Okay, deep breaths, everyone. We made it through 2024 and now it’s time to get a clear-eyed look at what’s happening with Google Search in 2025 — and what it means for your SEO strategy. Buckle up, eCommerce brands: the SEO landscape is shifting, but it’s not time to panic. It’s time to adapt.

Core Updates, Spam Updates, and Antitrust Shake-Ups, Oh My!

Let’s tackle the elephant(s) in the room. Google’s December 18th, 2024 core update? Absolutely real. And as is often the case with core updates, Google is being about as transparent as your fogged-up bathroom mirror. What we do know is that generally speaking, core updates refine Google’s ability to evaluate quality, relevance, and user satisfaction, so this update should make Google Search better, right? At least in theory, that is.

Well, maybe this core update isn’t as beneficial as one would have hoped. There are numerous reports of an unconfirmed bug in the Google local search algorithm, with major players losing positions on dozens of lay-up keywords. If this rumor is true, that would explain the massive downturn in rankings that has been felt in almost every corner of the organic landscape. However, as we’ve seen rankings go down throughout December, we’ve also seen many rankings come back up in early January. We will continue monitoring the situation and react accordingly.

Another one?? Surviving Google’s late-2024 Spam Update

Then there’s the December 26th “spam” update (Merry Christmas!). Google cracks down on low-quality, deceptive, or overly manipulative content around the holidays almost every year, like a grumpy Santa denying presents to the naughtiest marketers. If your site uses black hat old-school SEO tactics like keyword stuffing or dodgy backlinks, you probably found coal in your organic rankings’ stockings this season.

**Some comments from SEOs regarding the Google December 2024 Spam Update — from** **Search Engine Round Table**

As with any “Spam” update, the best defense is to stay clear of shady SEO practices and stick with good old-fashioned white hat SEO—that means well-written, organized, helpful content, detailed product descriptions, clean website code, and healthy brand representation on third-party platforms, especially social media and business directories.

Uncertainty around the Google antitrust lawsuit

And about that Google antitrust lawsuit... yes, it’s a big deal. If you haven’t been following the news, the US Government sued Google for unfair business practices concerning their payment to Apple to use Google as the default search engine in Safari, along with Google already being the default search engine on all Android devices.

This double-dip, according to the Feds, constitutes a monopoly on Search. Well, in August 2024, the word came down that Google lost that suit, and now faces the threat of being busted up into smaller pieces, similar to what happened to AT&T back in the 1980s.

If Google has to break up its operations, expect ripple effects across everything from Google Ads to Organic Search, Android, Google Docs, Sheets, YouTube, and a zillion other Google products. However, the immediate impact of the antitrust verdict is uncertain.

You may hear a lot of doomsday predictions, but remember, Google is still laser-focused on maintaining a great search experience — even as it wrestles with existential challenges brought on by the antitrust lawsuit and the gold rush to the AI search market.

Generative AI and SEO: Friends, Foes, or Frenemies?

Generative AI is transforming how people interact with the internet, and let’s be honest, it’s shaking Google’s once-unshakable dominance down to its core. Google has been quietly using generative AI behind the scenes for years now, but they were slow getting Gemini, their generative AI product, off the ground. That slowdown opened the door for AI-driven search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Browse AI to jump into the AI search market.

With AI search, users can get tailored answers without clicking through pages of search results, and without ever touching Google. Of course, AI is also known for delivering hallucinations and some very strange results, so we don’t recommend canning your Google strategy just yet. Gemini may have come to market a little late, but the quality of the output is incredible.

**Google Gemini AI rendition of “a cute kitty cat in a pink tuxedo flying over the grand canyon” — pretty great, right?**

Who will win the AI-search battle? Only time will tell.

The only thing that’s certain right now is that the battle between Google and these other AI companies is going to be fierce, and will likely benefit the consumer most of all. That’s great news for us as users, but how does it affect businesses?

For one, traffic patterns might shift. Customers are still searching for eCommerce products, but they may rely more on AI summaries or recommendations to steer their purchasing power. Generative AI doesn’t signal “the end of Google” — it simply means we need to think about how to optimize for visibility in an AI-assisted world. If you’re a BlueSwitch SEO client, then you’re already ahead of the game, because we’ve been optimizing for GPT-friendly content all along.

What is AI-friendly content, anyway?

Want to stay ahead of the AI churn? Focus on providing detailed, well-structured content that’s AI-friendly. If your data—product specs, FAQs, reviews, blogs, page content—is clear and comprehensive, with clean code, and relevant H2 + H3 section labels, AI tools will pull your data into their answers, directing more eyeballs your way.

What is AI-friendly content? AI LLMs (Large Language Models) consume data the way humans consume oxygen. AI’s need more data to operate efficiently. So the best way to attract AI crawlers to your content is to provide them with as much data as you possibly can. That means providing more information, connecting more dots, and writing at greater length and detail about your brand and products. The goal is to increase your company’s digital footprint so that AI crawlers have more opportunities to learn about your brand.

