Google's core update in March 2025 will take a close look at the quality of your content.

What we have observed since Google's update in March 2025 - and what you should do about it.

We are writing this article because we are currently receiving a flood of questions. Customers, partners, marketing experts, founders - everyone is asking in one form or another:

„What does the March update mean for us? Are we in trouble? And how do we make sure we're not next?“

That's a valid concern. Google's March 2025 Core Update was pretty aggressive for some - especially if your website relies heavily on SEO-driven content. But this isn't a sudden change. It's the latest step in a long and very clear direction.

Google has been pushing for better, more user-friendly content for years. This update just makes it harder to hide behind volume, AI tools or outdated strategies. If your content isn't helping real people solve real problems, it's at risk.

This is just a continuation of what we have already seen

This March update has made it very clear that Google is no longer lenient.
Everything we've seen - from the increased deindexing of low-quality content to the greater impact of quality-related signals on the overall website - points to one key insight:

„Good enough“ is no longer enough.

What ranked well two years ago could now be actively dragging your website down. And Google's new systems are much better at detecting content that is thin, unoriginal or clearly designed to manipulate the algorithm.

It's no longer about whether some pages are helpful. It's about whether your entire domain looks trustworthy and useful and was written for humans - not bots.

The effects were mixed - and that says a lot

One of the most striking aspects of the March 2025 update was the disparate impact. Some websites recorded a sharp drop in visitor numbers. Others saw an increase. And many others? Hardly any change at all.

It was not a blanket penalty. It was a refined filter that was applied precisely to each domain and each page. Google's aim was not to punish, but to reward helpfulness - and to silently remove content that only takes up space.

Who has benefited from this?

Among the winners are websites such as Reddit and Yelp, both of which have seen an increase in visibility following the update (source: Marketing Aid). Why? They are based on user-generated content that is rich in first-hand experience, detail and authenticity.

Google's systems now better understand the value of this kind of specificity. Reviews, discussions and direct experiences are all in line with the E-E-A-T framework - particularly the elements of „experience“ and „trust“. These sites don't just display content, they display lived knowledge.

Who has lost ground?

Among the websites that have seen a slight slump are those with large amounts of low-quality or automatically generated content.
These are often

• Programmatically created pages on a large scale
• Articles written by AI with minimal human input
• Generic how-to articles that contribute nothing new to the topic
• Old content archives that are no longer updated

Many of these websites have been hit hard, with smaller forums and niche affiliate networks seeing a significant drop in visibility (source: finessse.digital).
It's not that this content was inherently bad. But they lacked depth, originality or real value - and Google simply decided they were no longer worth indexing.

Why this is important

It says a lot about Google's direction. It is no longer enough to have just a few pages with good performance. The overall quality and purpose of your entire website will now be closely scrutinized.

If the majority of your content isn't helpful - even if it has ranked well in the past - it's at risk. If it's vague, generic or obviously created just to fulfill SEO criteria rather than help real people, it's more likely to be ignored by Google's systems. Or worse, they will be removed from the results entirely.

This is where E-E-A-T becomes more than just a framework concept - it is a litmus test.

If your website:

• reflects genuine professional competence
• has clear author attributions and trust signals
• solves real problems of your target group
• shows that it was written by someone who knows about it

...then you are probably on a solid footing. If not, this update is a sign that you should rethink your strategy.

What types of content are filtered out?

If you are trying to assess the risk, you should currently keep the following points in mind:

1. content generated by AI or excessively template-based content

Not all AI is bad - but the publication of unedited, superficial content on a large scale is. Especially when it offers nothing new and reads like a rewrite of all other online content.

2. pages where keywords are in first place and the value is in second place

Pages that are based on search terms rather than search intent - such as lists of „top tips for X“ that contain nothing meaningful - are filtered out. Especially if they only serve to achieve a good ranking and offer no added value.

3. outdated content libraries

Do you have hundreds of older blog posts that have never been updated and are no longer relevant to your brand or target audience? This archive could be affecting the quality of your domain unnoticed - and hindering newer content.

4. content without credibility

If Google (or a user) can't tell who wrote the content, why that person is qualified or where the data came from, it's less likely to rank well. Anonymous, generic content just doesn't cut it anymore.

So what kind of content still works?

Here are the contents that, in our experience, work consistently well - and that we recommend to our customers:

Depth instead of width: It is better to publish one useful, well-structured article than five superficial ones. Content that answers questions thoroughly and anticipates follow-up questions will be rewarded.

First-hand experience: Google prioritizes content created by people with actual knowledge of the topic - not just people who know how to rank well.

Clear authorship and transparency: Who wrote the article? Why is it credible? Is it up to date? All of this contributes to trust - and trust is the currency for rankings today.

Specificity and originality: Say something useful. Say it in your own words. Add insights from your work, your data, your customers and your perspective. That's the difference between content that works and content that's just there.

What should you do now?

As Google has already said: „There's nothing new or special that content creators need to do for this update, as long as they create satisfying content for people. For those who may not be ranking as well, we strongly recommend reading our help page on creating helpful, reliable and user-centric content.“

Whether you notice an impact or not, now is the perfect time to rethink your content strategy - not reactively, but proactively.

1. check the quality of the content on your website

Pay attention not only to the number of hits, but also to the benefits. Does someone really get something out of this page? Or is it just taking up space?

2. be merciless with outdated or generic content

You don't have to delete your blog completely, but you do need to be honest about what actually helps your users - and what's just lying around. Which posts can you improve? What can be summarized? What can be removed?

3. show your competence

Use real author information. Add biographies. Cite subject matter experts. Add links to original data. If you are an expert in your field, this should be reflected in your content.

4. do not publish for the sake of publishing

If your content calendar promotes quantity over quality, take a break. Instead, invest in fewer, but stronger posts. One valuable post per month is better than four that say nothing new.

5. work on your long-term credibility

It's not about reacting to a single update. It's about adapting to the direction in which search is heading: high-quality, trustworthy content written by humans. The sooner your website reflects this, the safer you are.

The most important insight? Don't be careless with your content.

If you're publishing content that's thoughtful, experience-based and written in a way that helps your audience, you're already one step ahead. However, if your website is cluttered, generic or created for bots, it's time to rethink.

We help our clients understand these innovations and adapt their content strategies to keep pace with these changes - not just to recover, but to grow. If you'd like a second opinion on your content or guidance on your priorities, drop us a line.