SEOIntel Weekly News Round-up (Second Week of July 2025)

This week, the spotlight remains on Google’s June 2025 Core Update, as early signs of ranking shifts and recoveries ripple through the SEO landscape. But it’s not just algorithm updates making waves—Google continues to expand and refine its AI-driven search ecosystem. The Circle to Search tool now integrates AI Mode for richer insights and even […]
Marie Aquino
July 11, 2025

This week, the spotlight remains on Google’s June 2025 Core Update, as early signs of ranking shifts and recoveries ripple through the SEO landscape. But it’s not just algorithm updates making waves—Google continues to expand and refine its AI-driven search ecosystem. The Circle to Search tool now integrates AI Mode for richer insights and even provides gaming assistance, while Search Console users gain a new filter to measure Discussion Forum content separately. Additionally, Google’s AI Mode has officially launched in India, marking a major expansion of conversational and multimodal search capabilities.

Google June 2025 Core Update: Early Reactions & Recovery Signals

Google’s June 2025 Core Update, the second major algorithm adjustment this year, is now in active rollout. Spanning up to two weeks, this update aims to improve the relevance and quality of search results across a wide range of queries and industries.

Early Volatility Observed

The first signs of ranking movement appeared around July 2, with SEO tracking tools reporting moderate to high volatility. SEO professionals have shared mixed experiences—some are seeing traffic increases, others declines, while some are reporting stable performance. The variability suggests Google is rolling out the update in stages.

Signs of Partial Recoveries

Sites that were impacted by previous updates, particularly those hit by the 2023 Helpful Content Update, are showing early signs of recovery. Some are regaining featured snippets, rich results, and improved placements in AI Overviews. These trends indicate that improvements to content quality and user experience may be paying off for certain websites.

What It Means for SEOs

  1. No Quick Fixes
    Core updates are broad, and there’s no specific remedy for ranking drops. The focus should remain on delivering high-quality, relevant, and trustworthy content.
  2. Be Patient
    With the update still rolling out, performance may fluctuate. Wait for it to settle before making major SEO changes.
  3. Refocus on Fundamentals
    Revisit content depth, E‑E‑A‑T signals, technical health, and user experience to stay aligned with Google’s evolving standards.
  4. Monitor Closely
    Keep an eye on Search Console and analytics to track shifts in impressions, clicks, and positions. Compare before-and-after data to identify any clear patterns.

Final Takeaway

The June 2025 Core Update reinforces Google’s commitment to surfacing high-value content and improving search accuracy. Early reactions show a mix of gains, losses, and recoveries, with the update still unfolding. SEOs should stay alert, focus on quality and user intent, and resist the urge to make hasty changes until the rollout completes.


Circle to Search Gets Smarter with AI Mode and Gaming Help

Google has announced that they have upgraded its visual search feature, Circle to Search, by integrating AI Mode and adding a new assistive feature for mobile gamers. These enhancements move the tool beyond simple object lookups, offering deeper answers and real-time help—all without switching apps.

What’s New

  • AI Mode Integration
    Users can now explore deeper layers of information. After circling an object, an AI Overview appears, with the option to “dive deeper with AI Mode”—allowing follow-up questions right within the interface.
  • In-Game Help
    While playing mobile games, users can circle characters or scenes to get context-aware assistance, such as character backstories or walkthrough tips. Suggested video content can appear to help solve in-game challenges instantly.
  • Expanded Availability
    These features are rolling out to over 300 million Android devices in supported regions, enhancing access to AI-powered search tools globally.

Why It Matters

This update transforms Circle to Search into a powerful, multimodal search tool that’s deeply integrated into everyday user behavior. Whether it’s identifying a product or navigating a tricky level in a mobile game, users can now get smarter answers in context—without interruption.

