Navigating the SEO landscape over the last six months has felt a bit like trying to build a plane while it is already in the air. Since November 2025, Google has moved at a breakneck pace, releasing a series of major updates that have fundamentally changed how content is valued and surfaced.
Here is a breakdown of the recent core and spam updates, the “new normal” of volatility, and what you should do if your traffic has taken a hit.
The 2025–2026 Update Timeline
Since late 2025, Google has moved away from “once-a-quarter” big updates toward a more continuous, aggressive cycle of refinement.
Dec 2025 Core Update
Capping off 2025, this update focused heavily on Information Gain. Google began rewarding content that provided new, unique perspectives rather than just “echoing” what was already on page one. If your content was a well-written summary of your competitors, it likely saw a decline here.
Feb 2026 Discover & Core Update
This was a dual-threat update. While it included a broad core recalibration, it specifically targeted Google Discover.
- The Focus: Expertise on a topic-by-topic basis.
- The Result: Sites with “shallow” authority – like a tech blog suddenly writing about health—were suppressed. Google refined its ability to see if you actually have “lived experience” in a specific niche.
March 2026 “Double Header”
In late March, Google released both a Core Update and a Spam Update almost simultaneously.
- Spam Update (March 24): Notably the shortest rollout in history (less than 20 hours). It targeted “scaled content abuse” – essentially AI-generated sites that churn out thousands of low-value pages to capture long-tail keywords.
Core Update (March 27): This update re-weighted how “helpfulness” is measured. It wasn’t just about the words on the page, but the user journey. Sites that helped a user complete a task (like booking a service or finding a specific answer) without sending them back to the search results were the winners.
Is the Volatility “Unusual”?
In short: Yes.
Historically, SEOs expected a “cooling off” period after a major update. In 2026, we are seeing sustained high volatility. Tools like SEMrush Sensor and Mozcast have remained in the “red zone” for weeks at a time, even when no update is officially announced. This is likely due to the integration of Gemini 3 into the core ranking systems. Google’s AI is now “tuning” the algorithm in real-time. We are no longer waiting for a manual push from Google HQ; the system is learning and adjusting daily based on how users interact with AI Overviews (AIO).
Why Traffic Is Down
A common report in early 2026 is: “My rankings haven’t changed, but my clicks have vanished.”
This is often due to the expansion of AI Overviews. As Google becomes better at answering queries directly on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), “informational” clicks are dropping. If your page used to get traffic for a query like “how to clean a leather jacket,” Google might now be giving the full answer via AI, leaving the user with no reason to click through to your site. However, this means that users who do click through to your site should be “warmer” as they have already done a lot of top of funnel research prior to visiting.
What We Advise
If your rankings or traffic have declined, the “old” advice of just adding more keywords won’t save you. You need a 2026-ready strategy:
The “Do Not Panic” Rule
Avoid “panic-editing.” Making massive structural changes to your site while an update is still rolling out can confuse Google’s crawlers and make a temporary dip permanent.
Audit for “Human-Only” Value
Review your top-declining pages. Ask yourself: Could an AI have written this?
- The Fix: Add “Proof of Experience.” Include original photos, case studies, first-person storytelling (“In my 10 years of experience…”), and unique data that an AI cannot scrape from other sites.
Shift to AEO
Since AI Overviews are here to stay, stop fighting them. Structure your content to be the source for the AI.
- Use clear, concise headings.
- Include a “Key Takeaways” or FAQ section with direct, one-sentence answers.
- Use Schema Markup to help Google’s AI understand the relationship between your data points.
Build Brand Authority (Off-Page)
Google is increasingly using “Brand Signals” to determine trust. This means mentions on reputable news sites, reviews on third-party platforms, and social media engagement. If the only place your brand exists is on your own website, you are a high-risk target for future updates.
The Bottom Line
The era of “gaming the algorithm” has long been over but adhering to best practice has never been more important. Google’s 2026 updates are a clear signal that they are prioritising real businesses with real expertise. If you provide genuine value to a human user, the algorithm will eventually find you again.
