March delivered one of the most complex search environments in recent memory. Google launched its first core update of the year, a global rollout that stretched across two weeks and triggered ranking volatility across multiple verticals. The update underscored a reality Google itself has made clear: recovery is not guaranteed, and quality signals must be built into every page to remain competitive.
At the same time, Google’s AI Overviews surged in visibility. BrightEdge data revealed dramatic category-specific increases, with entertainment queries up over 500%, restaurants up nearly 400%, and travel close behind. Equally important, the overlap between AI Overview citations and top-10 organic rankings dropped again, signaling a deliberate move by Google to diversify which sources appear in AI-generated answers.
While Google dominated headlines, Microsoft made quiet but significant moves. Bing Webmaster Tools introduced two major updates: Copilot, an AI assistant now generally available to all users, and new comparison features that allow site owners to benchmark performance across custom date ranges without leaving the platform. Together, these upgrades make Bing a more credible secondary channel at a moment when Statcounter shows its global share edging just over 4%—small, but strategically important in certain markets.
On the technical front, Google Search Central issued refreshed guidance on the Robots Exclusion Protocol, emphasizing proper use of robots.txt and robots meta tags as AI-driven crawlers become more common. Moz simultaneously updated its E-E-A-T guide, reinforcing that “experience” must be proven through first-hand trials, author credibility, and authentic user reviews. Statcounter’s latest market data closed out the month, confirming Google still commands nearly 90% of searches worldwide, but also illustrating why diversifying strategy beyond a Google-only mindset has never been more important.
What Happened
Google’s March 2025 Core Update was announced on March 12, began rolling out March 13, and finished by March 27. Search Engine Land and Search Engine Roundtable confirmed the update took 14 days in total, similar in scope and volatility to December 2024. Sites impacted experienced either strong gains or steep declines, with many reporting disruptions across organic results, Discover, and featured snippets.
“Google’s March 2025 core update rollout is now complete after 14 days, bringing moderate volatility and notable ranking shifts.” – Search Engine Land, March 27, 2025
Google repeated its usual advice to avoid quick fixes and instead focus on creating helpful, reliable, and people-first content. Importantly, the company also cautioned that not all sites will recover in subsequent core updates, cementing the message that sustained improvement is required, not reactive adjustments.
Overlaying this update was a surge in Google’s AI Overviews. According to BrightEdge, overlap between top-10 organic rankings and AI Overview citations dipped from 16% to 15%. This means AI Overviews are drawing from a wider pool of sources, reducing predictability for sites that rely on strong organic positions. Vertical-level impacts were more dramatic: entertainment queries saw a 528% spike in AI Overview appearances, restaurants 387%, and travel 381%. For consumer-facing industries, this represents both a threat to click-through rates and a new opportunity to be cited even if a page does not rank in the traditional top 10.
Meanwhile, Bing made two key announcements. On March 18, Microsoft confirmed Copilot in Bing Webmaster Tools was now available to all users. This AI-powered feature delivers real-time Q&A, performance insights, and optimization guidance within the platform, replacing what previously required third-party tools or manual searches. At the same time, Bing rolled out new comparison features for its Search Performance report, allowing site owners to analyze clicks, impressions, CTR, keywords, and pages across any two chosen date ranges. Coverage from both Search Engine Land and Search Engine Journal highlighted that these updates substantially reduce analysis time, allowing faster detection of changes caused by events like Google’s core update.
Outside algorithm shifts, Google used March to emphasize technical fundamentals. The Search Central blog published a “Robots Refresher” clarifying how the Robots Exclusion Protocol remains critical in controlling crawler access. The guidance was framed for a future where AI crawlers are commonplace, urging webmasters to audit their robots.txt and meta directives to prevent both over-blocking and unintended exposure of sensitive content.
At the same time, Moz updated its widely read E-E-A-T explainer. The March revision doubled down on “experience” as a distinct signal, requiring content to show first-hand product use, trials, or case-based evidence. This clarification reinforces Google’s steady move toward content that demonstrates lived authority rather than relying solely on expertise or author credentials.
Finally, Statcounter’s March global search market share report reinforced the bigger picture: Google holds roughly 89.5% share, Bing about 4%, Yandex 2%, and Yahoo 1.5%. While Google remains overwhelmingly dominant, these numbers highlight that non-Google search traffic is not negligible. For brands with presence in markets where Bing or Yandex are stronger, optimization beyond Google is a viable growth lever.
