AI Overviews, Core Updates, and Search Shifts Continue to Disrupt SEO
Welcome to the March edition of Zool Agency’s SEO News Roundup — where we break down the most impactful search trends, algorithm updates, and AI advancements shaping the future of digital marketing.
March was anything but quiet. From AI Overviews expanding globally to Google’s first core update of the year, here’s everything you need to know (and how we’re helping clients adapt).
📆 Core Update: March 2025
Google’s first core update of the year began on 13 March and was completed on 27 March. While not as dramatic as past updates, some large sites like Quora and Amazon saw fluctuations. Recovery signs also emerged for sites hit in December 2024.
📈 If your traffic dipped or spiked unexpectedly, let’s review your ranking data and plan next steps.
🤖 AI Overviews Evolve — Again
Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) continue to expand, with no sign-in now required, teenage access enabled, and Gemini 2.0 integration. They’re now present in 21 countries, appearing in 18% of UK queries, and up to 80% of informational queries for logged-in US users.
A new study showed that when AIOs appear:
📉 CTR for top 4 organic listings drops by 7.31 percentage points
📈 AIOs rise by 8.81 percentage points
🔍 Why it matters: Traditional SEO isn’t enough. We help clients adapt by structuring content to be referenced by AIOs, not buried beneath them.
📹 YouTube Still Dominates in AI Results
AIOs are referencing YouTube content more than ever, especially for “how-to” and health topics. Video content length, closed captions, and channel authority are among the top ranking factors, with 8–9 minutes considered the sweet spot.
🎥 Zool helps clients create optimised video content that ranks across YouTube, Google, and AI-driven SERPs.
🛒 E-Commerce SEO Updates: Schemas, Reviews, & Shopping
Google is testing new product review carousels, improving loyalty schema support, and pushing AI Overview traffic toward homepages rather than category pages.
🛍️ Perplexity is also testing AI-powered shopping results — a possible challenge to Google Shopping.
🛠️ Zool ensures your product pages, schema, and metadata are primed to capture this shifting traffic.
📉 User Trust in Search Declines
A Vox Media study shows that 66% of users believe search quality is deteriorating, and many are shifting to smaller communities and niche sites.
💡 Zool’s take: Authority is no longer earned by domain size. We help clients build trust through high-quality, expert-led content that answers user needs.
Final Thoughts:
Search is evolving into a multimodal, AI-enhanced experience. Rankings, visibility, and traffic are no longer guaranteed, even for top-ranking pages.
At Zool, we help brands not just keep up but lead through clarity, content, and creativity.
📩 Need help navigating AI search, core updates, or falling CTRs?Let’s talk SEO.
SEO News: March 2025 Roundup
Digital / Apr 7, 2025
AI Overviews, Core Updates, and Search Shifts Continue to Disrupt SEO
Welcome to the March edition of Zool Agency’s SEO News Roundup — where we break down the most impactful search trends, algorithm updates, and AI advancements shaping the future of digital marketing.
March was anything but quiet. From AI Overviews expanding globally to Google’s first core update of the year, here’s everything you need to know (and how we’re helping clients adapt).
📆 Core Update: March 2025
Google’s first core update of the year began on 13 March and was completed on 27 March. While not as dramatic as past updates, some large sites like Quora and Amazon saw fluctuations. Recovery signs also emerged for sites hit in December 2024.
📈 If your traffic dipped or spiked unexpectedly, let’s review your ranking data and plan next steps.
🤖 AI Overviews Evolve — Again
Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) continue to expand, with no sign-in now required, teenage access enabled, and Gemini 2.0 integration. They’re now present in 21 countries, appearing in 18% of UK queries, and up to 80% of informational queries for logged-in US users.
A new study showed that when AIOs appear:
📉 CTR for top 4 organic listings drops by 7.31 percentage points
📈 AIOs rise by 8.81 percentage points
🔍 Why it matters: Traditional SEO isn’t enough. We help clients adapt by structuring content to be referenced by AIOs, not buried beneath them.
📹 YouTube Still Dominates in AI Results
AIOs are referencing YouTube content more than ever, especially for “how-to” and health topics. Video content length, closed captions, and channel authority are among the top ranking factors, with 8–9 minutes considered the sweet spot.
🎥 Zool helps clients create optimised video content that ranks across YouTube, Google, and AI-driven SERPs.
🛒 E-Commerce SEO Updates: Schemas, Reviews, & Shopping
Google is testing new product review carousels, improving loyalty schema support, and pushing AI Overview traffic toward homepages rather than category pages.
🛍️ Perplexity is also testing AI-powered shopping results — a possible challenge to Google Shopping.
🛠️ Zool ensures your product pages, schema, and metadata are primed to capture this shifting traffic.
📉 User Trust in Search Declines
A Vox Media study shows that 66% of users believe search quality is deteriorating, and many are shifting to smaller communities and niche sites.
💡 Zool’s take: Authority is no longer earned by domain size. We help clients build trust through high-quality, expert-led content that answers user needs.
Final Thoughts:
Search is evolving into a multimodal, AI-enhanced experience. Rankings, visibility, and traffic are no longer guaranteed, even for top-ranking pages.
At Zool, we help brands not just keep up but lead through clarity, content, and creativity.
📩 Need help navigating AI search, core updates, or falling CTRs?Let’s talk SEO.
