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Published on: November 11, 2025 / Updated on: November 11, 2025 – Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
Google Core Update in November? From SEO to GEO: How you need to optimize your content for the new era of AI search – Creative image: Xpert.Digital
After months of relative stability, recent market analyses show significant ranking fluctuations in Google search results, indicating an imminent major algorithm update. The SEMrush sensor for Germany recorded a marked volatility peak on November 7, 2025, immediately bringing to mind the November 2024 Core Update in the search engine optimization industry. This update began its rollout exactly one year earlier, on November 11, 2024, and fundamentally changed the rankings of numerous websites.
This cyclical nature of Google updates is by no means accidental, but rather follows a strategic logic of the company. Historical data reveals a remarkable regularity: After the June 2025 Core Update, which was rolled out from June 30th to July 17th, 2025, and was considered one of the most extensive updates in recent history, a comparatively quiet period followed. However, current observations from webmaster forums and tracking tools suggest that this lull could prove deceptive. Particularly interesting is the observation that some websites that suffered massive losses during the June update are now experiencing renewed growth, indicating a possible correction or readjustment of the algorithms.
The economic dimension of these developments can hardly be overestimated. In Germany, the search engine marketing sector generated a net volume of approximately €6.99 billion in 2025, with a forecast of €9.72 billion by 2030. However, these figures only reflect direct advertising expenditures and do not even begin to capture the overall economic importance of organic search engine rankings. Companies that rely on organic traffic represent a significantly larger economic sector, as they do not pay direct click costs but are nevertheless heavily dependent on their visibility in search engines.
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The impact of Google core updates extends far beyond individual website rankings and manifests itself in systemic shifts within the digital economy. In 2024, the digital marketing sector in Germany directly supported 302,968 people, with an additional 35,147 indirect jobs at suppliers and service providers. This considerable employment impact illustrates that algorithmic changes at Google are not merely technical adjustments, but have fundamental effects on labor markets, corporate strategies, and ultimately, the competitiveness of entire industries.
The November 2024 Core Update, rolled out from November 11 to December 5, 2024, offered a glimpse into the complexity of such transformations. Unlike its turbulent predecessor, the August 2024 Core Update, which shook up rankings across nearly every industry, the November update was surprisingly moderate. SEMrush volatility data showed that only the news industry exceeded a value of 9.0, while other sectors, such as retail and healthcare, remained below this threshold. By comparison, eight industries surpassed the same disruptive factor in the August update, highlighting the relative moderation of the November update.
This apparent moderation, however, should not obscure the structural upheavals. Companies operating on the fringes of Google's quality standards experienced significant ranking changes. Strategic positioning between traditional search engine optimization and the new demands created by AI-powered search functions became an existential challenge. Websites that had relied heavily on classic SEO tactics in the past, without meeting the fundamental quality criteria that Google is increasingly prioritizing, were particularly affected.
The March 2025 Core Update continued this trend and emphasized the importance of creator content. Google explicitly communicated its goal of making more content from actual content creators with personal expertise visible. This was a direct response to the flood of AI content increasingly inundating the digital space. Websites relying solely on automatically generated content without incorporating human expertise and experience systematically lost visibility. This trend continued in the June 2025 Update, which featured an exceptionally long rollout phase of 18 days and whose impact was described as a historical peak in rankings.
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Alongside the classic core updates, an even more fundamental transformation of the digital information landscape is taking place through the integration of artificial intelligence into search processes. Google AI Overviews, the AI-generated summaries that appear above the traditional search results, are radically changing user behavior. Recent studies show a dramatic 61 percent drop in organic click-through rates for search queries featuring AI Overviews since mid-2024. For paid ads, the decline is even more alarming, at 68 percent.
These figures are not merely statistically significant; they represent a tectonic shift in the digital economy. Even for search queries without AI Overviews, organic results saw a 41 percent decline, suggesting that users are generally clicking less, regardless of whether AI Overviews are present. The analysis encompassed 3,119 informational search queries across 42 organizations, with a total of 25.1 million organic and 1.1 million paid impressions between June 2024 and September 2025.
The prevalence of AI overviews reached a new peak in September 2025, accounting for 30 percent of all desktop search queries in the US. In Germany, where their introduction was delayed due to regulatory peculiarities, initial studies show similarly concerning trends. An analysis of eight domains across various industries revealed that 2.18 percent of all top 10 rankings examined contained AI overviews, with the percentage varying between 0.41 and 5.53 percent depending on the domain. AI overviews appeared particularly frequently on advice and health-related websites.
