The world of SEO and digital marketing never slows down — and September 2025 proved it again. From Google Ads and AI-powered search to Chrome’s latest tools and ChatGPT’s eCommerce expansion, the month brought key updates every marketer should know.

Let’s look at the most important SEO and marketing news from September 2025 and what it means for your strategy.

1. Google Ads Adds Local Targeting via Business Profiles

Google Ads introduced Business Profile-based location targeting, allowing advertisers to focus campaigns around verified business listings.

This new feature is especially valuable for local businesses that want to reach customers nearby — for example, restaurants, salons, or local service providers.

💡 Insight from Soft Market Solution:
As a leading SEO and PPC agency in India, we recommend setting up optimized Google Business Profiles and experimenting with radius targeting for hyperlocal campaigns.

2. Google Wins Partial Relief in Antitrust Case

A U.S. court ruled that Google won’t have to sell Chrome but cannot enforce exclusive deals with other browsers like Safari or Firefox. While this reduces monopoly concerns, Google’s dominance in search remains intact.

What It Means for Marketers:
SEO and paid marketing will continue to center on Google, keeping it the primary focus for digital visibility.

3. Google Business Profile Tightens Website Link Policies

Google now requires GBP links to lead directly to relevant landing pages (not generic homepages). Menu or order links must point to their actual respective pages.

Pro Tip:
If your business has multiple locations, create individual landing pages — a best practice Soft Market Solution already follows in local SEO projects for clients across India.

4. Google’s AI Mode Expands to 180 Countries

Google rolled out its AI Search Mode to 180 countries, adding new language support including Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese.

SEO Insight:
With AI-generated summaries becoming more visible, it’s critical to strengthen your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) signals.

5. Schema Markup Update: Some Rich Results Discontinued

Google stopped supporting schema types like Course Info, Claim Review, Estimated Salary, Learning Video, and Vehicle Listing.

If your site still uses them, remove or replace these schemas to avoid Search Console warnings.

6. Reddit Launches Pro Tools for Publishers

Reddit introduced Pro Tools, a free analytics dashboard for publishers. It tracks engagement, community insights, and trending topics.

For brands using Reddit as part of their marketing strategy, this is a valuable tool for data-backed community engagement.

7. Google Search Console Adds “Achievements” Tab

The new Achievements tab in GSC highlights key milestones like click growth and impression trends.

While basic, it helps website owners track progress quickly — great for small businesses managing SEO on their own or with agencies like Soft Market Solution, which uses data-driven GSC insights to refine campaigns.

8. Google Merchant Center Launches Trust Widgets

Three new trust-based badges are now available:

• Top Quality Store

• Store Rating Widget

• Store Quality by Google

These badges help eCommerce sites showcase credibility.

Tip from Soft Market Solution:
Integrate these widgets to build customer trust and improve conversion rates — especially for D2C brands competing on Google Shopping.

9. Chrome Gets AI Features

Google Chrome added AI-powered task assistance and voice search integration, allowing users to get real-time help from within the browser.

This shift blurs the line between browsing and searching — reinforcing Chrome’s role in Google’s AI ecosystem.

10. Google Ends Support for “Num100” Scraping Tool

Google shut down the Num100 tool, which was being used for large-scale SERP scraping.

For SEO professionals, this reiterates Google’s focus on ethical data collection and White Hat practices — something Soft Market Solution emphasizes in all SEO campaigns.

11. September Spam Update Fully Rolled Out

Google’s Spam Update took 27 days to complete. It mainly targeted low-quality, AI-spun, or keyword-stuffed websites.

If your rankings dropped, focus on improving content originality, user intent, and topical authority.

12. Search with Camera and Microphone Goes Live in the U.S.

Google’s multimodal search feature, allowing users to search via camera and microphone, is now available in the U.S.

It will soon roll out in India — an exciting shift for visual SEO and product-based businesses.

13. Meta Launches Ad-Free Subscription

Meta introduced a paid, ad-free subscription for Facebook and Instagram users in the U.K.

If rolled out globally, this may affect ad reach. SEO and organic strategies will become even more critical to maintain visibility — areas where Soft Market Solution, one of the best SEO agencies in India, already helps clients diversify.

14. ChatGPT Partners with Stripe & Etsy for eCommerce

OpenAI’s ChatGPT now supports in-chat purchases through Stripe and Etsy.

This update could redefine conversational commerce — letting users discover and buy products directly inside the chat interface.

For digital marketers, it signals the rise of AI-driven eCommerce and the need for AI-optimized product descriptions, structured data, and chat-integrated funnels.

Final Thoughts

September 2025 proved once again that SEO is evolving fast — and AI is at the center of it all.

Whether it’s Google’s AI search rollout, Chrome’s AI features, or ChatGPT’s eCommerce integration, one message is clear:
➡️ Adapt early or risk falling behind.

For Indian businesses and global brands alike, staying updated is key. That’s where Soft Market Solution, one of the best SEO companies and digital marketing agencies in India, helps brands grow through ROI-driven SEO, PPC, and AI-powered strategies.

Keep learning. Keep optimizing. Keep ranking.