Google released the March 2025 Core Update on March 13, 2025, and completed it on March 27, 2025. The update took exactly 14 days (two weeks), which was the exact timeline Google projected for its completion.
Google’s Official Announcement
Google announced the March 2025 Core Update in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Today we released the March 2025 core update. We'll update our ranking release history page when the rollout is complete: https://t.co/QoqMDbJu3D
— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) March 13, 2025
Google also announced the March 2025 Core Update on its official LinkedIn page. Here, Google mentioned that the update would allow content from creators to rank on search results pages.
What Are People Saying?
The March 2025 Core Update is Google’s first core algorithm update for 2025. Its timing continues the pattern established in 2023 and 2024, wherein Google released its first core updates in March. That said, multiple SEOs and bloggers shared their insights and concerns in response to Google’s announcement.
Bloggers Respond to Google’s Announcement
Small creators were noticeably skeptical about Google’s claims of improving their rankings. Instead, they expressed concerns that Google would take the little traffic they had left. For instance, Meteoleitstelle Hessen complained about losing his traffic and doubted whether this update would improve his situation.
"Core update at Google? That used to be a big deal, but by now, the whole algorithm is just a joke. Danny promised that small publishers would get a fair shot against the big players who can get away with anything. Danny’s gone quiet—did he maybe spill too much? My traffic has…
— Meteoleitstelle (@meteoleitstelle) March 14, 2025
Fivod also expressed the same skepticism, saying his traffic went from 20,000 visitors to just two after the Helpful Content Update. He then expressed concerns that the March 2025 Core Update would take his remaining two visitors.
From 20K monthly visits to 2 monthly visits since the HCU. When will you take away my last 2 visits as well?
— FIVOD (@fivod80123) March 13, 2025
Helen Neale also voiced similar complaints, saying she lost her traffic to multiple Google updates released between November and December 2024.
For context, Google released two back-to-back core updates between November 11 and December 18, 2024, before following them with the December 2024 Spam Update that ran from December 19 to 26, 2024.
Hoping and praying my free resources for kids, schools, and parents come back online after they were hit massively in the Nov/Dec updates – and I haven't a clue why 😢 @googlesearchc
We give excellent resources & ideas to schools to support wellbeing, learning and fun for kids!
— Helen Neale (@KiddyCharts) March 15, 2025
However, some commenters, including Dhiren Mulani, suggested that the update may have begun on March 4, 2025, rather than March 13, 2025, when it was announced. This is because they experienced fluctuations in their traffic between March 3 and 5, 2025.
Bro, you guys announce it officially like 10 days after it actually began. Most of us were already suspecting it as traffic has been down since the 4th onwards.
— Dhiren (@dhirenmulani) March 13, 2025
Early Volatilities Observed by SEOs
SEOs and bloggers also observed volatility on search results pages days before Google announced its release on March 13, 2025. On March 5, 2025, Barry Schwartz shared analytic reports indicating volatility on search results pages.
Early March Google Search ranking volatility and shuffling https://t.co/ernvqIQ8JC pic.twitter.com/CGSnMR2svF
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) March 5, 2025
On March 6, 2025, he shared additional analytic reports indicating that the volatility on search results pages was ongoing.
Updated some of the charts today from my story on the Google search ranking volatility, some are really showing heated times today… https://t.co/ernvqIPAU4 pic.twitter.com/zg3V87J2PL
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) March 6, 2025
Glenn Gabe supported this stance, stating that he had been observing core update-like movements since March 3, 2025, 10 days before Google launched the March 2025 Core Update.
More about the March core update: Again, I had a number of site owners reach out recently with core update-like movement. Some lost Discover visibility completely while others saw top rankings disappear, then return, then drop, etc. And some were heavily impacted by previous core… pic.twitter.com/H1gsxSuZWO
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) March 14, 2025
However, Google later confirmed to Glenn that the March 2025 Core Update was released on March 13, 2025, just as they announced. This means the volatility SEOs and bloggers observed before March 13, 2025, has nothing to do with the update.