Crucially, 88.28 percent of the keywords in AI Overviews were related to informational know-intent. Transactional, navigational, or visit intents played a negligible role, which differentiates the strategic implications for various business models. E-commerce companies are currently less affected than information-oriented publishers or consulting portals. This differentiation will be of considerable economic relevance in the coming months and years, as it will determine which business models survive and which require fundamental restructuring.
Responding to these changes requires a fundamental realignment of digital strategies. The EEAT criteria, which stand for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, have evolved from a secondary quality factor to a central ranking determinant. In December 2022, Google updated its Search Quality Rater Guidelines, expanding the original EAT criteria to include the additional "E" for Experience. Since then, Google has favored content that is not only technically accurate but also created by people with practical experience in the subject matter.
This shift has far-reaching consequences for corporate strategies. While in the past content production was often outsourced to external service providers or generated by automated systems, the new reality demands authentic expertise. Companies must demonstrate that their content is backed by genuine specialist knowledge and practical experience. This manifests itself in concrete requirements: clear author profiles with qualifications, verifiable biographies, transparent editorial processes, and above all, content that goes beyond mere summaries of existing information.
Particularly affected are so-called YMYL areas – Your Money or Your Life – which deal with sensitive topics such as health, finance, or law. EEAT standards are especially strict here, as false or misleading information can cause significant harm. But even outside these critical areas, all websites benefit enormously from EEAT optimization, since Google ultimately only trusts those websites that users also trust.
Implementing these requirements in practice demands substantial investment. Companies must employ qualified personnel who can not only write but also possess genuine subject matter expertise. The days when content production was viewed as a purely operational task are over. Instead, content creation is becoming a core strategic competency that requires skilled professionals, continuous training, and long-term investment.
B2B support and SaaS for SEO and GEO (AI search) combined: The all-in-one solution for B2B companies – Image: Xpert.Digital
The digital landscape for B2B companies is undergoing rapid change. Driven by artificial intelligence, the rules of online visibility are being rewritten. It has always been a challenge for companies to not only be visible in the digital masses, but also to be relevant to the right decision-makers. Traditional SEO strategies and local presence management (geomarketing) are complex, time-consuming, and often a battle against constantly changing algorithms and intense competition.
But what if there were a solution that not only simplifies this process, but makes it smarter, more predictive, and far more effective? This is where the combination of specialized B2B support with a powerful SaaS (Software as a Service) platform, specifically designed for the needs of SEO and GEO in the age of AI search, comes into play.
This new generation of tools no longer relies solely on manual keyword analysis and backlink strategies. Instead, it leverages artificial intelligence to more precisely understand search intent, automatically optimize local ranking factors, and conduct real-time competitive analysis. The result is a proactive, data-driven strategy that gives B2B companies a decisive advantage: They are not only found, but perceived as the authoritative authority in their niche and location.
Here's the symbiosis of B2B support and AI-powered SaaS technology that is transforming SEO and GEO marketing and how your company can benefit from it to grow sustainably in the digital space.
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The concept of zero-click searches, where users receive their answers directly in the search results list or in the AI interface without having to click on an external website, challenges the fundamental logic of the existing digital business model. If Google processes information in such a way that users no longer need to leave the search engine, the foundation for traffic-based business models collapses.
Studies show that organic traffic can decrease by 20 to 40 percent due to AI responses, and in some industries, the decrease can be significantly greater. With its new AI Overviews, Google displays detailed summaries compiled from various sources. Often, the most important facts are presented so comprehensively that users have no reason to click further. This not only changes click behavior but also the value of traditional top rankings: even those in position 1 are experiencing significant drops in their click-through rate.
Recent analyses show that the click-through rate (CTR) for top-ranking websites can drop by up to 40 percent once AI responses are displayed. For websites in lower positions, the impact is even more dramatic. A meta-analysis of various studies revealed that the CTR decreased by an average of 40 percent, depending on the industry and search term, with fluctuations ranging from plus 19 percent to minus 85 percent. This extreme variance suggests that certain industries and keyword types are disproportionately affected.
The strategic response to this development cannot lie in optimizing for more traffic, as available traffic is systematically shrinking. Instead, companies must focus their strategies on brand building, direct access, and positioning themselves as a citable source within AI Overviews. This requires a fundamentally different approach: Instead of trying to cover as many keywords as possible, companies must become the definitive authorities in their niches, recognized by Google as primary sources of information and cited in AI Overviews.
The data shows that websites cited in AI Overviews have significantly better performance metrics than those that are not cited. For search queries where AI Overviews are present and a website is cited, the organic click-through rate (CTR) is 0.70 percent, while it is 0.52 percent when the website is not cited. The difference may seem marginal, but it is quite relevant with high impression volumes. The difference is even more significant for paid ads: 7.89 percent CTR with citation versus 4.14 percent without.
