March 2025 core update

On March 13th, Google released their first core update of 2025, which is the first one they’ve rolled out since December 12th 2024. Google has said that “the rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete.”

Similar to previous core updates, we’ll expect to see high volatility within the SERPs with rankings and organic traffic fluctuating. It’s worth noting that the first core update of 2024 was one of the biggest we’ve seen and took 45 days to fully roll out. Therefore, it’ll be interesting to see if this one follows the same pattern.

At the moment, Google hasn’t provided much advice on this recent core update, but the general consensus is around creating helpful content that focuses on providing value to users and not to rank in search engines. As with all updates, we’ll continue to monitor this and provide further information once it’s fully rolled out.

Embryo spoke to Eugenia Evseeva, SEO Manager at Snov.io, who said:

Expert opinion

Eugenia Evseeva, SEO Manager at Snov.io

"Google's March 2025 Core Update isn't just another algorithm tweak. It represents a fundamental change in how Google evaluates online content ecosystems. The current wave of SERP volatility is a clear sign that Google is getting better at telling the difference between shallow SEO tactics and truly valuable content. The decline of mass-produced AI content sites confirms what many of us have predicted: Google is getting really good at spotting synthetic content made for algorithms, not humans. This shift is also changing the dynamics of retail visibility, with big players losing ground to smaller, more specialized brands. The key takeaway is clear: Google is no longer falling for the usual SEO tricks and is now rewarding sites that showcase real expertise and provide genuine value. Brands need to realize that visibility isn't just about technical optimization or churning out content—it’s about offering authentic expertise, unique perspectives, and content that truly meets user needs"