So, about that “two-week rollout” for Google’s March 2025 Core Update we mentioned in the last post? Yeah, those two weeks felt more like a spin cycle set to high. If your website traffic wasn’t just doing the cha-cha, but maybe the full-blown tango-meets-breakdance, you weren’t alone. The ranking shifts were, to put it mildly, […]
So, about that “two-week rollout” for Google’s March 2025 Core Update we mentioned in the last post? Yeah, those two weeks felt more like a spin cycle set to high. If your website traffic wasn’t just doing the cha-cha, but maybe the full-blown tango-meets-breakdance, you weren’t alone. The ranking shifts were, to put it mildly, wild. Some trackers called it the most volatile period they’d seen in over a year. And just when you thought it might be calming down, things apparently got spicy again towards the end of the rollout period. Typical Google.
Remember how Google kept talking about “content from creators” and rewarding “people-first” stuff? The results are… interesting. We now have a clearer picture of the winners and losers emerging from the rubble.
Explore the key strategies to align your website with Google’s latest algorithm changes
Official guidelines for creating people-first content
Learn how to optimize the technical aspects of your site
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On the upswing? Big players like Reddit, Yelp, and ThisOldHouse seemed to catch a favorable wind, at least in the US market. Home Depot also saw gains. It seems Google’s algorithm might be cozying up to these large, active communities. In the UK, retailers like Notonthehighstreet and Uniqlo apparently did well.
But for every winner, there’s a whole pile of sites wondering what hit them. Smaller, niche forums? Many took a nosedive. Think DIYChatroom and GarageJournal – suddenly finding themselves buried deep in the search results. Websites that looked like they were mostly churned out by programs rather than people, like Bluettipower, also felt the pain, aligning with Google’s long-stated goal of killing off low-value, automated content. Even giants weren’t spared entirely; Amazon, Zara, and DIY.com saw dips, and poor Quora gained in the US only to lose ground in the UK. The chatter suggests smaller online shops were particularly vulnerable.
Explore which websites gained and lost visibility following the latest algorithm changes
Why it won: High-quality, authoritative home improvement content with demonstrated expertise and firsthand experience. Strong E-E-A-T signals and comprehensive guides created by industry professionals.
Why it won: Large community-driven platform with diverse user-generated content across numerous topics. Update appears to favor active forums with high engagement and genuine user discussions over smaller niche forums.
Why it won: Platform showcasing firsthand user reviews and experiences across local businesses. Update appears to value authentic customer feedback and experience-based content, aligning with E-E-A-T principles.
Why it won: Comprehensive product information with detailed specifications and authentic customer reviews. The site also offers valuable DIY guides and project tutorials that demonstrate expertise in home improvement.
Why it won: Q&A platform with responses from verified experts and professionals across diverse fields. The update appears to favor platforms where subject matter experts provide direct answers to user questions.
Note: Interestingly, Quora gained in the US market but lost visibility in the UK, suggesting potential regional differences in the update’s impact.
Why it won: Marketplace focused on unique, handmade products with detailed product descriptions and creator stories. The update appears to favor sites showcasing authenticity and creator expertise.
Why it won: Clear product information with detailed material descriptions and size guides. The site offers comprehensive product specifications and transparent manufacturing information that adds value for users.
Why it lost: Smaller, niche forum with inconsistent activity levels. The update appears to favor larger forum platforms (like Reddit) with more active communities and higher content volume.
Why it lost: Specialized forum with sporadic activity and unverified user advice. Similar to other smaller forums, it appears to have been outranked by larger, more active community platforms with stronger E-E-A-T signals.
Why it lost: Site with heavy reliance on programmatic content generation. The update appears to have penalized websites using automated content creation with limited human oversight and original insights.
Why it lost: Thin content with limited expertise demonstrations and generic product information. The site appears to lack sufficient E-E-A-T signals compared to more comprehensive competitors.
Why it lost: DIY advice site with limited demonstration of expertise and insufficient author credentials. The update appears to favor sites with stronger expertise signals and more comprehensive content in this niche.
Why it lost: Unlike in the US market, Quora saw visibility declines in the UK. This regional difference might reflect variations in content quality, user engagement, or regional competition specific to the UK market.
Why it lost: Educational resource that may have been impacted by stronger preferences for more interactive or comprehensive learning resources. The update might be favoring more engaging educational content with stronger E-E-A-T signals.
Why it lost: Travel booking platform that may have been affected by the update’s emphasis on firsthand experiences and user-generated content. Sites aggregating third-party information without adding substantial original value appear to have suffered.
Why it lost: Government tax information site with complex, technical content. The visibility drop might reflect the update’s emphasis on content that clearly addresses user search intent and offers more accessible information on complex topics.
Larger, more established platforms like Reddit gained visibility, while smaller, niche forums (DIYChatroom.com, GarageJournal.com) experienced significant drops. This suggests Google may be using signals such as community size, engagement levels, and content freshness to evaluate forum quality.
Sites with clear expertise signals (ThisOldHouse.com, HomeDepot.com) saw improvements, while those with limited expert credentials or thin content lost visibility. The update appears to be refining how Google evaluates expertise, especially for YMYL content and informational queries.
Websites relying heavily on programmatic content generation (like Bluettipower.com) saw significant drops. This aligns with Google’s ongoing efforts to combat low-value, automatically generated content created primarily for SEO rather than user value.
In the UK market, certain retailers gained visibility (notonthehighstreet.com, uniqlo.com) while others declined (zara.com, amazon.com). This suggests the update may be favoring retail sites with more comprehensive product information, creator stories, or unique value propositions.
So, what’s Google actually rewarding, besides sheer size, maybe? The gospel according to Google remains E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). They seem to be doubling down on real experience – can you prove you’ve actually done the thing you’re writing about? Using AI? Google seems to be saying, “Fine, but be honest about it, or at least have a human make sure it’s not garbage”. Oh, and they swapped out one technical speed metric (FID) for another (INP), basically wanting websites to react instantly when you click something. No pressure.
How’s the neighborhood taking it? The SEO world went from watchful waiting and maybe some initial confusion (were the tracking tools even working right?) to outright exasperation. Reports flooded in not just about traffic tanks, but pages getting completely de-indexed – kicked out of Google’s club entirely. There’s a growing grumble, louder than usual, questioning if these updates really make search better, or just reward different kinds of content, sometimes even lower-quality stuff. The trust isn’t exactly overflowing.
The March 2025 update wasn’t just a tweak; it was a significant reshuffle that left plenty of digital debris. Google keeps saying “quality,” “helpful,” “people-first.” Yet, the reality on the ground is often confusion, frustration, and the sinking feeling that you’re playing a game where the rules change mid-play. The advice? It hasn’t changed much since our last chat: keep making good stuff, prove you’re legit, make your site usable. And maybe keep some digital antacids handy for the next time Google decides to “improve” things. Because it will happen again.
