Google’s June 2025 core algorithm update finished rolling out, and this time, the focus is on user-generated content (UGC).
This year, social media trends are steering brands towards content that feels real and human rather than glossy, overly polished posts. This shift affects both content marketing (what you create) and search engine optimization (how it is discovered), because platforms and search engines are rewarding authenticity and engagement over perfection.
When Reddit started appearing far more frequently than ever before, the signs of changing marketing trends were already there. Between June 21 and June 30, Reddit traffic increased by a whopping 162 million. Notably, June 30 marked the start of the three-week rollout of the Google core algorithm update.
This shift in visibility isn’t limited to Reddit; Instagram recently started popping up notices to its users that it will be making its public photos and videos available on Google search result pages (SERPs). So now, people no longer need to follow your account to view your photos; they can view them straight on Google, outside your Instagram account.
A few days prior to the rollout, head of Instagram Adam Mosseri had given a heads-up on the developments that pointed to Google (and Bing) indexing Instagram posts on one of his podcasts.
Google’s June 2025 Update: What It Means for Your Brand’s Online Presence
With Google’s June 2025 core update now behind us and AI-driven search becoming increasingly prominent, one thing is clear: Social signals now play a larger role in organic visibility. User interactions, such as likes, shares and comments, are increasingly factoring into search rankings.
Brands that maintain a strong, consistent presence across social channels are more likely to surface in AI-driven search results. Google’s emphasis on UGC and a well-rounded digital footprint, including active social media activity, gives those brands a measurable advantage in visibility.
This isn’t just about traditional SEO strategy anymore; it’s about building an authoritative and active brand across the entire digital sphere.
So here’s how you can make UGC — one of the key digital marketing trends of 2025 — work for you.
Included in this blog:
• The AI Imperative: Brand Mentions and Web Presence as Authority Signals
• Organic Social Media: A Core Component of Modern SEO Strategy
• 5 Tips on How To Fuel Your Organic Visibility With Social Media
• Thrive Leads the Way in Organic Social Media for 2025
• FAQs
Want To Rank in AI Results? Build Brand Mentions and a Strong Web Presence
Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode are fundamentally reshaping how information is consumed and changing the way we should handle organic social media marketing.
These AI-powered search assistants synthesize information from various sources to provide direct, conversational responses.
What’s clear is that these AI systems are looking beyond traditional SEO signals. Instead, they are increasingly relying on a broader set of indicators, with brand mentions and a strong web presence emerging as crucial signals for authority and relevance.
Consider this: When an AI model is tasked with providing a comprehensive answer, it seeks out credible, widely discussed references and entries. If your brand is frequently mentioned and engaged with across diverse platforms — news articles, Reddit or social media channels — it signals to AI that your brand is a legitimate, authoritative and relevant source.
SEO strategy is no longer solely about having perfectly optimized keywords on your website; it’s about demonstrating your brand’s established presence and reputation across the entire web.
“With Google now indexing Instagram content, captions are more important than ever. We’re strategically incorporating relevant keywords so they not only encourage on-platform engagement but also improve visibility in Google search results,” said Nicole Law, Thrive’s Digital Engagement Manager.
“We’re also striking a balance with hashtags, using fewer but more intentional tags that support both Instagram discovery and broader SEO goals without feeling forced or spammy.”
Consistent off-site presence, encompassing positive mentions, active social profiles and strategic public relations, is now more important than ever for a brand to be recognized and featured prominently in AI-powered overviews and conversational answers.
Organic Social Media is a Core Component of a Modern SEO Strategy
This shift elevates organic social media marketing from a mere brand awareness channel to a core part of your SEO and overall digital visibility strategy.
Here’s why:
• Brand Signals for AI: Every consistent post, every authentic interaction and instance of community building on social media contributes to the complex network of brand signals that AI models can interpret. These signals include engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments), mentions of your brand by users and the overall sentiment surrounding your brand in public conversations.
These organic marketing factors contribute to the AI’s understanding of your brand’s authority, trustworthiness and relevance to user queries.
• UGC Amplification: The June 2025 core update and the general trend towards AI prioritizing diverse, helpful content have highlighted the value of UGC.
Social media platforms are a natural breeding ground for UGC, from customer reviews and testimonials to direct user experiences shared in posts. When users create content related to your brand on social media, it acts as powerful social proof, further validating your brand in the eyes of AI.
• Expanded Search Footprint: Social media content itself can rank in search results, particularly for long-tail, conversational queries that are often a hallmark of AI-driven searches.
“As AI assistants like ChatGPT have started indexing Instagram content, your brand’s social account isn’t just a highlight reel; it’s a discovery engine,” Law said. “It plays a direct role in how people find, research and trust brands. If you’re not building a strong, strategic foundation on Instagram now, you’re missing out on the next evolution of search visibility.”
A strong social media presence essentially expands your brand’s “search footprint” beyond your website, increasing the likelihood of appearing in various SERP features.
• Community Building and E-E-A-T: Regular, meaningful interactions and genuine community building on social media foster a sense of trust and expertise around your brand. This directly aligns with Google’s emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). When your social media channels are vibrant hubs of information and engagement, they reinforce your brand’s credibility, making them a more desirable source for AI to pull from.
