Google's 2026 Core Update: What You Need to Know

Understanding Google's December 2025 Core Update

Google's December 2025 core update rolled out from December 11 to December 29, 2025, taking 18 days to fully deploy. This algorithm update impacted approximately 40-60% of websites worldwide, with some sectors feeling the effects more intensely than others. Affiliate websites were hit the hardest, with 71% experiencing significant ranking drops, while generalist content sites and those with thin or AI-generated content also saw substantial volatility.

What Makes This Update Different

Unlike previous updates that focused heavily on page speed and technical factors, this update prioritizes deep niche expertise and authentic human experience. Google is increasingly differentiating between genuine subject matter experts creating original, helpful content versus AI-generated or surface-level information that lacks practical value.

Key Algorithm Shifts:

• Enhanced E-E-A-T Signals: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness now carry more weight than ever. Google is better at identifying true subject matter experts versus generalists covering broad topics without specialized knowledge.
• Human vs. AI Content Detection: The algorithm now has sophisticated capabilities to distinguish between authentic human-written content and AI-generated material. Sites with predominantly AI-generated content are seeing ranking declines.
• Niche Expertise Reward: Specialized websites with deep, focused content in specific niches are gaining visibility over generalist sites covering the same topics superficially.

What This Means for Your Website

If your site experienced ranking volatility during the update, here's what likely happened and what to do about it:

Signs Your Site Was Affected:

• Ranking Drops for Non-Core Content: If you rank for topics outside your primary expertise, those rankings likely declined. Google now prefers specialists over generalists.
• Reduced Visibility for Thin Content: Pages with minimal content or that don't thoroughly answer user questions are being outranked by comprehensive, detailed alternatives.
• AI-Generated Content Deprioritized: If your content strategy relied heavily on AI-generated articles without significant human input, those pages are likely not ranking well.

Action Items to Recover and Thrive

Here's how to adapt your SEO strategy for post-update landscape:

1. Audit Your Content Strategy

Review your top-performing and underperforming content. Identify:

• Which pages dropped in rankings and why
• Topics where you lack genuine expertise
• Content that may have been AI-generated without sufficient human oversight

2. Strengthen E-E-A-T Signals

Google wants to see authentic expertise. Demonstrate this by:

• Real Author Attribution: Every piece of content should have a credited author with verifiable credentials in that field.
• Experience-Based Content: Share case studies, real project examples, and personal experiences that demonstrate practical knowledge.
• Author Bios: Create detailed author pages showcasing backgrounds, credentials, and areas of specialization.
• About Us Transparency: Clearly explain who you are, your team's expertise, and why readers should trust your information.

3. Focus on Niche Depth, Not Breadth

Stop trying to rank for everything. Instead:

• Identify Your True Expertise: What topics do you have verifiable, specialized knowledge in?
• Create Comprehensive Deep-Dive Content: Instead of multiple shallow articles on related topics, create one exhaustive resource that thoroughly answers all user questions.
• Be Specific: General advice gets generic rankings. Specific, actionable insights from real experience earn top positions.

4. Refresh and Consolidate Thin Content

Audit your content for thin or overlapping pages:

• Consolidate: Combine multiple short articles on the same topic into one comprehensive guide.
• Update: Refresh older content with new insights, data, and examples.
• Prune: Remove or noindex pages that add little value and distract from your core expertise.

Special Considerations for Local Businesses

Local businesses are seeing gains from this update, provided they:

• Optimize Google Business Profile: Complete all fields, add high-quality photos, regularly post updates, and collect/respond to reviews.
• Create Local-First Content: Write about your specific service area, local projects, and community involvement.
• Build Local Citations: Ensure consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across all online directories.
• Earn Genuine Reviews: Happy customers leaving detailed reviews is one of the strongest local SEO signals available.

Content Quality Guidelines for 2026

Moving forward, every piece of content you publish should meet these criteria:

The "Human Value" Test

Before publishing, ask: "Could a human expert write this with their unique experience?" If the answer is no, or if AI could generate it without human insight, it's probably not valuable enough.

The "Specificity" Test

Generic advice gets generic rankings. Specific, actionable insights from real experience earn top positions.

The "Completeness" Test

Does the content fully answer the searcher's question? Does it provide depth beyond surface-level information?

The "Freshness" Test

Is your content current? Google rewards recently updated information, especially in fast-moving industries.

How May Marketing SEO Can Help

We understand that navigating algorithm updates can feel overwhelming, especially when you're busy running your business. That's where we come in.

Our team specializes in helping businesses like yours adapt to algorithm changes and build sustainable SEO strategies. Here's how we can help:

Comprehensive SEO Audits

We'll analyze your website's performance before and after the update, identifying what's working, what's not, and why.

Content Strategy & Creation

We'll help you develop a content strategy focused on your genuine expertise, then create authoritative, experience-driven content that aligns with Google's quality standards.

Technical SEO Optimization

Our technical experts will identify and fix issues that may be holding back your rankings, from site speed to structured data implementation.

Local SEO for Local Businesses

If you're a local business, we'll optimize your presence for local search, helping you dominate your geographic market.

Ongoing Monitoring & Adaptation

SEO isn't a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. We'll continuously monitor your performance and adapt our approach as search algorithms evolve.

The Bottom Line

The December 2025 Core Update wasn't designed to punish businesses—it was designed to improve search results for users. By focusing on providing genuine value, showcasing real expertise, and creating content that truly helps your audience, you'll not only survive this update—you'll thrive.

The days of gaming the system with tricks and shortcuts are over. The winners in 2026 will be businesses that invest in creating authentic, authoritative content built on real experience and expertise.

At May Marketing SEO, we're ready to help you become one of those winners.

Ready to strengthen your SEO strategy for 2026?

Contact us today for a free consultation. We'll review your current performance and show you exactly how to adapt to the new search landscape.