The SEO updates in September 2025 were quieter than many reports suggested. There was no core update. The August 2025 spam update finished rolling out, Google expanded AI Mode to five more languages, and Search Console dropped reporting for structured data types that no longer show in results. Here is what Google confirmed, based on its Search Status Dashboard and official announcements, and what it means for a business website.
- No core update ran in September 2025; the August 2025 spam update finished around September 22.
- AI Mode reached Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese on September 8.
- Six retired structured data types left Search Console reports and the Rich Results Test on September 9.
- If your traffic moved this month, check spam policy issues and normal competition first.
September 2025 at a glance
| Date | What happened | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 26 to Sep 22 | August 2025 spam update rolls out (about 26 days) | Sites breaking spam policies |
| Sep 8 | AI Mode expands to five more languages | Sites with audiences in those languages |
| Sep 9 | Search Console stops reporting six retired structured data types | Sites using that markup |
The August 2025 spam update finished
The August 2025 spam update started on August 26 and ran for about 26 and a half days, finishing around September 22, according to Google’s ranking incident history. Spam updates improve the systems that detect breaches of Google’s spam policies, such as scaled content abuse, link spam, expired domain abuse and site reputation abuse. Sites that follow those policies should not expect a negative effect.
If you saw a sharp drop between late August and late September, review your site against the spam policies before anything else: mass-produced pages, bought links and thin pages made only to rank are the usual causes. Recovery comes from fixing the problem and waiting for Google’s systems to see the change, which can take months.
AI Mode reached five more languages
On September 8, Google expanded AI Mode to Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese. AI Mode answers longer, more complex questions with links to supporting pages. For most small businesses that serve one country in English, this changed nothing directly, but it confirmed the direction: more searches are answered with AI-generated summaries that link to the clearest sources.
Google’s guidance is that there is no special markup for AI features. Pages that are crawlable, indexable and genuinely helpful, as described in its helpful content guidance, are the ones it can use. Our AI visibility work starts from that same foundation.
Search Console dropped retired structured data types
In June 2025 Google said it would simplify the search results page by phasing out several rarely used structured data features. On September 8 it added that, from September 9, Course Info, Claim Review, Estimated Salary, Learning Video, Special Announcement and Vehicle Listing would be removed from Search Console rich result reports, the Rich Results Test and the search appearance filters. Google was clear that the change does not affect rankings.
You do not need to remove that markup in a hurry; it simply no longer produces a special display in Google. If you export Search Console data to BigQuery, Google noted that the retired search appearance fields would be reported as empty from October 1, so check any saved queries that filter on them.
How to check whether the spam update affected you
In Search Console, open the Performance report, switch to the weekly view and compare the four weeks before August 26 with the four weeks after September 22. Look at clicks for your whole site first, then at individual pages. A spam update usually hits a set of similar pages hard, such as near-identical location pages or bought guest posts, rather than causing a gentle drop everywhere.
Also check the Manual actions report. A manual action is a separate penalty applied by a person at Google, and it is listed there with the reason. If the report is empty and the drop is gradual and site-wide, the cause is more likely competition or seasonality than the spam update.
What to do after September 2025
- Check Search Console for a drop that started between August 26 and September 22, and if you find one, review your site against Google’s spam policies.
- Keep structured data for types Google still supports, such as Organization, LocalBusiness, Product and Article, and do not add markup to chase features that have been retired.
- Make your most important pages answer the main question clearly near the top, so they are easy to use in AI summaries and easy for people to scan.
- Use the Search Status Dashboard to confirm whether an update was running before you react to a traffic change.
Want a second pair of eyes on your traffic? Our SEO services start with a review of your Search Console data against Google’s confirmed update dates. Request a free proposal.
Frequently asked questions
Was there a Google core update in September 2025?
No. Google’s Search Status Dashboard shows no core update in September 2025. The only ranking update that month was the August 2025 spam update, which began on August 26 and finished around September 22.
Does removing a structured data type affect rankings?
No. Google said the retired structured data types only stop producing special displays in results. The pages are still crawled, indexed and ranked as normal, and leaving the markup in place does no harm.
Does AI Mode replace normal search results?
No. AI Mode is an optional experience in Google Search. It links to web pages as sources, so clear, trustworthy pages can still earn visits from it.
