Google’s June 2025 Core Update: What Local Businesses and SEO Pros Need to Know

Google’s core updates are always a major event in the SEO world. For local businesses relying on online visibility, understanding the impact of these updates is not just useful – it’s essential. The June 2025 Google Core Update is now rolling out, and if you’re focused on local citations, NAP SEO, and online reputation, this update should be on your radar.

At Citations Check, we specialize in local citation building, citation audit services, and digital reputation (DR) solutions. Here’s how this update impacts your local SEO strategy, and what you should do next to maintain or improve your rankings.

What Is a Google Core Update?

A Google core update is a significant algorithm change that affects how content is ranked in search results. Unlike minor updates, core updates are broad and affect multiple aspects of ranking, including content quality, relevance, user intent, and site trustworthiness.

The June 2025 update appears to focus on:

• Deeper semantic analysis of content
• Greater emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust)
• De-boosting low-quality directory links
• More weight on local signals and accurate business listings

Why This Matters to Local Businesses

Local SEO relies heavily on citation signals — mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) across the web. These citations help Google verify your business’s legitimacy and location. When core updates change the rules, it’s essential to ensure that your citations, listings, and digital reputation are bulletproof.

Some key impacts of the June 2025 core update for local businesses:

• NAP consistency is now more important than ever. Slight inconsistencies across directories can now reduce your trust signals.
• Low-quality citation sites may now hurt rankings, especially if they’re spammy or outdated.
• User-generated content and reviews are playing a stronger role in local pack results.
• Unverified or outdated Google My Business (GMB) listings are getting pushed down.

What You Should Do Now

1. Audit Your Local Citations

If your business is listed on dozens (or hundreds) of directories, now is the time to check for consistency. Mismatched phone numbers, outdated addresses, or incorrect business names can hurt your local SEO.

Use tools like a local citation finder or hire a citation audit service (like Citations Check) to clean up and correct your listings.

2. Focus on Top Citation Sites

Not all directories are created equal. Prioritize listings on top local citation sites that are trusted by Google:

• Yelp
• Yellow Pages
• Facebook
• Apple Maps
• Bing Places
• Foursquare

Ensure each listing includes your updated NAP, website URL, business hours, and category.

3. Strengthen Your Digital Reputation (DR)

The update gives more weight to trust signals, like Google reviews, third-party ratings, and business responses. Invest in your DR by:

• Encouraging customers to leave honest reviews
• Responding to reviews (positive and negative)
• Monitoring brand mentions and sentiment online

4. Improve On-Page Signals

Local citation work won’t be enough if your website content is thin or outdated. Update your:

• Title tags and meta descriptions with location-based keywords
• Content with helpful, accurate information about your services
• Internal linking structure for better crawlability

5. Avoid Black-Hat Citation Tactics

Google is now better at detecting manipulative practices, such as:

• Fake citation submissions
• Mass submissions to poor-quality aggregators
• Keyword stuffing in business names

Stick with a white-hat citation building strategy. It takes more time, but it pays off in long-term rankings.

How Citations Check Can Help

As a full-service digital marketing company, we go beyond local citation building. Here’s how we protect your visibility post-update:

• Citation Cleanup & Building Packages — We audit and repair outdated listings, then build high-authority citations tailored to your niche.
• NAP SEO Optimization — We make sure your name, address, and phone number are accurate across all platforms.
• Digital Reputation Management — We help you monitor reviews, respond strategically, and build a trustworthy online image.
• Local SEO Consulting — Need help navigating a ranking drop? Our team can diagnose and fix your issues.

What to Expect in the Coming Weeks

Google core updates usually take 2-3 weeks to roll out completely. During this period:

• Expect volatility in your rankings
• Don’t panic if traffic drops temporarily
• Avoid drastic website changes unless they are clearly necessary
• Monitor GMB insights, Google Search Console, and analytics for patterns

Stay the course, focus on fundamentals, and ensure your citations and content are airtight.

Final Thoughts

Google’s June 2025 Core Update reinforces one thing: quality matters. For local businesses, that means:

• High-quality, accurate citations
• Strong online reputation signals
• Up-to-date, relevant content

If you’re serious about protecting or improving your local search presence, now is the time to act.

Citations Check is here to guide you through the algorithm shifts with smart, sustainable SEO strategies.

Ready to build citations that actually boost your business? Contact us today.