Google’s September 2025 Update: What Publishers Need to Know

Chances are you clicked on this article because your site was caught up in Google’s latest Core algorithm update. Overnight, many sites that usually dominate search rankings saw dramatic drops, sparking a full-blown online panic.

Fear not, we’ve got your back. In this post, we’ll break down what this update really means and share practical steps that publishers like you can take to navigate the chaos and come out on top.

About the update

Google’s September 2025 “Perspective” update marks a big shift in how Google evaluates content quality and user intent since the Helpful Content updates of 2022–2023.

It introduces new ranking signals and reweights existing ones, with a key focus on Intent Satisfaction Metrics,  measuring whether users get complete answers without extra searching.

Put simply, Google is prioritizing content that shows strong user intent, goes beyond expertise/authority/trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), and is not just superficially optimised for search engines.

There seems to be three main pillars of the update:

Expertise Depth

This is the next level of E-E-A-T, measuring whether content shows genuine understanding of a topic, rather than just ticking keyword boxes.

User Journey Completion

User journey completion determines whether the user found the answer they were looking for on your site, or whether they had to keep searching for it.

Fresh Perspective Value

Google is rewarding content that provides original insights instead of repeating what’s already out there.

Sites that are targeting these three pillars are reaping the benefits, while those that fall short are dropping in the rankings. Going forward, any SEO strategy needs to prioritize these pillars.

What has changed

Here’s the gist of how this update has affected the internet:

• AI and low-quality content is being targeted: Google’s algorithm is getting better at spotting AI-generated content without human editing, or content that is purely SEO-driven. If your content is generic, overly optimized, or repetitive, Google will likely downrank it.

• User satisfaction is now vital: Speaking of SEO, if content is just stuffed with keywords, then Google is pushing it down the search rankings. The algorithm is favouring content that actually helps users and answers questions. It’s looking at behavioral signals like dwell time, engagement, and scroll depth to judge how satisfied readers are. Sites that are in-depth but previously struggled to rank properly are now climbing the ranks.

• Mobile-first is getting even stricter: Thanks to the latest update, a site can rank well on desktop but rank poorly on mobile. What gives? Google is now evaluating mobile user behavior separately from desktop, so optimizing mobile experience is critical. Beyond responsiveness, Core Web Vitals remain crucial, and new metrics focus on interactivity and dynamic content, especially for sites using heavy JavaScript.

What publishers can do

We’ve consulted experts in our team and have put together five tips for publishers to strengthen their site and content, and with it, their rankings.

Audit your content

Read through your content and ask yourself these questions:

• Does this content fully answer the reader’s question?
• Does it offer something unique compared to competitors?
• Does it include enough data or examples?

Be thorough, offer unique insight, and make your content more engaging by adding examples, visuals, or data. Google’s systems reward helpful, human-first content, so write like you’re a human talking to a human.

Improve experience & technical health

We know we sound like a broken record, but page speed, layout, and UX play such a huge role in how your content performs. Check your Core Web Vitals (we’ve got a handy e-book here), minimize layout shifts, improve your LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), and make sure your site is just easy to navigate.

Don’t forget mobile

Since Google is now evaluating mobile experience separately from desktop, optimizing your site for mobile is no longer optional. A page that ranks well on desktop can now underperform on mobile if users struggle to interact, scroll, or load content smoothly.

Audit your mobile site and look for issues like slow-loading images, overlapping elements, and other things that disrupt user navigation. Google’s Page Speed Insights is a handy tool for checking the user experience on both mobile and desktop sites and provides suggestions for improvement.

Stop relying entirely on AI

Sure, AI is useful for brainstorming, drafting an outline, or overcoming writer’s block, but posting unedited AI content isn’t going to work anymore.

Human editing, fact checking, and providing unique insights are essential. Google’s algorithm is getting much better at detecting “AI fluff” that lacks any human intervention.

So use AI as an assistant, not a ghostwriter.

Be patient

As is the case with most Google updates, you might just have to wait it out. It may take weeks for things to stabilize, so don’t freak out if the improvements you’ve to your site don’t bear fruit overnight. Keep refining your content and know that recovery often comes with the next update.

Final thoughts

This update isn’t groundbreaking and reaffirms what the SEO industry has been saying for awhile: content that genuinely helps people will always rise above the AI-generated noise. If you’re producing valuable, well-researched, and user-centered content, and your site is optimized for a great user experience, you’ll win out in the long-run.

Need support? We’ve got you covered. Get in touch with our team today.