What does Google’s latest update really mean for small publishers

In this episode of Niche’s pursuit news podcast, Jared Bauman and Thomas Smith explore some of the biggest developments that have impacted content creators this week.

From the final launch of Google’s core update in March 2025 to the explosive release of new AI products, the episode covers everything from search volatility to emerging tools that can change content creation, ranking, and monetization.

Watch the entire episode

Google’s March 2025 core update

Now The update has been officially completedthe team mines what the data says and what it really means to the publisher.

Key trends for updates:

• Some sites saw major lifts, while others took a huge hit – although the update wasn’t like the previous updates like HCU.
• Small and medium-sized forums are very popular. Many of the previously emerging niche forums have been pruned, while Reddit and Quora remain strong and even gained.
• Large-scale programmatic content, especially on websites that rotate thousands of pages, will lose visibility.
• News summary websites and people suspected of using AI to produce content saws to fall, especially in Google Discover.
• In contrast, the content of human-written, long-term and original reports has been significantly improved.

Although Google claims that the update will help small publishers, it is not clear what role it plays in practice.

observe And takeaway:

• The update seems to be more subtle than the big cleaning.
• Large brands like Amazon see a drop in visibility, while niche retailers see a gain.
• This could be a preview of where Google is going next, especially elevating artificially created content rather than AI and programmatic content.

In Google’s AI

The conversation then turned to a Bloomberg article titled “Google is looking for answers to chatgpt.

Highlights of articles and discussions:

• Liz Reid took over as head of search at Google in 2024, and has since made major changes such as AI Overview and Gemini.
• Google seems to be increasingly focused on putting users on its own pages, reducing the motivation to send traffic to publishers.
• AI-generated responses (basically a summary of web content) are at the heart of information provided by Google.
• It is reported that Google passed on searches similar to chatbots as early as 2021 because it is unfriendly. Now, Chatgpt’s success forces them to hand.
• Internal quotes describe traffic to publishers as “necessary evil”, suggesting that Google’s long-term direction may not prioritize publishers’ interests.

What this means for content creators:

• Expect more AI-generated answers for organic traffic, especially basic or commoditized query opportunities.
• The focus should shift to building your own audience, a stronger brand, and content that provides unique insights or experiences.
• The traditional search bar becomes less central – sound, visual and dialogue interfaces may dominate.

The important week for AI tools

Thomas shares his hands-on ideas in the new wave of AI launches that are particularly relevant to content creators:

GPT-4.0 image generation (local in local chatgpt)

• Openai’s latest multimodal model is a big leap forward.
• Unlike dall·e, this model uses the same system for text and images, allowing better understanding and iteration.
• You can generate infographics, charts, or blog visuals directly from detailed tips.
• It also creates realistic “normal” images, not just typical polished images of old models.

Ideological Figure 3.0

• A powerful competitor for thumbnails and graphics creation.
• Great for text rendering, design consistency and style control.
• Ideal for YouTube creators, bloggers, or anyone who wants more visual control over AI images.

Google Gemini 2.5 Pro

• Google’s latest “inference model” performs well in data analysis and synthesis.
• It is useful for content concepts, especially when analyzing performance data (e.g. YouTube statistics).
• Provides smart insights like “Why your content performs well” and ideas about what to do next.

Thomas highlights how these tools make creating visual effects, saving time and trying new types of content creation easier.

From calculator site to newsletter

Both Jared and Thomas shared updates on their accompanying projects, each reflecting a different angle of content gameplay.

Jared’s Calculator Website Project

• All five calculator-based sites are now live.
• Three have been indexed and some early traffic has been obtained.
• A person’s initial spike followed by the declining “Google Dance” behavior.
• Early metrics suggest that these projects require time and backlinks to break into the highest ranking.
• Jared pointed out that it feels like a reward for traditional SEO, and new areas take months to mature.

Future plans include:

• Test calculator content on existing seniors domains to see if performance is faster.
• Apply calculator tools to client websites (for example, cost estimator for local services).

Thomas’s “Artificial Intelligence in Real Life” Newsletter

• Moved to the hive and put down my energy to focus on the practical uses of AI.
• In just a few weeks, the number of subscribers has increased from about 2,900 to more than 3,500.
• Placements sponsored by Beehive are already generating revenue and ease of use is sent 3-4 times a week.
• YouTube channels related to newsletters have begun to grow rapidly, attracting attention without a dedicated strategy.

Originally as a simple email project, it has become a multi-platform brand.

This week’s weird wall ni

This week’s “Freak Niche” selection comes with two very different but equally fascinating examples: Music map and Coffee imitation.

Music-map.com

• A quirky but interesting discovery tool that draws relevant music artists based on the behavior of the listener.
• You can click from band to band to explore similar artists to form a visual connection net.
• The site’s traffic (probably 300k+ per month) is minimally monetized – an expansion space through programmatic content or membership offers.

coffeecopycat.com

• A more traditional content site focuses on recreating Starbucks-style drinks at home.
• Powerful images, detailed recipes and useful content.
• The ranking of the brand’s “imitation” recipe terms and saw a big improvement in the March core update.
• A great example of old-fashioned content models can still thrive with quality and niche focus.

The final thought

This episode covers a lot of basics – from the micro-impact of March updates to the macro-changes of how search and AI reshape content creation. Whether you are building a niche website, running a newsletter or experimenting with AI, there is a lot to take away here.

Big topic:

• Content created by humans is still important and may gain a foundation again.
• Google’s AI aspirations are real, and they are rewriting search rules.
• Tools are developing rapidly. If you don’t try them, you may be behind.