More from the March core update: Think links can keep a core update drop away? Here's a large news publisher with over 100M inbound links getting hit pretty hard with the March core update. I've covered this many times before. Links alone will not save you if many other things… pic.twitter.com/NytixF5LWi
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) March 21, 2025
Later Volatilities Observed by SEOs
The effect of the March 2025 Core Update went both ways, with multiple sites gaining and losing traffic. Its volatility was so intense that many SEOs consider it the largest they have seen on search results pages within the 12-month period before it was released.
At one point, on March 19, 2025, multiple SEO tracking tools reported experiencing issues after observing inconsistencies in their data. Glenn Gabe shared communication from an SEO tracking tool confirming it was experiencing issues.
Tracking the core update? A big heads-up that some visibility tools are having issues as of 3/19. E.g. ahrefs posted a message today explaining that they have identified some SERP inconsistencies around 3/19 and there's incomplete keyword data starting then. So you could see… pic.twitter.com/xFcZJaoHfm
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) March 20, 2025
Laura Chiocciora also shared communication from another SEO tracking tool experiencing issues.
SERanking support team confirms that there is a global issue with the ranking tool too @rustybrick
— Laura Chiocciora (@LauraChiocciora) March 20, 2025
That said, SEOs continued to observe volatility on search results pages. On March 19, 2025, Lily Ray shared reports of a site gaining traffic. It had previously lost traffic to the August 2024 Core Update, which ran from August 15 to September 3, 2024.
Early signs that Lowes & Home Depot are seeing some increases since the March Core Update started rolling out (and after seeing declines with the Aug 24 core update) pic.twitter.com/ZePqq70AMb
— Lily Ray 😏 (@lilyraynyc) March 19, 2025
However, it was not all wins because on March 24, 2025, Glenn Gabe shared reports indicating some sites were experiencing gains and losses to this update.
Good Morning Google Land! This is the March 24 edition of "Core Update Notes". We are a 1.5 weeks into the March core update and probably nearing the end. I ran the visibility numbers for the large list of sites I have documented that have seen a lot of volatility during the… pic.twitter.com/SOKGKDhB2p
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) March 24, 2025
Barry Schwartz ran a poll after the update ended, and most bloggers either saw no changes or lost traffic and rankings.
Google March 2025 core update poll 🗳
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) March 28, 2025
Top Winners of the March 2025 Core Update
Many media and publishing sites benefited from the March 2025 Core Update. Some legal sites also saw considerable growth in their traffic. However, they are typically legal blogs that publish news-type articles, which essentially makes them a subset of media sites.
1 thehindu.com (+112.0%)
The Hindu was one of the top winners of the March 2025 Core Update. It saw its traffic increase by a massive 112% when it went from 28 million visitors before the update to 59 million visitors once it was completed.
At one point after the update, The Hindu saw its traffic soar to over 92 million (marking a 232% increase in traffic), which is almost four times its pre-update traffic.
2 axios.com (+142.5%)
Axios is another media and publishing site that saw its traffic go from 1.7 million pre-update to 4.2 million after the update. This marked a 142.5% increase in traffic, making it one of the top winners.
3 vox.com (+118.8%)
Vox saw its traffic increase from 1.2 million to 2.6 million a day. This was a 118.8% increase in traffic, making Vox another media and publishing site to benefit from the update.
4 thestreet.com (+70.7%)
TheStreet is a financial and investment news platform that greatly benefited from the March 2025 Core Update. Its traffic increased by 70.7%, rising from 2.3 million before the update to 3.9 million after it was completed.
5 theatlantic.com (+65.9%)
The Atlantic also saw its traffic go from 1.4 million to 2.3 million during the update. This represented a 65.9% improvement in traffic, which is a considerable increase. At one point during the update, its traffic even increased by 176%, reaching 3.8 million visitors a day.
