Google’s June 2025 Core Update: What Small Businesses Need to Know

On 30th June 2025, Google started rolling out another one of its big core updates that’s scheduled to last for three weeks. **UPDATE – it ended on the 17th of July**

If you’ve got a small business website, you might’ve noticed some changes already. Maybe your traffic’s dropped, or maybe you’ve gone up a bit in the rankings. Either way, this update could affect your site — and your business — so let’s have a proper look at what’s going on and what you can do about it.

What Is a Google Core Update?

First off, let’s keep it simple. A core update is when Google changes how it decides which pages show up first in its search results. It’s like Google saying, “We’ve thought about it, and now we’re going to rank websites a bit differently.”

This will be the second core update in 2025 and there were four in 2024 and four in 2023 to give an idea of how frequently they happen.

These updates don’t target specific websites. They’re more about improving how search works overall. But if Google’s new system doesn’t think your site’s as useful as it did before, or it thinks that other sites are more useful, you might drop down in search results — and that’s not great for business if you are relying on the rankings.

What Happened in the June 2025 Core Update?

Google hasn’t shared all the nitty-gritty details of the update (they never do), but here’s what people have noticed in previous updates :

• Websites with low-quality or thin content dropped down in rankings.
• Sites that gave real value to readers seemed to go up.
• AI-written pages that didn’t offer anything new have been hit hard.
• Google’s clearly favouring helpful, original content from real people.

Basically, if your website just repeats stuff from elsewhere or doesn’t seem useful, you might be in trouble. But if you’ve got real, useful info written for real people, you’re probably alright — or even doing better.

How Do I Know If My Website Was Affected?

It’s not always obvious straight away. These updates can take a couple of weeks or so to fully roll out, as mentioned above this update is scheduled to take three weeks.  I’d suggest waiting until it’s finished as checking part way through can be misleading. But here’s what you can check:

• Website traffic: Use Google Analytics or similar tools. Has your traffic gone up or down?
• Search rankings: Are you still showing up on Google for the keywords your customers search for?
• Sales or enquiries: If fewer people are calling, buying or emailing, your visibility might have taken a hit.

If you’ve seen a sudden drop, this update could be the reason.

What Should Small Businesses Do About It?

First, don’t panic. Core updates happen several times a year, and rankings can bounce back if you make the right changes. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you out after it’s finished.

1. Look at Your Content

Go through your main pages — home page, services, blog posts, etc. Ask yourself:

• Is this content actually useful?
• Does it sound like a real human wrote it?
• Is it saying something original or just copying others?
• Would I trust this info if I landed on the page?

If it’s thin, outdated or sounds robotic, it’s time to give it a refresh. Add more detail. Make it easier to read. Talk like you would in person — like we are right now.

2. Show Your Expertise

Google wants to see that you know what you’re talking about. Add a bit about your experience. Share real examples. If you’re a plumber, talk about common problems you fix. If you run a bakery, show behind-the-scenes photos or recipes you use (unless the recipes are secret obviously).

This makes your content feel more real, shows you know what you are talking about — and is more helpful to your visitors.

3. Improve Your Website Experience

Google also looks at how easy your website is to use. Here are some quick wins:

• Make sure your site works on mobile phones.
• Speed things up — slow pages are a problem.  We’ve listed many ways to speed up your website that may be worth looking at.
• Fix any broken links or pages that don’t load.  I’ve used a free programe called Xenu Link Sluth for, probably, 20+ years and it’s useful at finding broken links.
• Use clear headings and short paragraphs — don’t waffle!

If your site’s clunky or confusing, visitors won’t stay long — and Google notices that.

4. Don’t Rely on AI Content Alone

AI tools can be really handy, but if you’re just copying and pasting AI-written stuff without checking it (especially the technical side or other details) or making it your own, Google might flag it as low-quality.

By all means, use AI to help you come up with ideas or drafts, but make sure the final version is yours. Add your voice, your story, and your knowledge.  Make sure it says what you want it to say and that you would stand by the information – if you are not sure, check it as you would if you were writing it without any help.   That’s what stands out.

5. Keep Updating

Websites that sit there untouched for years tend to fall behind. Keep things fresh:

• Update old blog posts with new info.
• Add new photos, offers, or case studies.
• Post news or tips for your customers.

Even a small update every month helps Google see you’re active and still useful.  There’s no real need to post daily like we do, but if you update every month make sure you do it every month.

What If I’m Still Not Sure What to Do?

If all this sounds a bit much, don’t worry. Here are some options:

• Hire a freelance SEO expert — even just for a one-off check-up (ask about their experience first though).
• Ask your web designer to help improve speed and design.
• Use free tools like Google Search Console to see where issues might be.
• Join small business groups or forums online and see what others are doing.

You don’t need to spend loads, but sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can spot things you’ve missed.

What Not to Do

When rankings drop, it’s tempting to panic and make big changes. But that can do more harm than good. Avoid doing these:

• Deleting loads of content — it might just need improving, not binning.
• Stuffing pages with keywords — that old trick doesn’t work anymore and hasn’t for many, many years.
• Buying dodgy backlinks — Google will catch you out eventually.
• Copying your competitors — your business is unique, and your site should be too.
• Redesign  your site – unless you have a good reason, don’t change the structure and navigation on the site.

Take your time, make smart improvements, and focus on helping your visitors. That’s what Google wants too.

Final Thoughts

Google’s June 2025 core update might feel like a headache, but it’s also a chance to make your website better. If you focus on quality, honesty, and making things easy for your customers, you’re already on the right track.

Don’t panic, and wait for it to finish – the first link in this article should update when it’s finished.  Keep an eye on your stats, tidy up your site, and stay consistent. These updates won’t stop, but you can stay ready for them — and maybe even come out on top.