What SEOs and Developers Should Know

  • Optimize content for AI Overviews, ensuring that it is structured, clear, and concise.
  • Visual context matters—especially for gaming and app-related queries. Use descriptive metadata and relevant schema.
  • Think multimodal: content that performs well across text, image, and voice queries will have greater reach as Google’s search surfaces continue to evolve.

Final Takeaway

The latest updates to Circle to Search showcase Google’s commitment to seamless, AI-driven, and context-aware search experiences. With real-time gaming help and integrated follow-up queries, it’s another step toward making search not just faster—but smarter.


Google AI Mode Now Fully Live in India

Google has officially launched AI Mode across India, removing its previous “Labs-only” label. Starting July 8, users can now access the feature directly within the Google Search interface and app—without additional sign-up steps. Initially available in English, AI Mode supports text, voice, and image-based searches for more natural and nuanced query handling.

Key Features

  • Conversational Queries: AI Mode is designed to handle longer, multi-part questions and synthesize detailed, context-aware answers.
  • Multimodal Input: Users can type, speak, or use Google Lens to submit queries. This makes AI Mode accessible and useful across varied interaction methods.
  • Follow-Up Support: Responses include helpful links and allow users to ask follow-up questions to deepen the conversation.

Why This Matters in India

India is one of Google’s fastest-growing and most tech-adaptive markets. The country already sees high engagement with voice search and image-based queries. Launching AI Mode here represents a crucial step in Google’s global AI strategy, as it brings multimodal AI search to a massive and receptive audience.

Additionally, Google aims to introduce AI-powered ads in AI Mode for Indian marketers later this year, opening new opportunities for ad visibility and monetization within this interface.

What It Means for SEOs & Digital Marketers

  • Content Structuring: Aim for natural language responses and ensure content is comprehensive and easily digestible.
  • Visual Optimization: Include robust image metadata and clear visual descriptors because search is increasingly multimodal.
  • Monitor Early Signals: Watch for how AI Mode affects traffic, engagement metrics, and rankings as it becomes more prevalent in India.

Final Takeaway

The full launch of AI Mode in India marks a major milestone in Google’s quest for conversational, multimodal search. It signals that AI is now a core feature of Google’s search experience—and should be central to SEO, content, and ad strategies in upcoming months.


Google Search Console Adds Discussion Forum Performance Filter

Google Search Console has introduced a new Discussion Forum filter in its performance reports, allowing site owners to track how forum-style content performs in search results. This filter specifically covers pages using structured data like DiscussionForumPosting or SocialMediaPosting, offering clearer insight into user-generated content visibility.

What’s New

  • A new Search Appearance filter labeled “Discussion forums” is now available in the Performance section.
  • It tracks impressions, clicks, and average position data specifically for discussion and forum-style content.
  • The filter also integrates with the Search Console API, enabling seamless reporting and analysis.

Why It Matters

This update gives forum administrators and publishers better insight into how their discussion content ranks in Google Search. Until now, this type of content was grouped with standard pages, making it hard to isolate performance. With this filter, it’s easier to evaluate what topics are performing well and where engagement could improve.

What You Should Do

  • Ensure Proper Markup: Use DiscussionForumPosting or SocialMediaPosting schema to qualify for the filter.
  • Compare Metrics: Analyze forum content separately to understand its SEO contribution.
  • Identify Opportunities: Use the data to highlight popular threads and optimize low-performing discussions.
  • Incorporate Insights: Apply findings to your content strategy, especially for community-driven platforms.

Final Takeaway

The new Discussion Forum filter in Search Console is a valuable addition for tracking and optimizing user-generated content. It gives site owners the tools to measure community engagement in search results and make informed decisions about forum content strategy.


With the Core Update still unfolding, now is the time to monitor trends, focus on quality and user-centered improvements, and resist shortcuts. The simultaneous rollout of new AI features—from Circle to Search enhancements to broader geographic availability—demonstrates Google’s continued push toward intelligent, contextual, and personalized search. Stay attentive, stay adaptive, and let these changes guide your SEO strategy into the AI-powered future.