6 thebulwark.com (+190.1%)
Many media sites benefited from the March 2025 Core Update, ranging from large platforms with millions of visitors to mid-sized ones with fewer than 100,000 visitors.
One such mid-sized site is The Bulwark, which saw its traffic increase by 190% when it went from 78,000 to 227,000 visitors a day. It experienced severe volatility during the update and even received 485,000 visitors a day (a 518% increase) at one point.
7 truthout.org (+138.4%)
Truthout is another mid-sized media and publishing site that saw its traffic soar. It went from 57 thousand to 136 thousand visitors a day, representing a 138.4% increase. It also experienced severe volatility during the update, with its traffic reaching 191,000 (a 235% increase) at one point.
Top Losers of the March 2025 Core Update
Multiple sites experienced a loss of traffic due to the March 2025 Core Update. The most significant losses affected forum and discussion sites, although some media and legal sites were also impacted.
1 blackhatworld.com (-96.0%)
BlackHatWorld received 2.5 million visitors before the March 2025 Core update. However, by the time it was over, it had just 101,282 visitors, which is a mere 4% of its previous traffic. This loss is quite considerable, making it the topmost loser of the update.
2 avsforum.com (-44.1%)
AVS Forum, a popular home theater and cinema forum and discussion site, lost 44% of its traffic to the March 2025 Core Update. Its traffic plummeted, dropping from 273 thousand to 152 thousand.
3 vwvortex.com (-41.1%)
VW Vortex, a forum and discussion site for Volkswagen enthusiasts, lost almost half its traffic. Its traffic dropped from 103 thousand to 61 thousand, marking a 41% traffic loss.
4 forums.whirlpool.net.au (-41.1%)
WhirlPool Forums is another forum and discussion site that lost traffic to the March 2025 Core Update. Its traffic fell by 41% when it went from 198 thousand to 117 thousand visitors a day
5 euronews.com (-41.3%)
While many media and publishing sites experienced increased traffic following the March 2025 Core Update, others saw declines. One such media site is Euronews, which experienced a decrease from 7.5 to 4.4 million visitors per day. This represents a 41.3% decrease in traffic.
Interestingly, Euronews experienced a significant increase in traffic immediately after the update. It received 14 million visitors (an 86% increase) at one point and 11 million visitors (a 42% increase) at another. However, it ultimately lost traffic once the update was complete.
6 benzinga.com (-40.2%)
Benzinga, a finance and investment media site, lost 40.2% of its traffic following the update. It went from 2.7 million visitors before the update to 1.6 million after it was over.
7 foreignpolicy.com (-39.9%)
Multiple mid-sized media sites also experienced a decline in traffic following the March 2025 Core Update. This includes Foreign Policy, which saw a 39.9% decline in traffic, dropping from 342 thousand to 206 thousand visitors.
Like other media sites that experienced a decline in traffic, Foreign Policy experienced severe volatility, gaining up to 565,000 visitors (a 65% increase) at the beginning of the update before losing its traffic once it was over.
8 reason.com/volokh (-73.8%)
Multiple legal blogs and legal service sites also experienced a decline in traffic following the March 2025 Core Update. One such example is The Volokh Conspiracy, which lost 73.8% of its traffic when it went from receiving around 63 thousand visitors pre-update to about 17 thousand once it was over.
9 jdsupra.com (-61.1%)
The legal news site JD Supra also experienced a decline in traffic when it went from receiving 142 thousand visitors a day to around 55 thousand visitors once the update was completed.
How the March 2025 Core Update Impacted Various Websites
Like any Google update, the March 2025 Core Update impacted multiple sites across various verticals. We monitored the traffic of several sites across these verticals to see how they were affected. Here’s what we found.
1 Affiliate Sites
Some affiliate sites gained traffic with the March 2025 Core Update, while a few others lost it. However, the gains were mildly significant while the losses were minimal. That said, here are some affiliate sites that gained traffic with the update.
