40% of Content Disappeared from Google’s Results. Here’s How Founders Can Stay Visible in 2025
By Shannon Kate Murray, Founder & Editor of High Flying Design
In 2024, Google quietly made one of its biggest shifts in years - and most founders didn’t even notice.
As part of its March 2024 Core Update, Google folded its Helpful Content and Spam systems into its main ranking algorithm. The result? An estimated 40% of low-quality pages were removed from search results - including thin affiliate blogs, AI-generated content at scale, and sites offering little original value.
Entire platforms have since lost visibility for publishing AI content without human input. Google now flags this kind of content as “lowest quality,” especially when there’s no meaningful oversight or unique perspective.
The takeaway? If your search traffic has dropped, it’s not personal. But it is structural - and it’s time to adapt.
Search Is No Longer Just Google
If you’re still thinking about SEO as “ranking on page one,” it’s time for an upgrade. Because in 2025, search is omnichannel.
People aren’t just discovering content through Google anymore. They’re using:
TikTok to research products
Pinterest to plan purchases
Reddit and Quora to find real opinions
ChatGPT and Perplexity to get summaries before they even visit a website
This shift has been commonly referred to as Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) - a term that reflects a bigger truth: to stay visible, we need to optimise for how people actually behave across platforms, not just what search engines used to reward.
What’s Changed - And What Still Works
Here’s what experts, data, and real-world case studies reveal about visibility today:
1. AI-Only Content Gets Penalised
Using tools like ChatGPT to draft content isn’t a problem - unless you publish it as-is. Google’s updated policies now treat content that lacks human editing, original value, or perspective as low quality.
The fix (🔧): Use AI to support your thinking - but always add your insight, voice, and judgment before hitting publish.
2. Search Has Moved Beyond Google
According to a Forbes Advisor survey:
46% of Gen Z now use social media as their primary search tool
And they’re 25% less likely than Gen X to use Google
That means your social posts, carousels, comments, and even stories can act as discoverable content - especially when they’re structured around clear topics, FAQs, or keywords.
3. Zero-Click Is the Norm
Believe it or not, around 60% of Google searches no longer result in a click. Instead, users get answers directly on the results page, through AI-generated overviews or structured content panels.
AI tools like ChatGPT follow a similar pattern: they often summarise your site - or cite it - without sending referral traffic.
The fix (🔧): Your content must be clear, skimmable, and credible across all surfaces (think: homepage, about page, expert article - not just your blog roll).
A Smarter Visibility Strategy for 2025
Founders who create thoughtful, honest content still have a major edge. But how you show up matters more than ever.
Here’s how to stay visible - without losing yourself:
1. Optimise for EEAT
This is Google’s core quality framework: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust.
To meet the standard, ensure your content includes:
Real author bios and credentials
Up-to-date insights, not recycled tips
Testimonials, reviews, or brand mentions
Links to reputable external sources and helpful internal ones
2. Make Social Content Search-Friendly
Social engagement (shares, saves, comments) is now considered a credibility signal - similar to backlinks.
Boost your chances of discoverability on socials by:
Using keyword-rich headings and hashtags
Answering common questions in posts or captions
Formating Reels, Stories or TikToks around topics people search (e.g. “3 signs you’re undercharging”)
3. Optimise for AI Tools (AIOs & AIRPs)
AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity tend to favour:
Updated, high-quality articles
Pages with structured data and direct answers
Trusted homepages and About pages
Longer-form insight - not filler blogs
Getting cited as an entity (a consistent, recognisable source) matters too. Interviews, guest articles, and being mentioned in trusted media or forums can help.
4. Refresh Your Content Regularly
Both Google and AI tools favour recency. Update your best-performing articles. Add new examples. Check your facts.
Have an old blog sitting around? Give it a second life by repackaging it into a follow-up article, a carousel, and a short-form video.
5. Prioritise Usefulness Over Cleverness
The best-performing content in 2025 isn’t the flashiest. It’s the most useful, specific, and honest.
Content that answers questions clearly, offers perspective, and reflects real experience? That’s the kind of content that gets saved, cited, and surfaced.
The visibility landscape has changed - but if you’re building something meaningful, that’s not a threat. It’s an opportunity.
If you’ve ever felt like you weren’t loud enough, slick enough, or SEO-savvy enough - this is your reminder that realness still wins.
Rachael Bews, Managing Director, NuCoton
In her whitepaper, The State of Search 2025: Why Being Human Is More Important Than Ever, NuCoton MD Rachael Bews puts it simply:
“We’ve reached a turning point. The platforms may be powered by artificial intelligence, but their value is measured by human relevance.”
Search in 2025 favours those who:
Speak clearly
Share generously
Show their face, their voice, and their expertise
And most importantly? Those who create content that actually helps people.
So don’t stress about algorithms. Instead - optimise for trust.
💡 While visibility might be your first challenge, conversion is often the second. For tips on turning your traffic into trust and sales, you might also like Why Your Website Isn’t Converting.
