Google’s March 2025 Core Update: What You Need to Know

Key Takeaways from Google’s March 2025 Core Update

The AI Update

Google’s March 2025 core update has not disappointed. Keep reading for all the key talking points so you don’t have to labour through the very dry Google version! This latest SERP shake-up really brings some significant changes to how content ranks which you need to know.

You could call it the ‘AI-update’ as it both penalises and rewards Artificial Intelligence in equal measure. So, Google’s March 2025 core update focuses on delivering more relevant and satisfying search results, sounds kind of same-ish, right?

But, it really isn’t, there are some fundamental changes in their attempt to continue prioritising content from original creators.

What We Will Notice

On the one hand we are now seeing an AI generated result as the de-facto number one SERP (Search Engine Results Page) position. On the other hand, we are seeing a de-ranking of content that is too heavily reliant on AI-generated content, oh the irony! 

It’s a big ‘hurrah’ from me as I feel this needed to be reigned in somewhat. No-one wants an overload of AI-generated sludge because, let’s be honest, why create content that we can find with a simple AI search ourselves. The value is in individual expertise and opinion. 

But what does it all mean?

Let’s break down the key takeaways…

Key Changes

• You are now seeing an AI result as top of page result.
• Quora and Reddit are still prioritised.
• Focus on content relevance and user satisfaction.
• Continued emphasis on surfacing original creator content.
• New spam updates targeting low-quality and deceptive content.

What This Means If You Manage Digital Content

• Prioritise addressing user intent rather than just targeting keywords.
• Create original, high-quality content that provides genuine value.
• Avoid over-populating your website with ‘thin’ content which is heavily touched by AI.
• Optimize for SERP features – featured snippets and “Things to Know”.
• Implement structured data markup to enhance visibility.
• Stay vigilant with local SEO optimization.
• Monitor your rankings and be prepared to adapt strategies accordingly.

The Environment Impact of Google’s March 2025 Core Update

CO2 Emissions from Generative AI

Did you know that for every search query generated by artificial intelligence (aka generative AI) is over 20 times more harmful to the environment than a standard search?

Now consider that there are 8.5 billion Google searches per day – that’s 2 trillion per year.

Google estimates that the carbon footprint of a standard search query is 0.2 grams of CO2. 

Now that Gemini is front and centre on the SERP it means the potential increase of a query could increase significantly. According to Gemini ChatGPT uses 4.32 grams of CO2. (It is a little less precise in evaluating its own emissions.

That’s an increase of 21.6 times the amount of CO2 emiting into the atmosphere. 

2 trillion searches per year and over 20 times more harmful to our planet. Just let that sink in for a moment. 

How Does AI Impact the Environment?

The energy required to power artificial intelligence is dramatically more due to its reliance on large data centres which require cooling. As a result, there is a greater energy and water consumption requirement.

If you are interested in learning more about the environmental impact of the AI you can read more about it in this article by MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) here:

Explained: Generative AI’s environmental impact. 

MIT News explores the environmental implications of generative AI. In this article, we look at why this technology is so resource-intensive.

Conclusion

Google’s March 2025 core update brings significant changes to how content ranks. This SERP shake-up focuses on delivering more relevant and satisfying search results.

With the prominance of Gemini (Google’s AI LLM) now feeding us all the AI answers we need and in turn the reduction of content results that rely too heavily on AI, we should see an improved service.

So, a bit of a win-loss scenario for AI, but all-in-all we should see an up-tick in visibilty for original creators with authentic, helpful content, and that can’t be bad.

Google’s March 2025 Core Update – in full

If you would like to read the full report of changes from Google’s March 2025 core update follow this link.