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The SEO industry itself is undergoing a fundamental transformation. The traditional tasks of SEO specialists—keyword research, technical optimization, and link building—are being supplemented or even replaced by new requirements. The integration of AI tools automates many classic SEO tasks, from data analysis and content creation to campaign management. This frees up time for strategic and creative work, but also fundamentally changes staffing needs.
According to the German Advertising Federation, 19 percent of agencies specifically hired staff for AI tasks. Companies are increasingly filling positions across disciplines with IT, AI, or design specialists. A study by Salt and Pepper revealed that 50 percent of respondents see AI as a long-term solution to the skilled labor shortage. However, the German Economic Institute emphasizes that AI primarily complements human work and that strong negative employment effects are not expected.
This assessment is likely to prove overly optimistic when considering structural changes. While the total number of employees in digital marketing grew by 3.6 percent between 2023 and 2024, the skill set is shifting considerably. Traditional SEO tasks are increasingly being automated or taken over by AI systems, while strategic skills, technical understanding of AI systems, and creative competencies are gaining in importance. This shift requires massive investments in further training and will inevitably lead to friction in the labor market.
The average of 5,651 monthly job openings in digital marketing in 2024 could, if fully filled, generate an additional €0.58 billion in added value. This figure illustrates both the industry's growth potential and the structural challenges in recruiting qualified professionals. Average annual salaries in online marketing range from €33,100 to €46,200, with specialized positions such as SEO manager earning up to €48,500.
The developments surrounding Google Core Updates and AI integration do not occur in a regulatory vacuum. The European Union has created a regulatory framework with the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act, designed to limit the market power of digital platforms. This regulation also influences how Google designs and communicates its algorithms.
The delayed rollout of AI Overviews in the EU is a direct result of these regulatory frameworks. While the functionality has been widely deployed in the US for months, European users still have to wait. This regulatory fragmentation creates unequal competitive conditions and necessitates differentiated strategies for different markets.
At the same time, alternative search ecosystems are emerging that are challenging Google's dominance. ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, and other AI-powered search tools are gaining importance. The market for AI search engines is estimated to reach $43.63 billion by 2025, with a projected $108.88 billion by 2032 and an annual growth rate of 14 percent. The number of users of AI search systems worldwide is expected to reach 378.8 million by 2025, with 64.4 million new users joining that year alone.
This diversification of the search landscape necessitates an expansion of optimization strategies beyond traditional Google SEO. The term GEO – Generative Engine Optimization – is establishing itself as a complement to SEO and refers to optimization for AI-powered search systems. Companies must structure their content in such a way that it can be understood, processed, and cited as trustworthy sources not only by traditional search engines but also by generative AI systems.
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The developments surrounding Google Core Updates and the integration of artificial intelligence into search processes mark a fundamental paradigm shift in the digital economy. The traditional logic, according to which visibility in search engines could be achieved through technical optimization and content volume, is being replaced by a new logic that prioritizes authentic expertise, trustworthiness, and strategic positioning.
For companies, this presents multiple challenges. First, they must fundamentally revise their content strategies and shift from quantitative production to qualitative depth. Second, the new reality requires substantial investments in expertise and authority, which cannot be built up in the short term. Third, business models must be diversified, as reliance on organic search traffic is becoming too risky.
The economic implications of this transformation are enormous. Industries heavily reliant on organic traffic must rethink their business models. Publishers who previously relied on advertising revenue driven by high visitor numbers are seeing their foundations erode. At the same time, new opportunities are emerging for companies that successfully position themselves as authorities and are cited in AI Overviews.
Employment trends in the digital marketing industry will continue to diversify. While the total number of jobs is expected to remain stable or even increase, the required skill sets will shift considerably. Technical SEO skills will remain relevant, but will be complemented or replaced by a strategic understanding of AI systems, content expertise, and brand-building skills.
For the German economy, which, with a search engine marketing volume of nearly €7 billion and over 300,000 employees in digital marketing, represents a significant sector, these developments are of strategic importance. The ability of German companies to adapt to these new conditions will decisively determine their competitiveness in the digital age. The current fluctuations in November 2025 may only be the harbinger of further, even more fundamental changes that the digital economy will face in the coming months and years.
Konrad Wolfenstein
I would be happy to serve you and my team as a personal advisor.
You can contact me by filling out the contact form or simply call me on +49 89 89 674 804 (Munich) . My email address is: wolfenstein ∂ xpert.digital
I'm looking forward to our joint project.
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© November 2025 Xpert.Digital / Xpert.Plus – Konrad Wolfenstein – Business Development
