Search Visibility Shifts for News Publishers After Google’s December Core Update

After Google’s Core Update in December 2025, early visibility data shows that news publishers’ rankings have changed a lot.

Several major publishers saw their U.S. search visibility drop a lot, and third-party tracking tools showed that certain India-based news sites saw very big drops. The Wall Street Journal’s Senior SEO Editor Will Flannigan revealed Sistrix data that showed that after the update ended, several publishers had less visibility in U.S. SERPs.

But the effect wasn’t limited to one area.

SEO researcher Glenn Gabe said that news producers in several areas, including the U.S., are experiencing a lot of volatility. His observations show that important Google surfaces like Search, Discover, Google News, Top Stories, and the News tab have seen big changes, both up and down.

Publishers say that these modifications started to show up in mid-December, which is when the update was supposed to be rolled out. Some sites saw big drops, while others saw equally big boosts. This shows that major core upgrades don’t always work the same way.

At this point, it’s still not certain if the affected publishers will be able to get their exposure back in the next few weeks while the recalibrations after the update continue. In the past, fundamental upgrades have caused rankings to take a long time to settle down.

The December upgrade is another reminder that news search is still quite unstable and that it is getting harder to find things on Google’s ever-changing discovery surfaces.Google’s December Core Update Triggers Sharp Visibility Shifts for News Publishers

Following the completion of Google’s December 2025 Core Update, early visibility data suggests notable ranking shifts across the news publishing landscape.

Several prominent publishers experienced significant declines in U.S. search visibility, with third-party tracking tools highlighting especially sharp drops among some India-based news outlets. According to Sistrix data shared by The Wall Street Journal’s Senior SEO Editor Will Flannigan, multiple publishers saw reduced presence on U.S. SERPs shortly after the update concluded.

However, the impact wasn’t isolated by geography.

SEO analyst Glenn Gabe noted widespread volatility affecting news publishers across multiple regions, including the U.S. His observations point to substantial fluctuations—both upward and downward—across key Google surfaces such as Search, Discover, Google News, Top Stories, and the News tab.

Reports from publishers suggest these changes began surfacing mid-December, aligning with the update’s rollout window. While some sites experienced sharp declines, others recorded equally strong gains, reinforcing the uneven nature of broad core updates.

At this stage, it remains unclear whether affected publishers will recover visibility in the weeks ahead as post-update recalibrations continue. Historically, core updates often introduce extended periods of adjustment before rankings stabilize.

For now, the December update serves as another reminder of the ongoing volatility within news search—and the increasing complexity of visibility across Google’s evolving discovery surfaces.

O+ News Note: The December core update shows how unstable and changeable news visibility has become in Google’s ecosystem. As rankings continue to change, publishers may need to look at more than just traditional SEO signals. They may also need to look at how their content does on discovery-driven surfaces like Discover and Top Stories. In the near future, it looks like volatility will continue, which means that news organizations who rely on search for growth will need to be more adaptable, keep the quality of their material consistent, and reach a wider audience.