Q2 hasn’t exactly started quietly for SEO. We've seen some stormy seas in terms of Google's organic results and to make matters worse this is all set against a rising tide of AI driven search that is creating a zero click environment for many topics.
If you’ve noticed rankings shifting over the past few weeks, you’re not alone. Around 80% of websites have seen movement in the top 10 results, which is significant even for Google.
"This is a regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites. The rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete."
There are two clear reasons for this.
Google rolled out a core algorithm update from the end of March through to 8th April, this was preceded by a spam update which took place on 24th March. When updates like this land together, volatility is almost guaranteed. One reshapes how quality is assessed, the other removes what shouldn’t be there in the first place.
"From what I’m seeing, sites built around informational content are experiencing the most volatility, while local service businesses have weathered the storm quite well."
But there’s a more practical takeaway here, especially if you’re actively investing in SEO.
If you’re doing blogger outreach or link building, you need to be far more selective. Some of the sites that would have passed value a few months ago may now be flagged as low quality or simply ignored. Google’s spam update is getting better at identifying networks and sites built purely for links. If you’re not vetting properly, you risk wasting budget or worse, damaging your site.
There’s also a bigger shift happening with AI-led search.
Google’s core update has meant that AI results are increasingly favouring established brands and dominant platforms. That makes it harder for smaller sites and niche publishers to compete in certain spaces. It’s not entirely new either, it echoes the “brand bias” we saw years ago, where authority and recognition started to outweigh smaller niche players.
So, you need to pick your battles.
How am I approaching SEO this year?
Going after high-volume, competitive keywords with generic content is becoming less effective. Instead, the opportunity sits in what AI can’t easily replicate.
That means original thinking. Real data. First-hand experience.
Case studies, proprietary insights, and unique datasets are quickly becoming some of the most valuable assets you can create. This is the kind of content that earns links naturally, gets picked up in digital PR, and increasingly gets cited in AI-generated answers.
Of course, content alone isn’t enough. You need a solid PR and distribution strategy behind it to get it seen.
This is the playbook now.
Focus less on volume, more on value. Build content that adds something new to the conversation. That’s what will drive links, rankings, and visibility in both search and AI experiences.
If you want to see how this fits into a wider digital marketing strategy, take a look at my content marketing services. It’s exactly the approach I’m helping clients implement right now.
And if you’re wondering what this looks like in practice, it starts with asking a simple question. What do you know about your industry that no one else is saying?
