From core algorithm shake-ups and AI-powered search features to shifts in spam policy and self-referential SERPs, the SEO world didn’t slow down this spring. March and April 2025 brought several big moves from Google, Gemini, and Bing—plus new research that’s changing how we think about homepage value in the age of AI Overviews.

In this edition, we’ll cover:

The March 2025 Core Update and what we know so far
How Google’s new robots.txt guide helps refine crawling behavior
Gemini’s new Deep Research capabilities and personalization tools
Why Google’s latest spam updates focus more on manipulative intent than bad content
New data showing that homepages are rarely cited in AI Overviews
Google and Bing’s trend of linking to their own search results, at the expense of yours

Here’s a recap of the most important SEO updates from March and April 2025, along with some steps to keep you ahead of the game.

SEO: Core Updates, Technical Guidance, and Policy Shifts

Google Rolls Out March 2025 Core Algorithm Update

Google’s March 2025 Core Algorithm Update officially kicked off on March 13 and wrapped up 14 days later. In a brief announcement, Google described it as a routine update aimed at better surfacing helpful, relevant content from a wide range of sites. They also noted that this was part of an ongoing effort to highlight content from independent creators, with more improvements planned for later this year.

When asked on X whether boosting smaller sites was the specific focus of this update, Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan offered a nuanced response. He acknowledged that improving visibility for smaller publishers is part of a larger goal, but it’s a process that will take time.

Google aims to make meaningful progress by the end of 2025, but that doesn’t necessarily mean every site impacted by past updates, like the September 2023 Helpful Content Update, will regain its former rankings. Sullivan emphasized that some sites simply weren’t offering content that merited a return to those top positions.

As the update rolled out, early patterns suggested that forums and AI-generated or programmatically produced content were seeing decreased visibility—potentially a sign that Google’s algorithms are getting sharper at filtering out low-quality or manipulative tactics (see more on this in the section below). Based on industry polls, including one from Barry Schwartz, this appeared to be a fairly standard core update without a clear set of winners or losers across specific industries or site types.

Hawp’s Take: Core updates are always a reminder to focus on long-term SEO fundamentals: content quality, site performance, and user experience. Sites that provide genuine value tend to weather the storm.

Action Steps: Stay the course with helpful content, monitor keyword volatility closely, and avoid knee-jerk SEO overhauls. We’ll provide client-specific updates as rankings stabilize.

Google’s Updated Robots.txt Guide Offers Advanced Crawling Control

Google recently rolled out an updated guide to using robots.txt files, offering a clearer breakdown of both beginner and advanced use cases. The guide covers everything from setting rules for specific crawlers to blocking certain file types (like PDFs or search results), and even includes tips for adding internal notes with comments. It’s a useful resource for anyone looking to fine-tune how search engines interact with their site.

Hawp’s Take: Smart crawler management reduces server load and focuses Googlebot’s attention where it matters most. For large or complex sites, this can directly improve crawl efficiency and indexing performance.

Action Steps: Audit your existing robots.txt file. Look for opportunities to block low-value pages and structure crawl rules more granularly. Don’t forget to document your changes.

Spam Policies Now Emphasize Intent Over Content

Google updated its spam policies, shifting the focus away from just identifying “spammy content” and instead zeroing in on the tactics used to game the system. In other words, it’s not just what you publish, but how and why you’re doing it. The update reflects Google’s growing ability to spot manipulative techniques that try to boost rankings unfairly.

Hawp’s Take: Even technically clean content can get flagged if it’s created with bad intent. Google is looking beyond the surface.

Action Steps: Steer clear of black-hat techniques like cloaking or doorway pages. Instead, invest in content that’s built for users, not just bots.

AI Search: Gemini, Overviews, and Shifting Traffic Patterns

Gemini Gets an Upgrade: Real-Time Research, File Uploads, and Personalization

Google’s Gemini AI received major updates, including:

A larger context window
The ability to upload files
A “Deep Research” feature that crawls the web in real time
A transparency tool called Flash Thinking Experimental, which shows its work
Custom personalities called “Gems” tailored to user needs

Hawp’s Take: Gemini is evolving into a full-fledged research assistant. For SEOs, it’s another sign that the way users access and trust information is changing, and fast.

Action Steps: Structure content for clarity and completeness so it can be easily referenced by generative search engines. Use schema, concise headers, and source citations.

Only 0.5% of AI Overview Citations Come from Homepages

Homepages have long been considered the digital front door, setting the tone for new visitors and signaling what your site is all about. However, new research from BrightEdge suggests that when it comes to AI Overviews, it’s the deeper pages doing the heavy lifting.

After analyzing millions of citations from AI-generated search features, BrightEdge found that:

82.5% of citations came from internal pages that are at least two clicks away from the homepage
Just 0.5% were linked directly to homepages
86% of cited pages ranked for a single, often high-volume, keyword

Hawp’s Take: Every page on your website is now a potential landing page. The days of relying on your homepage to carry the weight are over.

Action Steps: To improve your chances of being referenced in AI Overviews, ensure your content—especially deep content—is easily crawlable, well-optimized, and kept up to date. Search engines are looking deeper, and so should your optimization efforts.

Google and Bing Are Linking to…Themselves

Over the past few months, a noticeable trend has emerged in Google Search: the search engine is increasingly linking back to its own results pages, particularly within features like AI Overviews, People Also Ask, and Things to Know. Instead of directing users to third-party websites, Google is often guiding them deeper into its own ecosystem, effectively keeping the traffic in-house. This not only limits external click-through opportunities but also boosts Google’s own engagement metrics.

Google isn’t alone in this strategy. Bing has begun doing the same, linking to its own results from answer snippets. While this doesn’t happen across the board, it does make organic visibility more competitive—especially in top-of-page features.

Hawp’s Take: The space above the fold is already limited, and when search engines start promoting their own content, the window for organic exposure shrinks even more. Over time, this could lead to user fatigue as people struggle to find direct answers from independent sources—potentially opening the door for alternative engines like Perplexity or ChatGPT-powered search to gain traction.

Action Steps: Diversify your presence. In addition to optimizing for traditional SERPs, create content that performs well in AI-driven platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT. The goal is to show up wherever users are searching.

SEO Is Getting Smarter—and So Should Your Strategy

The updates from March and April make one thing clear: search is no longer just about links and keywords. It’s about content that’s credible, crawlable, and constructed for both humans and machines.

Whether it’s Google’s core updates, changes in AI sourcing, or tighter spam policies, the key to SEO success in 2025 is adaptability. Make sure your strategy reflects where search is going, not just where it’s been.

In case you missed it: Check out our SEO news recap from January and February 2025.