Google’s latest core update in May 2025 just wrapped up—and it’s already reshaping search visibility across industries. As with every major algorithm shift, some websites skyrocketed while others saw traffic vanish overnight.
So, what changed this time? And how can your business stay ahead?
What’s New in the May 2025 Update?
This update continued Google’s long-term mission to prioritize user value, authenticity, and topical depth—but it came with sharper signals for:
- First-hand expertise (real experience over rewritten AI content)
- Helpful content with high engagement and low bounce rates
- Technical SEO hygiene: Core Web Vitals, crawlability, and structured data
- Brand trust indicators like author profiles, reviews, and citations
The Big Winners
✅ Brands producing original content with real insights and personal experience
✅ Businesses with strong local SEO and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) info
✅ Niche sites that focused on one clear topic and answered specific user needs
✅ Sites that combined great UX + performance + value
The Sites That Got Hit
❌ Sites with clickbait-style content and shallow blog posts
❌ Over-reliance on AI content with no human refinement
❌ Domains with poor site structure or outdated plugins
❌ Pages with intrusive ads or broken user journeys
What Should You Do Next?
If your rankings dropped—or you want to secure your top spot—here’s where to start:
- Audit your content: Remove fluff, add value, cite real sources
- Review your site performance: Fix slow load times, mobile issues, or broken links
- Humanize your content: Add author credibility, user feedback, and visuals
- Invest in long-term SEO: Stop chasing algorithms, start building authority
At Stork Advertising, we stay ahead of Google’s ever-changing rules so you don’t have to. Our SEO specialists audit, optimize, and future-proof your content strategy for long-term performance.
Ready to rank higher and stay there?
Let’s talk about your SEO strategy for 2025 and beyond.