Meanwhile, here are some affiliate sites that lost traffic to the update:
2 Forum and Discussion Sites
Many forums and discussion sites did not experience a significant increase in traffic following the March 2025 Core Update. However, some lost considerable traffic. Here are some forums and discussion sites that saw increased traffic following the update.
Meanwhile, these forums and discussion sites lost traffic. Most notably, BlackHatWorld lost a considerable amount of traffic, as did a few other sites.
3 Food and Recipe Sites
Some food and recipe sites gained traffic while others lost it. However, the gains and losses were minimal across the board. That said, here are some food and recipe sites that gained traffic.
Meanwhile, these food and recipe sites experienced traffic losses.
4 E-Commerce Sites
The effect of the March 2025 Core Update was minimal on e-commerce sites. These sites gained traffic with the update.
Meanwhile, these e-commerce sites lost traffic.
5 Health and Wellness Sites
Multiple health and wellness sites also experienced changes in traffic. These gained traffic.
While these health and wellness sites lost traffic.
6 Finance and Investing Sites
Some financial and investing sites, such as TheStreet.com, saw massive traffic increases following the March 2025 Core Update. Meanwhile, other sites saw a considerable increase.
At the same time, some finance and investing sites saw minimal to considerable decreases in their traffic. However, the updates appear to have benefited finance and investing sites overall.
7 Travel and Hospitality Sites
Travel and hospitality sites saw significant gains while experiencing minimal losses. These sites experienced an increase in traffic following this update.
Meanwhile, these sites saw minimal losses.
8 Real Estate Sites
Real estate sites experienced minimal gains and losses during the update. These real estate sites experienced an increase in traffic.
On the other hand, these sites experienced a decrease in their traffic.
9 Legal Service Sites
Some mid-sized legal sites gained considerable traffic, with some seeing their traffic increase by as much as 115%.
Other mid-sized legal service sites experienced a decrease in traffic. Like the gains, their losses were also considerable.
10 Media and Publishing Sites
Media and publishing sites generally saw an increase in traffic during the March 2025 Core Update. Axios, for one, saw its traffic increase by over 140%, while Vox saw its traffic increase by 118.8%. Then there is The Hindu, which saw its traffic more than double.
At the same time, other media and publishing sites saw mild to considerable losses during the update.
List of Previous Google Core Updates
The March 2025 Core Update is the latest among the multiple core updates Google has released. Here are the other core algorithm updates that we have documented:
- December 2024 Core Update: December 12 – December 18, 2024
- November 2024 Core Update: November 11 – December 5, 2024
- August 2024 Core Update: August 15 – September 3, 2024
- March 2024 Core Update: March 5 – April 19, 2024
- November 2023 Core Update: November 2 – November 28, 2023
- October 2023 Core Update: October 5 – October 19, 2023
- August 2023 Core Update: August 22 – September 7, 2023
- March 2023 Core Update: March 15 – March 28, 2023
- September 2022 Core Update: September 12 – September 26, 2022
- May 2022 Core Update: May 25 – June 9, 2022
- November 2021 Core Update: November 17 – November 30, 2021
- July 2021 Core Update: July 1 – July 12, 2021
- June 2021 Core Update: June 3 – June 12, 2021
What’s Next – Dealing With This Update
The March 2025 Core Update caused many sites to gain and lose traffic. SEOs, for their part, noticed it rewarded sites rather than penalized them. Our analysis also showed that it favored media platforms over other types of sites.
Therefore, it is likely that the sites that saw improvements in their rankings were doing what Google wanted. However, small creators were unimpressed with the update, as they are with all Google updates. Many even reported drops in their traffic, though a good number said they saw no changes at all.
That said, you should use Rank Math Analytics to monitor how this core update impacted your site. If you observe a drop in your traffic, refer to this guide on recovering from a Google algorithm update.
