We hope you are in good health. Here are some of the major SEO news updates of the week that you need to know:
Search Related News and Updates from Major Search Engine
Google June 2025 Core Update Fully Rolled Out
Google’s June 2025 Core Update completed its rollout on July 17, after starting on June 28. While it aimed to improve overall search relevance, the update appeared to be milder than previous core updates, with fewer reports of major ranking volatility.
Google Tests Bigger Favicons in Search Results
Google is experimenting with noticeably larger favicons—around 30 px—in both organic and ad results across search listings. This change enhances brand visibility and draws more visual attention to site identity. While still in testing, the update is part of Google’s broader efforts to refine the presentation and usability of search results.
Google: Barely Indexed Sites Signal Quality Concerns
John Mueller of Google noted that if a technically sound site on a strong hosting platform is “barely getting indexed,” it’s often because Google’s systems aren’t convinced of its overall quality. He warned that if you consistently need to manually submit URLs for indexing, it’s a sign of deeper quality issues—publishing thin or loosely relevant SEO content may not align with your real business goals
New Comparison Views Added to Google Search Console
Google has introduced two new comparison filters in the Search Console Performance report: one comparing data from the last 24 hours against the previous day, and another comparing last 24 hours to the same period last week. These additions help site owners detect short-term performance changes and better understand traffic trends at a more granular level.
Google Shows Rejection Reasons in Business Profile Appeal Tool
Google’s Business Profile appeal tool now displays specific reasons when an appeal is rejected—such as “can’t update business category”—along with the rejection date and explanation, helping users understand what went wrong. By surfacing these details, the update guides businesses to better prepare future appeals and potentially improve their success rate
Google Simplifies Local Ranking Guidance by Updating Documentation
Google recently revised its Local Ranking documentation to streamline explanations—particularly revising the “Prominence” section to focus on links and reviews, and removing references to general SEO practices. While the language is notably more concise, industry voices like Joy Hawkins and Mike Blumenthal believe the core guidance remains unchanged; it appears to be a copy-edit rather than a signal of actual ranking shifts.
PPC Related News and Updates from Major Search Engine
Google Ads Adds “Send to Phone” Option for Call Extensions
Google Ads is testing an enhancement to its call extensions—beyond QR codes—to let users send the advertiser’s phone number directly to their phone via SMS or email. This smoother interaction method could improve call engagement by eliminating the need to scan, though it’s still in early testing stages and adoption remains to be seen.
Google Ads Adds Expandable Summary Row for Feed vs Asset Metrics
Google Ads is subtly testing a new expandable row in the channel performance report, allowing advertisers to click a toggle to view a concise breakdown of feed-based versus asset-based metrics. This feature offers a quick, at-a-glance summary without navigating away from the main dashboard—ideal for streamlining analysis in complex campaigns.
