On or around June 30, 2025, many website owners noticed something strange: a sharp drop in their Google rankings. For some, it was a gradual slide. For others, it was a cliff dive. The questions came fast: Did I get hit by an algorithm update? Did my SEO company mess something up? Did my competitors suddenly do something better?

As it turns out, a number of things changed in the search ecosystem around that time, including another Google core update, growing AI-powered search integration, and deeper penalties for low-quality or manipulative content.

If your site lost visibility after 6/30/2025, here are five of the most likely reasons and what you can do about it.

1. Google’s June 2025 Core Update Changed Ranking Signals

Google quietly rolled out a broad core algorithm update starting June 28th, 2025, finishing its deployment around July 4th. Unlike previous updates, which focused heavily on link spam or thin content, this one appeared to reward sites with strong topical authority, high entity validation, and first-hand experience content, while downgrading generic or aggregated content that could’ve been generated by AI or scraped sources.

Sites that hadn’t updated their content strategy since 2022 or relied too much on auto-generated copy saw noticeable drops.

What to do:

• Refresh your core landing pages with real-world examples, personal commentary, customer testimonials, or data.
• Update metadata and titles with clear topical relevance, not just keywords.
• Use schema markup to reinforce E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

“After the June update, one of Elite SEO Consulting’s  Colorado Springs SEO clients in home services saw a dip. We revisited their old blog posts, added customer photos, rewrote them with real job-site language, and they recovered in 3 weeks,” says Michael Hodgdon, founder of Elite SEO Consulting.

2. AI Overviews Are Stealing Your Traffic

Even if your rankings didn’t technically drop, your organic traffic might have, especially if your site relied on informational or “how-to” content.

With the expansion of AI Overviews (SGE) across more search queries in June, many users now get a complete answer from AI summaries without ever clicking a website. These zero-click experiences are increasing, particularly in industries like health, legal, education, and basic services.

Your ranking position might still be the same—but the clickthrough rate (CTR) has dropped dramatically.

What to do:

• Target transactional and navigational keywords like “schedule consultation” or “best dentist in [city]” that AI Overviews rarely answer fully.
• Add structured FAQ sections and featured snippet-style answers so your content is included in AI Overviews.
• Diversify your marketing: email, YouTube, local media, or social content.

3. Google’s Spam Policies Got Stricter

In late June, Google updated its enforcement around site reputation abuse and scaled content abuse. Many sites hosting guest posts, AI content farms, or affiliate-heavy landing pages were penalized or deindexed, especially if the content was lightly edited or designed for manipulation over value.

Even websites with historically “clean” SEO were affected if they added too much AI-generated content without fact-checking or editorial review.

Signs you were hit:

• A sudden traffic drop in specific blog sections.
• A message in Google Search Console referencing “thin content” or manual actions.
• Previously indexed pages now show “Crawled – currently not indexed.”

What to do:

• Audit your recent content for thin, duplicate, or AI-only writing.
• Remove or rewrite low-quality posts.
• Use AI as a writing assistant, not a substitute for unique, expert-driven content.

4. Your Competitors Got Smarter About SEO

Sometimes, your rankings drop not because you got worse but because someone else got better.

With tools like ChatGPT, SurferSEO, and KoalaWriter, competitors are rapidly generating more optimized content. By incorporating link-building tools, AI-driven schema generators, and enhanced technical SEO audits, they can quickly leapfrog over stagnant sites.

Common signs this happened:

• You still rank, but dropped from spot #1 to #5+.
• Your site speed, schema, or internal links haven’t been updated in months.
• Competitor pages are longer, better-structured, and updated more recently.

What to do:

• Run a competitive content audit. Where are they stronger—length, keywords, UX?
• Refresh your content and add topical clusters around your key services.
• Improve internal linking and update technical elements like Core Web Vitals.

5. You’ve Lost Backlink Authority

Backlinks are still one of the top three ranking factors in 2025. But with new AI spam detection and link network crackdowns, many backlinks that “counted” a few months ago may now be ignored or even hurt your site.

Google is getting better at identifying:

• Links from irrelevant or off-topic blogs.
• Guest post networks.
• Low-quality press release syndication.
• Paid or reciprocal links.

What to do:

• Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Search Console to audit your backlinks.
• Disavow links from spammy or irrelevant sources.
• Build new links through digital PR, partner collaborations, podcasts, or niche directories.

Bonus: Local SEO Volatility Has Increased

If you’re a local business, June’s update and AI rollout also shook up the local map pack. Many observed changes in map visibility, local pack inclusion, and fluctuations in reviews and photos that influenced ranking.

Common local issues post-6/30/25:

• Inconsistent NAP (name, address, phone) info across directories.
• Duplicate Google Business Profiles.
• Lack of new customer reviews.
• Under-optimized GBP services or posts.

What to do:

• Ensure consistent citations.
• Update and verify your GBP info.
• Request fresh reviews and respond quickly to all of them.
• Post updates, photos, and Q&As weekly.

Final Thoughts

Drops in rankings or traffic after June 30, 2025, aren’t isolated. Google is evolving fast and websites that stand still, or rely too heavily on outdated tactics or AI shortcuts, are feeling the heat.

But here’s the good news: If you catch the dip early, update your content with real value, fix technical issues, and adjust to how users are searching now, you can recover and even outperform where you were before.

If your business is struggling after this update—or you’re unsure where to start consider consulting with a local SEO specialist. Whether you’re in Colorado Springs or across the country, finding someone who understands how AI, core updates, and user intent now intersect can make all the difference.