Will Google's latest spam update hit my website's rankings?

Google has started rolling out a new spam update worldwide, so if your traffic or enquiries from Google shift over the coming days, this update is one possible cause. Google has not said what this update targets, but sites that break its spam policies, such as those using bought links or mass-produced pages, carry the most risk from any spam update.

What happened

Google began rolling out its September 2026 spam update on 24 September, US Pacific time, according to its Search Status Dashboard as reported by Search Engine Journal. It is Google’s fourth spam update of the year, and it applies globally and to all languages, which includes Australian sites and searches.

Google says this rollout may take up to two weeks, a longer window than the few days it gave each of the earlier spam updates this year, Search Engine Journal reports. That estimate is a ceiling, not a promise, so the update may finish sooner.

Google has not said what this update targets. Spam updates are used to improve its automated systems for detecting search spam, and sites that break Google’s spam policies may rank lower or disappear from results entirely. Google says fixing problems may help a site improve if its systems learn over a period of months that the site complies.

Why it matters for your business

For many small and medium businesses, Google search is a quiet but important source of enquiries. When rankings move, the instinct is to act: rewrite pages, rebuild the site or shift budget into paid ads. Acting mid-rollout means changing things before you know what happened, and it muddies the data you will need to work that out.

The less visible risk sits with work you may not have seen. Plenty of owners hand SEO to a supplier and never ask how the results are produced. If that work includes bought links, networks of near-identical location pages or content produced at volume with little value to a reader, your site may be carrying exposure you did not choose.

Recovery is also slow. Because Google’s systems take months to recognise that a site complies, a drop linked to spam policy problems is not something you fix quickly. That makes reviewing your site now a better use of time than repairing it later.

What to do this week

1. Mark the date in Search Console. Note the rollout start and compare clicks and impressions against the weeks before it. Separate searches for your business name from general service searches, because movement in the second group tells you more.
2. Check enquiries, not just rankings. Rankings can wobble without changing phone calls or form fills. If leads are steady, you have time to wait and watch.
3. Hold major site changes until Google confirms the rollout is complete. Changes made mid-rollout make it harder to tell what caused what.
4. Ask your SEO supplier to explain their methods in writing. Ask where your links come from, whether any were paid for, and how pages are produced. A good supplier will answer plainly.
5. Audit your own site against Google’s spam policies. Look for thin pages, duplicated location or service pages, and anything published mainly to rank rather than to help a customer.

Jewell’s take

Because Google has not said what this update targets, treat any confident explanation of it with caution, including one from your own supplier. In the first days, the honest answer is usually that nobody knows yet. What you can know is whether your site carries the kinds of risk Google’s spam policies describe, and that review does not need to wait for the rollout to end.

Our firmer view is about accountability. Whoever owns your search number should be able to explain every link pointing at your site and every page they have published, and why each one deserves to exist. If they cannot, the risk is yours even though the decisions were theirs. On our engagements a named senior partner owns the number, and that includes answering for how it was reached.

AI makes it easy to produce pages at scale, which is where much of this risk now sits. We use AI to generate options quickly, then apply human judgement to decide which pages genuinely help a customer. If a page would not help a customer, it should not be published, whoever or whatever wrote it.

Key takeaways

• Google’s latest spam update applies worldwide, including Australia, and may take up to two weeks to finish, per Search Engine Journal.
• Check Search Console timing and your enquiry numbers before blaming or crediting the update for any change.
• Sites that break Google’s spam policies carry the most risk, though Google has not said what this update targets.
• Whoever owns your search results should be able to explain every link and page on your site.
• Content built to help customers is the safest long-term bet against spam updates.

Common questions

How do I know if this update affected my site?

Compare your Search Console data against the rollout start date and wait until Google confirms the rollout is complete. A sustained change that lines up with the update window, especially in searches that do not include your business name, is worth investigating. A few days of movement mid-rollout is not proof of anything.

Should I move my budget into Google Ads if my rankings drop?

Not as a reflex. Paid search can make sense on its own merits, but using it to cover a short-term dip can lock in spend you do not need. Wait for the rollout to finish and understand the cause first.

How long does it take to recover from a spam-related drop?

Google says fixing problems may help a site improve if its systems learn over a period of months that the site complies with its spam policies. Fix the underlying problems properly, then give it time. Quick patches are unlikely to help.

If you want a clear, senior view of where your site and your search strategy stand, start with our Growth Diagnostic.