Completed at the very end of December 2025, Google snuck in its final update for the year – culminating in a hat-trick of core updates in the space of 12 months.
Whether you’ve been hit hard by the most recent amendment or have seen positive changes because of your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) efforts, understanding this core update can help.
Like with every rollout of this type, the question on every SEO specialist’s and website owner’s mind is: “How have websites been affected?” – let’s find out!
How have websites been impacted by Google's December 2025 core rollout?
As a result of the core update, websites have seen high ranking volatility, with significant changes in traffic, impressions, and rankings being widely reported by SEO specialists and website owners.
However, Search Engine Land also found that while some did see huge declines in this area, other websites benefitted from significant improvements and some saw no changes at all.
Who has been negatively impacted?
YMYL Sites
Many websites in the YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) category, such as finance and health sites, have reported some of the most ranking volatility as poor or inaccurate content in these areas can result in serious harm to users.
News organisation sites
As reported by Press Gazette, many major news sources published in the UK, such as The Guardian, The Telegraph, The New York Times, and The Independent, also saw a sharp drop in their online visibility, according to Sistrix search visibility data.
Of the 75 news websites analysed by Press Gazette, just 31% saw an increase in their Sistrix search visibility score during the update rollout period, while the rest all saw a decline.
Low-quality sites
As with previous Google core updates, low-quality websites with mass duplicated or auto-generated content that covers broad topics in minimal depth are also likely to have been negatively affected.
What to do if you’ve been hit
Concerned that your website has been negatively affected because of the December core update? First and foremost, don’t panic – the damage is reversible.
However, instead of opting for quick and easy ‘fixes’, it’s important to listen to Google’s advice and speak to an SEO professional who can help you to implement any necessary changes.
While Google hasn’t offered any new advice to support impacted websites with recovering from this latest core update, it has previously provided guidance for the March 2024 update. Google said:
“There’s nothing new or special that creators need to do for this update as long as they’ve been making satisfying content meant for people. For those that might not be ranking as well, we strongly encourage reading our creating helpful, reliable, people-first content help page.”
Essentially, Google is urging content creators and website owners to make changes for users, not search engines.
You can do this by focusing your SEO efforts on improving your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).
This is particularly important if your website falls within the YMYL category as the search engine holds these pages to extremely high standards when determining which results are helpful and reliable.
Why did Google implement the December 2025 core update?
Following the core updates in March 2025 and June 2025, the latest rollout started on December 11 and was completed nearly three weeks later on December 29 – a status confirmed by Google’s Search Status Dashboard.
Core updates, like the December 2025 version, are released to tweak Google’s ranking algorithm, with the aim of making search results more relevant for users.
So far, Google has only commented on the core update on LinkedIn when it was released, writing:
“Today we released the December 2025 core update to Google Search.
“This is a regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites.
“We’ll update our ranking release history page when the rollout is complete: https://lnkd.in/gm_Kw67U
“Update: The rollout was complete as of December 29 2025.”
What can we do to help?
If your search rankings have been steadily dropping since December (or fallen off a cliff!) and you’re struggling to identify the reason why, it’s time to speak to the professionals.
At Aqueous Digital, our team is composed of a whole host of digital marketing experts including SEO specialists, paid advertising managers, and PR pros who can rescue your rankings.
We’ll start by carrying out a comprehensive website audit and review, assembling a clear report that highlights any areas for improvement and outlining a new SEO strategy to get you ranking for those business-critical keywords.
To start boosting your online visibility, don’t hesitate to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation today!
Alternatively, to discuss your SEO or digital marketing requirements before booking a consultation, we also welcome calls to 0800 285 1424 and emails directed to hello@aqueous-digital.co.uk
