Google SERPs Remain Unsettled in May 2025

Periods of Volatility

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May has seen several pockets of volatility in the SERPs, even more so than April. Here’s what the trackers are showing right now:

As you can see, not all trackers show the same spikes of volatility in the SERPs – some even show no major fluctuations over May.

What Has Google Been Up To?

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Since March, there’s been no official word from Google of an algorithm update, and fluctuations in the SERPs are the norm nowadays. So, while no one likes to see an increase in volatility, I wouldn’t be too alarmed.

It’s likely that June will see a similar level of volatility as well. And, if track records are anything to go by, we could see another core update by August. But, with the recent Google I/O 2025 event, the search landscape is undergoing a real shake-up, and you never know what Google will have up its sleeve next.

In other news, Google has been cracking down on fake EEAT content this month, and the company spoke with creators and website owners at the Google Creator Summit in early May. The outcome of this was that Google admitted it had been sending more traffic to larger, well-established sites, as a result of how the algorithm had evolved over time.

However, this isn’t an easy fix on Google’s behalf, so what can businesses do?

Navigating Volatility as a Business

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As the search landscape evolves, it’s becoming increasingly hard for pages to maintain rankings. The SERPs are cluttered with Google elements, sponsored posts, and AI Overviews dominating that coveted position one. In fact, studies have shown that AI Overviews are hurting click-through-rates for businesses, with Google hoping to keep searchers within the Google ecosystem for longer.

Following the Google Creator Summit and recent efforts to target spammy and unhelpful content, it’s important to focus on your readers, not the algorithm. Of course, pay attention to the latest Google guidelines, but produce content that’s genuinely valuable for your target audience.

I recommend regularly reviewing your pages to ensure your content is optimized, up-to-date, and relevant. But, most of all, consider how you can diversify your traffic sources so your website becomes less reliant on Google, whether that’s social media or alternative search engines.