Google has confirmed the completion of its June 2025 Core Update, marking the second major algorithm change of the year. The update began on June 30, 2025, and concluded on July 17, 2025, lasting a little over 16 days.
This update is one of Google’s routine core updates, aimed at improving the overall quality of search results. Its primary goal was to better surface relevant, high-quality, and satisfying content for users. According to Google, such updates don’t necessarily mean there is something wrong with a website, but rather reflect the company’s ongoing effort to refine its search systems.
Google’s Position
According to Google, this update was a routine core update with the aim of refining search quality. The company explained that the goal was to “better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers across all types of sites.”
On LinkedIn, Google also clarified that creators don’t need to take any new or special action if they are already producing valuable content:
“Creators don’t need to take any new or special actions for this update if they’ve already been producing content that genuinely satisfies people.”
What SEOs Observed?
The update unfolded gradually, with visible ranking shifts occurring a few days after it began. The period between July 11 and July 14 showed the highest level of volatility. SEO professionals reported a mix of outcomes:
- Some websites experienced strong improvements in visibility.
- Others suffered ranking declines.
- A subset of sites affected by previous updates, including the Helpful Content Update, reported partial recoveries.
Compared to earlier updates, this rollout felt more measured. While the impact was significant, it didn’t create the widespread disruption often seen in past core updates.
Possible Technology Behind the Change
Although Google has not confirmed the technical details, the update comes soon after two important research announcements:
- MUVERA (Multi-Vector via Fixed Dimensional Encodings): A new retrieval system designed to improve relevance by filtering out weaker results and surfacing higher-quality matches.
- Graph Foundation Model (GFM): An advanced AI model capable of analyzing relationships across documents, links, and entities to better evaluate trust and authority.
If applied, these systems could help Google rank content with greater precision and efficiency.
What Google Says About Recovery?
Google has repeatedly emphasized that there are no direct fixes for sites that lose visibility after a core update. Instead, the company advises focusing on long-term improvements:
- “A drop in rankings doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an issue with your pages.”
- “There aren’t specific actions to take to recover, but over time, sites may see improvements if overall content quality improves.”
- “Sites can sometimes see a bit of recovery between core updates, but the most noticeable changes are typically after a subsequent update.”
In short, Google’s guidance remains consistent: create helpful, reliable, people-first content instead of chasing algorithms.
Industry Reactions
SEO professionals had mixed experiences during this update. Some marketers saw long-awaited recoveries for websites that had struggled since 2023, while others reported further traffic declines. Overall, the consensus is that the update delivered refinements rather than shocks, suggesting Google is fine-tuning ranking systems instead of making drastic shifts.
Why This Update Matters?
The June 2025 Core Update highlights Google’s ongoing commitment to quality, trust, and relevance in search results. For site owners, the key takeaway is that content genuinely created for users, not for search engines, stands the best chance of long-term success.
As Google put it:
“We strongly encourage reviewing our guidance on creating helpful, reliable, people-first content. That’s the best path forward.”
