Algorithms and Google Core Updates

by | Aug 21, 2024 | SEO

Google Algorithms for SEO

Google Algorithms & 2025 Core Updates: Shaping Your SEO Strategy for the AI Era

In the dynamic landscape of modern search, understanding Google’s algorithms is not just beneficial—it’s absolutely vital to any solid SEO strategy. For practitioners, comprehending the impact of Google’s core updates, both historical and ongoing, is fundamental to success. From my extensive experience crafting effective SEO strategies, keeping these updates front of mind is indispensable.

While Google isn’t always fully transparent with the intricacies of its updates, particularly those between 2011 and 2015, they laid the groundwork for today’s sophisticated search environment. Since 2017, Google has consistently referred to its larger, significant algorithmic shifts as “Core updates.”

As an SEO specialist, continuous tracking and analysis of post-update changes are paramount. My approach is to always strategise with these core principles in mind, as I believe Google is perpetually refining its algorithms even outside of these major announcements. Google’s overarching objective remains steadfast: to improve the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) and enhance the user’s journey and experience on the website, a goal now significantly influenced by AI and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).

Navigating the AI-Driven SERPs: Key Algorithm Updates

The evolution of Google’s algorithms directly informs how your content is understood, ranked, and presented, especially within AI Overviews (AIO) and through Large Language Models (LLMs). Here’s a look at some pivotal updates to guide your strategy:

The Latest Core Updates (2024-2025): The AI-First Mandate

These recent updates highlight Google’s continued emphasis on quality, depth, and user value—principles critical for thriving in AI-enhanced search. Google is increasingly rewarding content that demonstrates a clear commitment to E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) and a superior user experience.

  • March 2024 Core Update: This massive, complex update significantly targeted low-quality, scaled, and unhelpful content, particularly penalizing content created solely to rank well. It reinforced Google’s Helpful Content System and led to an estimated 40% reduction in unhelpful, unoriginal content in search results.
  • August 2024 Core Update: A key focus was on rewarding smaller, independent, high-quality websites that produce genuinely useful, original content, attempting to level the playing field against large, established publishers.
  • June 2025 Core Update: A major shift focusing heavily on retrieval efficiency (MUVERA technology) and content relevance, demonstrating a stronger impact on mobile search and smart recognition of commercial intent.
  • September 2025 Core Update (“Perspective”): This update fundamentally shifted the focus to Intent Satisfaction Metrics. Google now heavily prioritizes content that provides complete answers, rewarding Expertise Depth, User Journey Completion, and Fresh Perspective Value.

Foundational Google Algorithm Updates (2011 – 2019)

These early updates established core principles that still underpin successful SEO. Ignoring them is to build on shaky ground:

  • Panda (2011): Targeted duplicate, plagiarised, or thin content; user-generated spam; and keyword stuffing. This was Google’s major push for content quality.
  • Penguin (2012): Focused on combating web spam, irrelevant links, and over-optimized anchor text, emphasizing natural link profiles.
  • Hummingbird (2013): A significant overhaul that improved Google’s ability to understand the meaning behind queries (semantic search), moving beyond just keywords.
  • Mobile (2015 – “Mobilegeddon”): Directly rewarded sites with mobile-friendly versions and good mobile usability, reflecting the shift to mobile-first indexing.
  • RankBrain (2015): An AI-based component designed to better understand complex and ambiguous queries, prioritizing query-specific relevance and comprehensive content with good user experience.
  • BERT (2019): This update dramatically improved Google’s understanding of natural language and context (prepositions, conjunctions, and sequence of words), reinforcing the penalty for poorly written content lacking sufficient context.

Future-Proof Your SEO: Aligning with Algorithm Intent

As Google continues to refine its algorithms, heavily integrating AI and LLMs to provide more relevant and comprehensive search experiences (including AI Overviews), the underlying principles remain. Focus on creating high-quality, user-centric content, ensuring technical excellence (especially mobile performance), and building genuine authority (E-E-A-T).

Staying updated with Core updates isn’t just about avoiding penalties; it’s about understanding Google’s evolving intent to deliver the best possible user experience and to ensure your content is favoured by both traditional ranking signals and AI interpretation. Content that truly satisfies the user’s intent is now the central pillar of a future-proof SEO strategy.