Timeline. Google’s June 2025 core update began June 30, 2025, 07:30 PDT and finished July 17, 2025, 01:00 PDT (July 1, 00:00–July 17, 17:30 ACST). Google classifies it as an incident affecting Ranking; rollout lasted ~16 days 18 hours. Google Search Status
Key facts
- Name: June 2025 core update (rolled into July)
- When: Jun 30–Jul 17, 2025 (PDT) → Jul 1–Jul 17 (ACST)
- Scope: Global, all languages; affects Ranking systems
- Observed impacts: Entertainment and reference sites up; several retail/e-commerce and tech/travel down; HCU-impacted sites saw recoveries; YMYL volatility elevated; AIO visibility moved with the update; zero-click share up and click-through down where AI summaries appear.
What changed? (signal from industry data)
- Winners & losers. Independent analyses show YouTube and Wikipedia as major winners, alongside several entertainment domains; large retailers and some electronics/travel sites saw declines (examples cited: Amazon, eBay, Target, Wayfair, Best Buy; CNET, TripAdvisor). Amsive
- Recoveries from prior hits. Multiple sites previously suppressed by the Sept 2023 Helpful Content Update (HCU) showed partial or strong recoveries during this rollout. Volatility was pronounced in YMYL sectors (health, finance, legal). gsqi.com
- Volatility persisted post-completion. Ranking turbulence continued for days after Google marked the rollout complete—consistent with tool-based tracking and community reports. Search Engine Roundtable
What Redditors and SEOs reported (community pulse)
Direct community tracking (e.g., r/SEO discussion summarized by trade outlets) mirrored the above: noticeable July spikes, partial HCU recoveries, and sector-specific churn rather than a single niche being targeted. Forum roundups documented continued swings after July 17 and pre-update jitters in late June. Search Engine Roundtable+1
Note: We cite industry monitors that aggregate Reddit/forum chatter because they systematically track those threads and volatility tools day-by-day.
AI Overviews
- AI Overviews (AIO) & core updates. Analysis indicates AIO and AI Mode are tied to core quality/ranking systems, so broad core updates can also shift AIO visibility for sites. Case studies showed AIO visibility dropping for domains hit by the core update.
- Clicks when AI answers appear. Independent studies in July found fewer link clicks when an AI summary is shown (Pew: ~15% click on traditional SERPs vs 8% when AIO is present). Similarweb reported zero-click searches up ~13 percentage points YoY since AIO’s debut. Pew Research Center Search Engine Roundtable
What site owners should do? (per Google guidance)
Google’s standing advice for core updates: no “quick fixes”; assess site-wide quality and people-first content, monitor Search Console after the rollout completes, and compare performance across surfaces (Web, Images, Video, News/Discover). Google for Developers
