Overnight success in search engine rankings is rare, but sudden drops in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) are surprisingly common, even for websites that follow best practices.
Thanks to the August/September Spam update, several major sites with strong domain presence reported notable fluctuations during the August 2025 spam update, brands like Amazon, Walmart, and agencies like WebFX, Thrive and Digital Silk experienced shifts in visibility and traffic as Google tightened its spam filtering across high-authority domains.
It is true that due to Google algorithm changes, many businesses experience ranking declines despite using white-hat SEO techniques, designing user-friendly, SEO-optimized content, and meeting Google’s Core Web Vitals standards.
The August 2025 Spam Update began rolling out on August 26, 2025 and took roughly 27 days to complete its global deployment. Source: Google Search Status
Google confirmed that the rollout was fully completed on September 22, 2025.
If I was affected by this update, does it mean my website was low-quality to begin with?
If your website was affected by a recent Google Spam Update, whether the one in August or a previous rollout, it’s important to review Google’s official documentation on . Understanding spam updates the google guidelines and making the necessary adjustments can help realign your site with Google’s evolving standards.
I personally felt the impact of this update. Our website Click Media Lab was performing very well with 12,000+ indexed keywords. However, shortly after the spam update was released, I saw a sharp decline beginning on September 2nd, dropping from 12,000 to 8,000 keywords. The numbers continued to gradually fall. This unexpected drop prompted me to investigate the update and understand its implications.
Based on that research and firsthand experience, I’ve created this guide to help you understand what the August-September 2025 Spam Update entails, how to prepare for it, and what steps you can take to align your site with Google’s latest policies.
Google doesn’t explain this update in detail, but states that they occasionally make significant improvements to their spam-fighting systems, which are announced as spam updates.
If your site is affected, you must review Google’s spam policies. Sites that violate these rules may rank lower or disappear from results. Compliance can lead to a recovery, but it may take months for automated systems like SpamBrain to recognize the improvements.
What is a Google Spam Update?
A Google Spam update is just Google’s way to detect websites that are violating Google’s spam policies. These updates aim to filter out manipulative practices such as
- Cloaking
- Doorway abuse
- Expired domain abuse
- Hacked content
- Hidden text and link abuse
- Keyword stuffing
- Link spam
- Machine-generated traffic
- Malware and malicious practices
- Misleading functionality
- Scaled content abuse (Mass-producing useless pages via AI tools.)
- Scraping
- Site reputation abuse
- Sneaky redirects
- Thin affiliation
- User-generated spam
- And others bad practices
You can read more about these practices in Google’s Spam Policies.
Why Does Google Roll Out Spam Updates, and Who Benefits?
Spam updates are rolled out to enhance the overall search experience by ensuring users are directed to trustworthy, relevant, and high-quality content. They help users find accurate information quickly—without having to sift through fluff—thereby maintaining trust in Google’s search results and protecting the platform’s credibility. Google has to release these updates if it wishes to remain the most trusted and relevant search engine worldwide, with 91.47% of the global search engine market. Source: Statista
The spam updates help Google enforce its Webmaster Guidelines more effectively and discourage bad actors from manipulating search results. Ultimately, these updates benefit both users and website owners by leveling the playing field.
Benefits of Google Spam Updates:
- Promote high-quality, trustworthy websites in search results
- Penalize black-hat SEO tactics and spammy behavior
- Improve user trust in Google’s search engine
- Support websites that follow ethical, white-hat SEO practices
- Deliver more relevant and helpful content to users
- Reduce the visibility of malicious or deceptive sites
Want to know how your site’s doing in search? Get a free SEO audit from Click Media Lab!
Now we need to understanding the August Google Spam Update 2025 in detailed
Google says:
“While Google’s automated systems to detect search spam are constantly operating, we occasionally make notable improvements to how they work.”
This means that Google doesn’t just decide to scrutinize websites randomly on any given day, the algorithms are constantly working in the background, optimizing the SERPs based on the credibility of content. If your website has maintained a strong presence for a long time but was suddenly impacted, it likely just violated or fell short of a few requirements introduced in the latest update, something that can absolutely be fixed with the right approach.
The 2025 spam update was a major one, causing significant disruption across many sites. As per Google, it affected your website in different ways.
Some saw keywords deindexed, some suffered sudden traffic drops, others faced penalties or disappeared from first or second SERP pages overnight, while a few even saw boosts in visibility and rankings.
How the August Spam Update Penalizes Websites?
