in 2012)” emphasized content quality and natural link profiles, respectively.
As a whole, after the updates, thin pages or pages specially created for rankings without user value will see a sudden drop. In addition, if the site includes pages addressing the searcher’s needs completely, of course, with relevant answers or queries, it will perform better.
Upgraded Content Quality and Relevance
Gone are the days when keyword density and backlink volume were the only drivers of success. In 2025, the digital space will have advanced. At its core, the algorithm updates have underscored the importance of quality content, rather than vague or flat content.
The updates highlight the following:
- Original research, expert insight, and trustworthy details in the content helped pages remain adaptive through updates.
- The sites must produce content that matches the search intent and provide a comprehensive answer to the question.
Therefore, detailed location pages or FAQs for small businesses have become more competitive than ever.
Focus on User Experience and Technical SEO
Apart from search intent, user experience (UX) and technical SEO have also gained traction after the algorithm changes. In simple terms, Google values the factors that make sites easy and enjoyable to use.
In the context, those factors are:
- Mobile Optimization : Sites must be accessible for desktop users and mobile users.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Business apps that load faster and have a stable layout (Core Web Vitals) have higher chances of witnessing success.
- Site Structure and Navigation: Proper layout with seamless navigation (with breadcrumb site hierarchy) lets Google and the user understand the content better and leads to improved visibility.
Mark our words, “If SEO packages for small businesses don’t include technical SEO, it’s time to rethink that strategy”.
Growing Importance of E-E-A-T
With recent updates, E–E–A–T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) became the heart of SEO success in 2025. The concept of E-E-A-T highlights the need for content demonstrating experience and reliability.
This change is especially important for small businesses that wish to outrank larger competitors. Let’s say, a well-written, authoritative page with local context can outrank generic big-brand content.
Adapting to Algorithm Changes
The core update not just says to learn about the changes, but it also encourages the providers of SEO services in India to execute those changes. Given that, consider relying on Google’s evolution:
- Go through and upgrade old content regularly.
- Produce long-form content. Basically, create helpful posts that satisfy search intent.
- Bundle related topics together (topic clusters).
- Consider adding technical SEO and UX improvements to your SEO packages.
- Track performance metrics over time instead of reacting to short-term fluctuations.
Final Words
Taking Google’s 2025 algorithm updates into consideration, Google’s SEO updates for 2026 require businesses to prioritise high-quality content, AI-optimised pages, mobile-first design, and local SEO. In this forthcoming scenario, iSearchsolution can be your great companion.
Our team will assist you in maintaining strong search rankings and adapting to Google’s changing algorithms by being proactive, auditing your website, and using structured data.
For more professional assistance navigating these updates, contact iSearchsolution today, and our specialised SEO experts will keep your websites up to date with the latest Google algorithm changes and optimise for both human users and AI-driven search tools.
FAQs
Q1: What was the biggest Google SEO update in 2025?
A: The biggest SEO update introduced by Google was the June 2025 core update. This update resulted in global ranking volatility and encouraged website owners to improve their content and UX.
Q2: What algorithm does Google use to rank web pages?
A: PageRank (PR) is an algorithm which is typically used by Google Search to rank web pages in search engine result pages.
Q3: How do algorithm updates affect small business SEO?
A: Be it a spam alert or a core algorithm upgrade, changes have changed the way businesses, especially SEO experts, function over the Internet. The noticeable changes these days are reliance on quality content, intent-focused content and a technically sound website.
Q4: Are spam updates different from core updates?
A: Yes, spam alerts or updates are the ones that target manipulative practices. On the other hand, core updates aim to rebalance Google’s overall ranking system.
Q5: Can small businesses recover after a ranking drop?
A: Absolutely yes! There is always a chance to recover. If there is a sudden drop in traffic to your website, then start swapping the content with helpful content while aiming for better UX. This way, businesses or individuals can recover and even out-rank competitors.
Q6: What should an SEO package include in 2026?
A: In 2026, SEO packages for small businesses may include advanced content strategy along with a focus on technical SEO, UX optimization, and local focus.