**While it might be the future of Search, generative AI still has some issues to work out.**

Adobe Photoshop AI rendition of “a cute kitty cat in a pink tuxedo flying over the grand canyon” — pretty terrible, right?

More data = Bigger Footprint
Bigger Footprint = More AI Results

The best way to increase your brand’s digital footprint is get your brand data out there on as many outlets as possible. If you’re an eCommerce brand, this may mean syncing your products to external shopping sites like Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Shop, TikTok Shop, Metaverse, Walmart, BigCartel, Ruby Lane, Ali Express, or Temu (just kidding, don’t put your stuff on Temu).

You can also grow your digital footprint by expanding into new platforms. You can use directory listings services like Yext, or do outreach to grow your link profile, and use link building strategies to get your brand data published on more external websites. You can also…

Explore sponsored content options
Create shareable infographics
Sponsor scientific studies
Offer guest posts to industry authorities
Send out press releases with brand announcements
Start a YouTube channel
Beef up your social media content

The more information about your brand or products that’s available online, the more likely you are to be featured in AI-powered results.

What Should eCommerce Brands Be Doing Right Now?

Prioritize High-Quality Content:
Google’s core updates aren’t random. They’re trying to reward sites that offer useful, engaging, and original content. For eCommerce, that means detailed product pages, well-researched blog posts, and compelling category descriptions that solve users’ problems and answer their questions.
Lean Into E-E-A-T:
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is still the name of the game. Show your experience through consistency and thought leadership, your expertise through in-depth guides, build authority with customer testimonials and press mentions, and build trust with secure, user-friendly websites.
Optimize for Voice and AI Search:
AI-driven search tools often mimic natural language queries. Think: “What are the best sustainable sneakers for under $100?” Optimize your site by incorporating conversational keywords and addressing these long-tail queries in your content, i.e. “Our Mortimer V cross-trainers are the best sustainable sneakers under $100”
Keep It Local:
Local SEO isn’t just for brick-and-mortar stores. If your business has a physical location, you should have a Google Business profile, and use a directory listings service like Yext. If you offer pickup options or hyper-targeted shipping, make it clear on your website and on your Google Business profile.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Likes
Google’s Search algorithms are increasingly prioritizing images and videos, so invest in high-quality media for your products and brand content. Use generative AI tools to develop alternate versions of your product photos, so you have more than just the traditional white-background images on your site and social media accounts.
Adapt and Experiment:
SEO isn’t static. Search engines have gone through a million facelifts and tummy-tucks over the years, and they will continue to evolve to match up with the way people search for things. The faces may change, but Search is never going away, because people are always going to need a little help finding the thing they’re looking for online. Keep experimenting with content, tone, and strategies, monitor the impact of algorithm changes, and stay flexible. And most importantly, create the kind of content that you would want to see online. Be bold, brave, fearless, and let your brand’s personality shine through in your content.
Partner with an SEO Expert
We may be a little biased here, but the best way to survive the sea change in Search is to partner with experts who live and breathe these SEO updates (hello, that’s us!). Your job is to run your business, our job is to read the articles and do the research and monitor the results, and all the little nuts and bolts that go into a winning SEO campaign. No matter what happens with Search, the experts will always be one step ahead of the competition, because that’s our job. So while search algorithms may change, expertise will never go out of style.

What Does the Future Hold for Google? Expect more change than ever before (seriously, that’s what they said).

So what does the future hold for Google? Well, in a recent interview with the New York Times, Google CEO Sundar Pichai promises “more algorithm changes than ever before in 2025.” Now, that might sound scary, considering that in 2022 Google changed the search algorithm 4,725 times—or 13 times per DAY.

But no matter how many times they change the algorithm in 2025, remember this: Google’s ultimate goal is to deliver the best possible user experience. Brands that keep their customers front and center will weather these updates just fine.

Here’s what to watch for in SEO in the coming months:

AI Tools Merging with Search: Expect more AI-powered SERP features and possibly AI-only search products from Google to counter competitors.
Real-Time Data: Google might lean harder into integrating live data for shopping experiences, like inventory availability or delivery timelines. Structured data (schema) is your best weapon on this front.
More Emphasis on Mobile: Mobile-first indexing is old news, but with 5G fully mainstream, expect Google to prioritize lightning-fast, seamless mobile experiences.
Shopping everywhere: We’ve seen Google experimenting with adding Shopping results into traditional organic results, YouTube, Gmail, and other Google properties. Make sure your Google Merchant Center feed is in tip-top shape!

Remember: Google may keep us on our toes, but SEO is a long game. With a proactive approach, you can maintain strong rankings, adapt to changes, and continue to thrive in eCommerce. If you’re ready to navigate 2025’s SEO challenges, you’ve got the perfect partner in BlueSwitch. Let’s take on the future of search together!

— Bryan Swift, SEO Director at BlueSwitch

What is the future of SEO in 2025? Get ready for AI-driven search.