"For years, big publishers treated Google as a distribution utility: publish a lot, cover everything and let domain authority do the rest. The December core update - rolled out Dec. 11-29 - is another sign that bargain is breaking. In multiple readouts, volatility hit news hard, and the sites that appear to be holding up best are those that behave less like general-interest news hubs and more like "the best answer" engines."
"While it's too early to draw conclusions, Solis' early analysis from the December core update - the fourth major Google algorithm update in 2025 - looks less like a traditional SEO reshuffle and more like Google hardening its rankings to support AI-driven search experiences. Content that clearly resolves user intent - often niche, utility-led, and consistent - is easier for Google to trust, excerpt, and summarize, while scale-driven news output increasingly looks like noise rather than signal."
Big publishers relied on Google as a distribution utility, publishing broadly and depending on domain authority. The December core update (Dec. 11–29) produced heavy volatility in news search visibility. Sites that function as focused, "best answer" engines and that resolve specific user intent held up better than general-interest news hubs. Offshore, low-credibility sites that had surged lost visibility without having earned trust. Analysis found narrow, category-specific sites gained visibility while publishers lost rankings for "best of" and broader informational queries. Early signals suggest Google is favoring niche, utility-led content that is easier to trust, excerpt, and summarize for AI-driven experiences.
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