Google Algorithm Updates 2026 – Impact on Australian SEO
Google’s December 2025 Core Algorithm Update did not introduce new ranking systems.
Instead, it reinforced changes Google has been rolling out since March 2024, particularly around content quality, usefulness, and site-wide consistency.
In Australia, the update disproportionately affected sites that rely on SEO volume rather than depth or credibility.
The most impacted sites were those with:
- Large volumes of low-value or repetitive content
- SEO-led scaling strategies
- Pages built to target keywords, not solve user intent
This article breaks down:
- Which types of sites were most affected
- Which SEO activities lost effectiveness
What should be prioritised next month and next quarter
December 2025 Core Update: What Changed in Practice
Confirmed update details
- Update type: Core Algorithm Update
- Rollout period: 11–29 December 2025
- Source: Google Search Status Dashboard
Google confirmed no new ranking factors were added.
What actually changed
The December update applied Google’s site-wide quality evaluation more consistently. This approach was introduced in 2024 but enforced more firmly in late 2025.
Sites with uneven content quality across their index saw broader ranking movement than sites with fewer, consistently strong pages.
This was not a page-level correction. It was a site-level reassessment.
Immediate SEO priorities
Next month
- Review Search Console performance specifically for 11–29 December 2025
- Look for site-wide visibility shifts, not isolated drops
- Pause publishing pages that don’t directly support core services or revenue
Next quarter
- Consolidate or remove underperforming content
- Invest time in improving existing high-value pages
- Reduce index bloat
Types of Sites Most Negatively Impacted
Based on Google’s published guidance and consistent reporting during the rollout, the following site types were most exposed.
SEO-Led Service Businesses
Typical examples:
- Trades and home services
- Professional services built around lead generation
- Agencies relying on large numbers of service and suburb pages
Common patterns:
- Near-duplicate service or location pages
- Thin or generic blog content
- Pages created primarily to rank for keywords
These sites often performed well historically but declined once Google began evaluating overall site usefulness, not just individual money pages.
Content-Heavy Lead Generation Sites
Typical examples:
- Comparison websites
- “Best of” or review aggregators
- Affiliate-style publishers
Common patterns:
- Scaled content production
- Little original testing or analysis
- Repetition of information already ranking elsewhere
Where these sites lacked original insight or clear differentiation, visibility declined further in December.
Blogs Using Scaled or Templated Content
Typical examples:
- Business blogs publishing frequently with minimal differentiation
- Content pipelines with limited editorial oversight
Common patterns:
- Articles written to meet word counts
- Generic introductions and conclusions
- Weak signals of experience or expertise
Volume without substance became a liability.
SEO Activities That Lost Effectiveness
The December 2025 update reduced the effectiveness of several established SEO practices.
Scaled Content Production
Google has been clear: content created primarily for search engines is not aligned with its goals.
Practices that lost effectiveness:
- Publishing large volumes of similar articles
- Programmatic or templated page creation
- Content produced to “fill keyword gaps”
Keyword-First Page Creation
Pages built around individual keywords without a clear user purpose declined.
Common examples:
- Multiple pages targeting minor keyword variations
- Service pages differentiated only by suburb name
These pages often added little value beyond ranking intent.
Low-Quality Supporting Content
Even where core commercial pages were strong, weak blog or resource sections dragged down overall site performance.
SEO priorities
Next month
- Stop creating pages for marginal keyword variants
- Identify and merge overlapping pages
- Remove content that doesn’t contribute to conversions or authority
Next quarter
- Rebuild content around services and topics, not keywords
- Introduce clear editorial standards
- Maintain a smaller, higher-quality index
Content Signals That Were Deprioritised
The update deprioritised content with these characteristics:
- Minimal original information
- Rewritten summaries of existing content
- Pages that fail to fully address the user’s query
- Content without clear ownership or accountability
This applies regardless of whether content was human-written or AI-assisted.
What held visibility
- Pages with a clear, narrow purpose
- Content demonstrating first-hand experience
- Sites with consistent quality across most indexed pages
SEO priorities
Next month
- Improve page clarity and structure
- Rewrite introductions to address intent immediately
- Remove filler content
Next quarter
- Add real examples, data, or explanation
- Assign clear authorship
- Improve internal linking to reinforce topical relevance
Local SEO and Location-Based Pages
The December update also exposed weaknesses in many local SEO implementations.
Practices that underperformed
- Suburb pages with identical copy
- Location pages created solely to rank
- Thin service descriptions reused across multiple locations
Practices that held up better
- Fewer, higher-quality location pages
- Pages with genuinely local information
- Strong Google Business Profile engagement
SEO priorities
Next month
- Audit all location pages for duplication
- Remove or merge low-value suburb pages
- Update Google Business Profile content
Next quarter
- Rebuild location pages with meaningful differentiation
- Add local case studies or examples
- Improve review quality and consistency
Summary: What the December 2025 Update Penalised
The December 2025 Core Update reduced visibility for sites that relied on:
- Volume over quality
- Templates over substance
- Keywords over intent
- Scale over credibility
It reinforced Google’s direction since 2024:
Consistent usefulness across the site matters more than isolated high-performing pages
The Key Takeaway
The December 2025 Core Update did not target specific industries or business models.
It applied existing standards more strictly.
Sites built around SEO volume were most exposed.
Sites built around user value, focus, and credibility were more resilient.
That distinction now defines SEO performance in Australia heading into 2026.
