Google has officially announced that the June 2025 Core Update is rolling out. Across the digital marketing world, website owners are holding their breath, watching their analytics dashboards. If you're one of them, take a moment to pause.

Before you react to any ranking shifts, it's crucial to understand what a Core Update is, what it isn't, and how to navigate it strategically. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, based directly on Google's own official documentation.

(Source: Google Search Central's Guidance on Core Updates)

Image: status.search.google.com;

What Is a Google Core Update? The 'Why' Behind the Shake-up

First and foremost, a Core Update is not a penalty.

Think of it as Google performing a significant "recalibration" of its ranking systems. The goal is to improve how it assesses content quality on a massive scale, aiming to better reward pages that deliver an excellent user experience.

Google uses a brilliant analogy to explain this: Imagine you made a list of the top 100 movies in 2021. If you refreshed that list today, in 2025, you'd add some fantastic new movies. As a result, some films from the original list—which are still great—would get pushed down or fall off entirely.

This is what happens during a Core Update. If your site's rankings drop, it doesn’t mean your content has suddenly become "bad." It often means Google’s refined systems have found other pages that they now consider more relevant, authoritative, or helpful for users.

The Unchanging North Star: E-E-A-T and People-First Content

The underlying principle of every Core Update is Google's push to better identify and reward content that demonstrates high levels of E-E-A-T:

• Experience: The content is created by someone with real, first-hand life experience on the topic.

• Expertise: The creator has the necessary skills and knowledge in the field.

• Authoritativeness: The creator or the website is known as a go-to source in the industry.

• Trust: The page is accurate, secure, and provides reliable information.

The best way to "optimize" for any Core Update is to create people-first content that aligns with these principles.

What to Do If Your Rankings Have Dropped: A 4-Step Action Plan

Seeing a traffic drop is stressful, but a reactive, panicked approach will do more harm than good. Here is a strategic plan to follow.

Step 1: Don't Panic, Diagnose Holistically

Resist the temptation to make small, frantic changes like tweaking title tags or rewriting a single paragraph. A Core Update is a broad signal about your site's overall quality. Your response should be equally holistic.

Step 2: Conduct an Honest Content & Quality Audit

Google provides a list of self-assessment questions that are your best guide. Gather your team and ask these tough questions about your content:

• Content and Quality Questions:

  • Does our content provide original information, in-depth reporting, or insightful analysis?

  • Is our content more substantial and valuable than our competitors'?

  • Is the headline helpful and does it accurately reflect the content?

• Expertise Questions:

  • Is this content written by an expert or enthusiast who genuinely knows the topic?

  • Is the content free from easily verified factual errors?

  • Would you trust this content for important decisions related to your money or your life (YMYL)?

• Presentation and Production Questions:

  • Is the content well-produced, or does it appear sloppy?

  • Is the page designed to be easy to read and navigate on mobile devices?

  • Are there an excessive number of ads that interfere with the main content?

Step 3: Focus on Significant, Tangible Improvements

Minor tweaks are not enough. Recovery requires making substantial improvements to the quality of your content, user experience, and demonstration of E-E-A-T. This could mean updating articles with new data, adding author bios to demonstrate expertise, or improving your site's mobile layout.

Step 4: Be Patient

Google notes that improvements made after a Core Update don't guarantee immediate recovery. Often, the positive effects of your changes may not be seen until the next broad Core Update is released. SEO is a long-term strategy, and this is a perfect example of that principle in action.

A Deeper Dive: The Core Principles of People-First Content

To truly understand how to improve, it's best to go directly to the source. Google's own guidance encourages creators to self-assess their content against a set of core principles. These questions are the single best roadmap for building a resilient, high-quality website.

When you review your content, focus on these key areas, which are directly aligned with Google's human-first and ethical focus:

• Content & Value: Does your content provide original insights and substantial value, or does it merely rehash what other sources have already said?
• Expertise & Trust (E-A-T): Does your content demonstrate first-hand expertise and cite credible sources? Is there clear information about the author to build trust with your audience?
• Presentation & User Experience: Is the content professionally produced and easy to read on all devices? Is it free from excessive, intrusive ads that get in the way of the user's goal?
• Purpose & User Satisfaction: Does your page fulfill the promise of its headline and actually satisfy the user's reason for clicking on it from the search results?

We highly recommend you read and bookmark Google's official list of self-assessment questions. Aligning your content strategy with these principles is the most sustainable path to long-term success.

What NOT to Do: Common Mistakes to Avoid

• DON'T make isolated SEO changes and expect a quick fix.

• DON'T hastily remove large amounts of content unless you are certain it is low-quality and offers no value.

• DON'T blame a single element. A Core Update is a "big picture" assessment.

Core Update June 25, Suport Video by Google Product Team:

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Our Philosophy at SEOSiri

At SEOSiri, our approach has always been to build websites and content strategies that are resilient by design. We focus on creating high-quality, people-first content that establishes our clients as trusted authorities. By prioritizing what users want, we align with Google's long-term goals, making these updates opportunities for growth rather than moments of fear.

If you're trying to navigate the impact of the June 2025 Core Update, our team is here to help. We can provide a comprehensive site quality audit to identify areas for meaningful improvement.

Contact us today to ensure your website isn't just surviving these updates—it's thriving through them.

Momenul Ahmad

Founder of SEOSiri
Momenul is a digital strategist specializing in audience-first SEO, semantic copywriting, and cross-channel marketing psychology. He helps brands win relevance over reach.

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Updated: 01/07/2025