DeepSeek in Hot Water, Google Update Rolls Out, and One Big SEO Myth Busted

Hey there,

Some weeks in SEO are slow.
This one?
Not even close.

Let’s break down the June Core Update, a DeepSeek privacy storm in Germany, and a surprising reminder from Google: perfect code isn’t the secret to ranking.

Google Just Hit the Update Button

Google’s June 2025 core update officially started rolling out on June 30.
Expect movement—maybe a lot of it—for the next three weeks.

What you’ll probably see:
• Rankings bouncing up and down
• Traffic either surging or stalling
• Some competitors quietly rising, others crashing

Here’s the game plan:

• Don’t overreact.
  

• Keep your content strategy focused.
  

• Track everything—but don’t change everything.

Google says the update isn’t after spam or reviews. It’s a broad-core update. That means the best thing you can do is stay consistent, valuable, and visible.

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From algorithm-proof content to technical SEO audits to privacy-compliant site setups, we’ve helped over 950 business owners stay competitive—through every Google update.

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Broken HTML? That’s Totally Fine

If you’ve been sweating over every missing tag or validation error…
you can relax.

According to Google’s team, only one out of the top 200 websites has perfectly valid HTML on the homepage. One.

The rest? Full of technical imperfections—and still ranking just fine.

But here’s the important bit:

If your structured data, metadata, or key content is broken,
that’s where the real damage happens.

What this tells us:

• SEO isn’t about perfection.
  

• Focus on making content that helps real people.
  

• And yes, still check your critical tags—but don’t lose sleep over every stray div.

Listen to the full podcast here:

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DeepSeek Might Get Banned in Germany

Germany’s data protection watchdog just asked Apple and Google to pull DeepSeek from their app stores.

The reason?
DeepSeek has been transferring user data to China—and not following EU privacy laws.

What Germany’s demanding:

• Proof that data sent to China has the same level of protection as inside the EU
  

• Or stop sending it entirely
  

• Or get off the app stores

DeepSeek didn’t respond. So now, Germany’s pushing for action.

This issue matters to all of us using tools with international reach.

Check your martech stack. If your data’s crossing borders, ensure it’s compliant. Regulators aren’t playing anymore.

Quick Recap Before You Go

• Google’s June Update is live → Watch your rankings, but don’t panic.
  

• Clean HTML ≠ Better Rankings → Just keep your key SEO elements readable.
  

• DeepSeek’s privacy issues could get it pulled → Data compliance matters more than ever.

See you Thursday with more in-depth strategy tips.

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To your content marketing success,
Shane Barker