Google has dealt another blow to publishers after a December core algorithm update triggered sharp drops in search visibility across much of the UK news industry.
Analysis by Press Gazette, based on Sistrix data, shows that while a handful of platforms benefited from the update, most established newsbrands saw their prominence in Google search results fall significantly.
The update rolled out between 11 and 29 December and was described by Google as a “regular update designed to better surface relevant, satisfying content for searchers from all types of sites”. It was the fourth major algorithm change of 2025, following core updates in March and June, and an August rollout targeting spam policy breaches.
Among the winners were Money Saving Expert, Substack and The Times, all of which recorded notable gains in search visibility. Money Saving Expert’s score rose by 10% to 92.1, while Substack’s network jumped 33% to 18.9. The Times increased by 21% to 15.9.
However, the update proved “rough” for much of the news sector. Of the 75 news websites analysed by Press Gazette, only 23 (31%) saw their Sistrix visibility score rise. The remainder recorded declines – many of them severe. Four major titles suffered double-digit point losses: The Guardian fell by 30 points, The Telegraph by 19 points, The New York Times by 12 points and The Independent by 11 points.
Other notable casualties included BBC News, Sky News, Reuters, TechRadar and Yahoo Finance. The Daily Mail and The Sun also saw declines. In percentage terms, more than half of sites analysed suffered double-digit drops. The Spectator was down 64%, while Lancs Live fell 56%. Even among high-visibility brands, Reuters dropped 31% and The Telegraph fell 30%.
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Despite its losses, The Guardian remained the most visible news site in Google search overall, ahead of Money Saving Expert, The New York Times and The Independent. SEO consultant Barry Adams said the update delivered an “extra kick in the teeth” to publishers already hit by Google’s site reputation abuse penalties.
Outside traditional news, Sistrix found that sites such as Trustpilot and thesaurus.com were among the biggest winners.