Who’s Impacted
• B2B: SaaS and enterprise companies dependent on organic rankings for lead gen face new uncertainty. AI Overviews are surfacing alternative sources outside the top 10, creating visibility risks for authoritative sites. Those who adapt structured content to be more quotable can offset losses in CTR.
• B2C: High-volume verticals like entertainment, travel, and dining are heavily impacted by AI Overview surges, with direct answers often replacing clicks. Retailers, restaurants, and entertainment platforms must optimize for entity-driven queries and schema to retain visibility.
• Nonprofit: Organizations in YMYL spaces such as health or finance are under heightened scrutiny. Moz’s updated E-E-A-T guidance confirms that first-hand accounts, expert bios, and trustworthy references are now prerequisites for sustainable visibility and donor trust.
Why It Matters (Factics)
Factic #1
Fact: Google’s March 2025 core update lasted 14 days, with volatility levels similar to prior updates.
Tactic: Annotate March 13–27 in analytics and run side-by-side comparisons to detect which pages were most affected. Segment between sitewide vs. page-level losses to prioritize fixes.
KPI: Percentage of impacted URLs showing recovery in impressions and clicks within 30 days of optimization.
Factic #2
Fact: AI Overview overlap with top-10 organic rankings fell from 16% to 15%, while entertainment, restaurant, and travel queries saw surges of up to 528%.
Tactic: Implement Q&A content blocks, entity-rich schema, and concise extractive answers to increase AIO citation probability, even outside the top 10.
KPI: Number of unique AI Overview citations gained and CTR changes for AIO-present queries.
Factic #3
Fact: Bing introduced Copilot and comparison features in Webmaster Tools, now available to all users.
Tactic: Use Copilot for real-time diagnostics and leverage date comparisons to benchmark pre- and post-update performance, especially for campaigns with Bing exposure.
KPI: Reduction in SEO analysis time by 20% and measurable Bing traffic lift in priority regions.
Action Steps
1. Annotate analytics for March 13–27 and review impacted URLs for intent, content depth, and internal linking.
2. Audit YMYL and high-traffic vertical pages for E-E-A-T signals, adding expert bios, first-hand examples, and authoritative citations.
3. Optimize content with structured Q&A and schema to increase chances of AIO citation.
4. Leverage Bing Webmaster Tools Copilot and comparison features to reduce diagnostic cycles and track multi-engine performance shifts.
References
2025-03-27 – Search Engine Land – Google March 2025 core update rollout is now complete – https://searchengineland.com/google-march-2025-core-update-rollout-is-now-complete-453364
2025-03-12 – Search Engine Land – Google March 2025 core update rolling out now – https://searchengineland.com/google-march-2025-core-update-rolling-out-now-453253
2025-03-27 – Search Engine Roundtable – Google March 2025 Core Update finished rolling out – https://www.seroundtable.com/google-march-2025-core-update-done-39142.html
2025-03-26 – Search Engine Land – Data providers: March 2025 core update volatility similar to the previous update – https://searchengineland.com/data-providers-google-march-2025-core-update-had-similar-volatility-to-the-previous-update-453778
2025-03 – Search Engine Land – Google: Not all sites will fully recover with future core algorithm updates – https://searchengineland.com/google-not-all-sites-will-fully-recover-with-future-core-algorithm-updates-453507
2025-03-25 – Search Engine Land – Google AI Overview–organic ranking overlap drops after core update – https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overview-organic-ranking-overlap-drop-core-update-454264
2025-03-18 – Bing Webmaster Blog – Copilot in Bing Webmaster Tools is now available to all users – https://blogs.bing.com/webmaster/March-2025/Copilot-in-Bing-Webmaster-Tools-is-Now-Available-to-All-Users
2025-03-18 – Search Engine Land – Bing Webmaster Tools Search Performance report adds comparisons – https://searchengineland.com/bing-webmaster-tools-search-performance-gains-comparisons-453318
2025-03-17 – Search Engine Journal – Bing Webmaster Tools adds data comparison & UX improvements – https://www.searchenginejournal.com/bing-webmaster-tools-adds-data-comparison-ux-improvements/542395/
2025-03-28 – Google Search Central Blog – Robots Refresher: Future-proof Robots Exclusion Protocol – https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2025/03/robots-refresher-future-proof-robots-exclusion-protocol
2025-03-24 – Moz – What is Google E-E-A-T? Guidelines and SEO benefits – https://moz.com/learn/seo/google-eat
2025-03-31 – Statcounter – Search engine market share worldwide – https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share
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