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Google’s recent core updates are focusing on experience-based, trustworthy content.
AI Overviews and AI Mode are cutting down traffic to traditional websites.
Content creators need to move beyond old SEO tricks and focus on direct value and human insight.
Google’s latest changes to its search system have shaken up how websites show up in search results. However, this year, Google hasn’t introduced minor changes; it has issued a series of significant updates that are entirely redefining the way websites show up in search results.
From basic algorithm changes to the explosion of AI-created answers, 2025 has seen a deluge of disruption. Most publishers, bloggers, and small businesses are seeing their traffic plummet precipitously, even though they’ve done everything in the SEO book for years. Here is a closer examination of what’s shifted, why it matters, and what content creators can do about it.
Two big core algorithm updates were released in March and June 2025 by Google. These updates were not for any individual site. They were more like a shuffling of the entire deck of cards. Sites that used to be on the first page for some keywords immediately vanished, while lesser sites went up to the top.
Google now seeks to reward content that demonstrates experience and trust. Articles that sound like they were written by individuals who’ve used a product or who have a working knowledge of the topic are being given a boost. Conversely, content that reads as copied, overly generic, or search engine-written rather than human-written is being pulled down.
Meanwhile, Google is transforming how individuals find answers to questions. The AI Overviews feature, driven by Gemini (Google’s artificial intelligence model), now surfaces atop much of its search results. It provides readers with a concise summary of the answer, quite often pulled from various websites, without them ever having to click a link.
While this is saving users time, it’s damaging website owners. Reports state that popular publishers such as Business Insider, HuffPost, and The Atlantic have experienced declines of as much as 50–55% of traffic. Their content is being utilized by Google to create these AI responses, yet users aren’t going on to read the complete articles.
This has produced a new type of issue: websites are being read but not visited.
Also Read: Apple vs Google: 7 Features Apple Copied from Google
Google rolled out AI Mode in May 2025, which allows users to flip over to a chat-like experience and receive more in-depth answers from the AI. This mode renders fewer conventional links and more explanations written by AI.
Again, this trend is resulting in less website visibility. To those dependent on search traffic, such as bloggers, small businesses, or news media, this translates to fewer readers, fewer ad impressions, and reduced revenue.
Most online media are suffering in consequence. Less traffic equals less advertising revenue, and some are having to cut staff or reduce the amount of content created. Others are attempting to stay afloat by pouring more resources into newsletters, memberships, and straight-up subscriptions.
Other publishers are questioning the fairness of these moves. In Europe, various media outlets have brought antitrust charges against Google, accusing it of damaging the open internet by retaining users on its sites.
If you have a website or are in the digital media, these shifts might seem daunting. But there are still a few ways to remain relevant:
Write for humans, not search engines. Genuine stories, specialized advice, and personal anecdotes now matter more.
Utilize clear organization and useful formats. Add FAQs, overviews, and structured responses to popular questions.
Add trust factors. Demonstrate who wrote the piece, how much experience they have, and where they got their information.
Create an explicit link with your readers. Newsletters, social media, and community sites can assist in lessening your reliance on Google.
Google isn’t just a search engine anymore; it’s becoming an answer engine, relying on AI to anticipate what people are looking for and giving it to them straight away. It might be wonderful for users, but it’s making it extremely difficult for the sites that constructed the web in the first place.
The AI shift isn’t disappearing. Rather than resisting it, content creators should evolve and conform. Those who embrace trust, uniqueness, and utility in the real world are best positioned to thrive in this new environment.
The end goal is not about courting traffic. It’s about creating content that benefits your audience, regardless of where they consume it.
Also Read: Gemini AI Assistant Debuts in Google Docs for Android, Boosting Productivity
