Google Just Dropped Another Algorithm Update (Here's What It Means for Your Business)
If your website traffic has been all over the place lately, you're not imagining things.
Google rolled out their June 2025 core update on June 30th, and it's causing some serious waves in the search results. This is the second major algorithm update this year (the first one hit in March), and based on what we're seeing across our client accounts and the SEO community, it's a big one.
Here's the thing about Google updates that most business owners don't realize: they're not trying to hurt your website. Google's goal is always to show users the most helpful, relevant results possible. But when they adjust their algorithm to get better at that, some websites win big while others take a hit.
What's Actually Happening Right Now
The June 2025 core update represents Google's second confirmed major algorithm adjustment of 2025, causing significant ranking volatility across websites and industries. The update started at 7:34 AM PDT and Google says it could take up to three weeks to fully roll out.
Translation: if your rankings have been bouncing around like a ping-pong ball over the past few days, that's completely normal during an update. Some days you might rank on page one, other days you might drop to page three, then bounce back up. It's stressful, but it's part of the process.
Why This Update Feels Different
This isn't just another minor tweak. SEO rankings became unstable across many industries starting June 4, 2025, and tracking tools have been showing volatility spikes that are stronger than anything we've seen since March.
But here's what's really interesting: Some pages saw drops in organic clicks despite stable rankings. Others gained impressions but showed zero traffic. This suggests Google isn't just changing who ranks where – they're changing how search results look and how people interact with them.
The AI Factor Nobody's Talking About
The AI Factor Nobody's Talking About
Here's what most articles won't tell you: this update seems to be heavily tied to Google's push toward AI-powered search features. AI Overviews appear to be a major factor. In some cases, impressions increased because summaries now display above traditional blue links. But users no longer need to click through if answers are shown directly.
What this means for your business: even if you're ranking well, you might see fewer clicks because Google is answering more questions directly in the search results. It's not necessarily that your SEO is failing – the game itself is changing.
Who's Getting Hit (And Who's Winning)
Based on what we're tracking across dozens of client sites and industry reports, here's what we're seeing:
Industries Seeing the Most Volatility:
Health and wellness websites
Financial services
E-commerce and retail
Local service businesses
News and media sites
Content That's Performing Better:
Comprehensive, in-depth articles that thoroughly answer questions
Content with clear expertise and authority signals
Fast-loading pages with excellent user experience
Local businesses with strong Google Business Profile optimization
Sites with authentic user reviews and testimonials
Content That's Struggling:
Thin, surface-level articles
Sites with poor Core Web Vitals (slow loading, layout shifts)
Pages that are clearly written for search engines instead of humans
Websites with poor mobile experience
Content that lacks clear expertise or authoritativeness
What You Should (And Shouldn't) Do Right Now
DON'T Panic and Make Drastic Changes
I can't stress this enough: resist the urge to completely overhaul your website just because your rankings dropped. Rankings may shift multiple times before settling. We've seen clients make hasty changes during an update only to hurt their rankings even more when things stabilized.
The update is still rolling out, which means your rankings today might be completely different next week. Give it at least two weeks after Google announces the update is complete before making any major decisions.
DO Keep Creating Quality Content
Continue creating content: Focus on providing content that meets user intent and demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). This has been Google's consistent message for years, and it's even more important now.
If you've been putting off that comprehensive guide about your industry or haven't updated your service pages in months, now's actually a great time to do it. Just don't expect immediate results while the update is still rolling out.
DO Monitor Your Analytics Closely
Keep logs of traffic and ranking shifts to inform post-rollout analysis. Check your Google Analytics and Search Console daily to see how the update is affecting your site. Look for patterns:
Which pages are gaining or losing traffic?
Are certain types of content performing better than others?
Is your local search performance changing?
How are your Core Web Vitals scores holding up?
What's Coming Next
Based on Google's patterns, we'll probably see some additional volatility over the next 2-3 weeks as this update fully rolls out. Then things should stabilize, and we'll get a clearer picture of the long-term impacts.
But here's the bigger picture: this update is part of Google's ongoing shift toward AI-powered search. Features like AI Overviews and enhanced search experiences are becoming more prominent, which means businesses need to adapt their content strategies accordingly.
The websites that will thrive in this new landscape are those that focus on creating genuinely helpful content while building strong brand recognition and direct relationships with their customers.
Your Action Plan for the Next 30 Days
Week 1: Monitor and Document
Check your analytics daily but don't make changes yet
Document any significant traffic or ranking changes
Review your Google Search Console for any new errors or warnings
Make sure your website's technical health is solid
Week 2: Assess and Plan
Once the update stabilizes, analyze which content performed better or worse
Identify patterns in your most and least successful pages
Review your competitors to see how they were affected
Plan content improvements based on what you're learning
Week 3: Optimize and Improve
Update underperforming content with more depth and expertise
Improve page loading speeds and mobile experience
Enhance your Google Business Profile if you're a local business
Start creating new content that addresses gaps you've identified
Week 4: Build and Promote
Focus on building relationships with other reputable websites in your industry
Engage more actively with your audience on social media
Encourage satisfied customers to leave authentic reviews
Continue creating valuable, expert-level content consistently
The Bottom Line
Google algorithm updates are stressful, but they're also opportunities. Every update rewards websites that truly serve their users and penalizes those that try to game the system.
If this update hurt your rankings, don't take it personally. Use it as motivation to improve your website, create better content, and build a stronger online presence. The businesses that view these updates as chances to get better are the ones that come out ahead in the long run.
If this update helped your rankings, don't get complacent. Keep doing what's working and look for ways to improve even more.
Need Help Navigating This Update?
Look, we get it. Dealing with Google algorithm updates while trying to run a business is overwhelming.
You shouldn't have to become an SEO expert just to keep your website visible.
That's exactly why we started Skyline Digital Marketing.
We've helped hundreds of businesses not just survive algorithm updates, but actually thrive during them.
We track every change, analyze the impact on your specific industry, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
If your traffic has taken a hit from this update or you just want to make sure you're prepared for the next one, give us a call at (864) 774-0069.
We'll take a look at how the update affected your site and create a plan to get you back on track.
Remember: algorithm updates aren't the end of the world. They're just Google's way of getting better at connecting people with the businesses that can truly help them.
Make sure your business is one of those, and you'll do just fine.