5 Tips on How To Fuel Your Organic Visibility With Social Media
As social algorithms evolve, social signals like shares and saves are becoming critical components of content marketing and SEO success.
UGC, produced on social media, continues to boost SEO by providing fresh, credible material that aligns with how Google’s AI prioritizes helpful, experience-rich insights.
To succeed amidst the advancing digital marketing trends of 2025, brands must strategically integrate organic social media into their broader digital marketing efforts.
Here are actionable tips to stay ahead:
1. Invest in Consistent, Authentic Content on Platforms Where Your Audience Is Active
Brands that allow community input tend to boost SEO performance thanks to the varied, natural language that Google’s AI interprets as authoritative and helpful.
Understand your audience’s preferred platforms and content formats.
Prioritize consistency in your posting schedule and ensure your content is genuinely helpful, entertaining or inspiring.
Authenticity is key — users and AI alike are becoming increasingly better at spotting manufactured content.
2. Integrate SEO-Friendly Practices Into Captions and Posts
While social media isn’t traditional SEO, smart optimization can still make a difference.
• Keywords: Naturally incorporate relevant keywords into your captions and even in your video descriptions and spoken content (if applicable). Think about how your audience might search for topics related to your brand.
• Descriptive Language: Use rich, descriptive language that clearly conveys the value and context of your content.
• Hashtags: Research and utilize relevant hashtags to increase discoverability and categorize your content, making it easier for both users and AI to understand its themes.
3. Create Shareable Content to Generate Mentions and Links
The more your content is shared, the more brand mentions it generates. This organic amplification is a powerful signal to AI.
Focus on creating content that evokes emotion, provides value or sparks conversation, making it inherently shareable. This can also indirectly lead to backlinks to your website, further boosting your SEO.
4. Proactively Engage and Build Community
Respond to comments, participate in discussions, run polls and host Q&A sessions. Foster a genuine sense of community around your brand.
Encourage user-generated content by running contests or featuring customer stories. These interactions build brand loyalty and generate valuable social signals.
5. Monitor Your Social Presence and Brand Mentions
Utilize social listening tools to track mentions of your brand across social media and the broader web. Brands that integrate social listening insights into content marketing and SEO are better equipped to meet real-time search intent and stay relevant.
Understand the sentiment around your brand and engage where appropriate. This proactive approach allows you to manage your online reputation and identify opportunities for further engagement.
Thrive Leads the Way in Organic Social Media for 2025 (And Beyond)
At Thrive, we’re setting the standard for organic social media marketing in 2025. Our expert team of content marketers and social media strategists works closely with brands to turn everyday customer interactions into powerful content that earns attention, builds trust and drives long-term visibility.
By spotlighting genuine customer experiences through reviews, testimonials and organic social posts, we help businesses create a reliable stream of UGC that resonates with their audience.
Whether it’s resharing real stories from your followers, publishing informative blog content that solves customer pain points or producing high-impact video testimonials, we tailor every effort to reflect your brand’s voice and values.
We believe that transparency and value-driven content are the foundation of consumer trust. That’s why our approach goes beyond aesthetics, focusing instead on genuine engagement and strategic storytelling that positions your brand as both credible and relatable.
Looking to elevate your brand through organic reach? Thrive is here to lead your next UGC-powered campaign and help you stand out in the evolving digital landscape.
Speak with a Thrive expert today!
SEO and Social Media Marketing FAQs
WHAT IS THE JUNE GOOGLE UPDATE IN 2025?
The Google June 2025 Core Update, which began rolling out on June 30 and finished on July 17, is a significant update focused on enhancing the quality and relevance of search results. This update aims to better surface content that genuinely answers user questions and provides value.
HOW DOES GOOGLE’S JUNE 2025 CORE UPDATE IMPACT SEO STRATEGIES?
Google’s June 2025 update places a strong emphasis on user-generated content (UGC), brand mentions and overall web presence. Traditional on-page SEO alone is no longer enough. Instead, Google’s AI systems are prioritizing content that demonstrates real-world experience, social credibility and consistent off-site authority — especially from platforms like Reddit, Instagram and YouTube.
HOW OFTEN DOES GOOGLE DO A CORE UPDATE?
Core updates happen several times a year, where Google makes significant changes to search algorithms and systems.
CAN SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT REALLY HELP IMPROVE MY BRAND’S VISIBILITY ON GOOGLE?
Yes. With AI-driven search models, social signals such as likes, shares, comments and brand mentions now influence how your content is perceived in terms of relevance and authority. Instagram’s recent move to allow public content to be indexed by Google makes social media an even more powerful channel for organic marketing.
WHAT ARE SOCIAL SIGNALS, AND HOW DO THEY INFLUENCE SEARCH RANKINGS?
Social signals refer to user interactions with your content on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Reddit — including shares, comments, mentions and saves. These signals don’t directly affect rankings through traditional algorithms but are increasingly being interpreted by Google’s AI as indicators of authority, popularity and relevance, especially post-June 2025.