To understand the spam update in simpler words, let’s just say that Google enforced its current spam policies through this update. The scrutiny is tougher this time, thus the dip in site rankings for many businesses. Moreover, the update was also strict in action, with results showing within 24 to 48 hours.
Since the update was released globally, for sites belonging to all regions and languages, the impact witnessed was also huge. Here is what the August/September spam update targets, explained in simpler terms:
Scaling Content
- Generating multiple (many content pages at once) with low-quality content, or repetitive content structure. Often, AI-generated content or content proofread by AI.
- Content stuffed with keywords with no real value or information, solely for promotional purposes.
- Multiple pages are uploaded on a website at the same time, resulting in an impression of AI-based content.
Keyword Stuffing
- Pages with little to no information/help or aid for the user, but rather extensive usage of keywords. Repetition in content, too much promotion, marketing, and missing the intent of helping the end-user.
Hidden Text/cloaking - Cloaking is a website or SEO fraud that shows one content to the end-user while showing another version to search engines. This includes hidden keywords, stuffed search terms, and URLs that can only be read by bots.
- Cloaked content also contains certain harmful links that can abuse users and their private data if they click on them (including anti-virus ads, luring offers and sales, and deceptive sites).
Manipulative Linking
Usage of automated tools to build backlinks to solidify a website’s presence. Excessive link formation, buying or selling backlinks with no real insight or value addition to the cited website.
Unnatural or irrelevant backlinks meant to manipulate PageRank can now trigger penalties or deindexing. Google’s algorithms are becoming better at identifying these networks and discounting them.
Doorway Pages
- Generating low-value pages to increase site volume and credibility. Pages that link users to other parts of the site but captivate users with no real intent to offer/inform, or educate. Such pages begin with a deceptive caption or metadata.
- They often offer little unique content and exist solely for SEO manipulation.
Site Reputation Abuse
Site reputation abuse (also called “parasite SEO”) involves third-party content being published on high-authority domains to benefit from their rankings—even if the content is unrelated or spammy. Google has started cracking down harder on both.
Hacked or Scraped Content
Websites posting scraped or hacked content from other sources without proper citation and permission. Pages that generate AI-powered content to manipulate SEO through keyword usage, and meet the guidelines of on-page SEO and technical SEO.
Why August Spam 2025 a Major One?
The update didn’t introduce any new rules—it was an enforcement of Google’s existing policies. This serves as a reminder that Google had already issued clear guidelines, and businesses that failed to follow them in time faced real and significant penalties. The AI-powered system known as SpamBrain was enhanced to better detect and penalize sites that violate these long-standing rules.
The update was also a major one because the impact was quick, with sudden drops in ranking with no or less time to make amendments. This means the road to recovery will be slower and longer too.
Were you affected by the Google Spam 2025 Update?
If the answer is yes, then hold your head high and don’t worry, many websites, including major ones, were affected by this update. While recovery may be gradual, it will also be authentic and more impactful, which is the good news. Here’s what you need to do if you were affected:
Audit Your Content Thoroughly
Start with a complete content audit of your website. Identify thin, low-value, or outdated pages, especially those with little original content or that rely heavily on AI-generated text. Web pages that are in high volume solely built for the purpose of enhancing reach with no real value or credibility to trace, are the culprit of this update.
Remove these pages or improve them by adding depth, multimedia, expert input, and unique insights. Avoid keyword stuffing, too much praise, or becoming the best of all with no solid proof. Duplicate pages should be consolidated or redirected to avoid cannibalizing your rankings.
Alongside service-based or promotional pages, offer real information, value, and insights to the users with information-focused content, too. This includes polishing your blog section, uploading the latest news and articles to your blog section.
Google values websites that value the users more than its sales and promotion.
Combine Low-Value Pages into Stronger Resources
If you have multiple pages targeting similar keywords or topics, consider merging them into one comprehensive, high-quality resource. Alternatively, create a parent page that effectively represents all related content, reducing repetition and eliminating fluff from your website.
You can also use a single, service-based, information-focused page to clearly explain your offering across a broad region. From there, link to child pages that are NAP-optimized (Name, Address, Phone Number) for specific locations to enhance local relevance and SEO.
Google favors depth and relevance over quantity. A single, well-structured page can outperform multiple fragmented ones—especially when it provides better usability and demonstrates clear intent.
Add Real Expertise and Depth
Content quality is no longer just about keyword targeting; it’s about demonstrating expertise, authority, and trust (E-E-A-T). Google’s content scrutiny factor has been in practice for so long now. EEAT factor promotes user trust, builds business credibility, and generates authority in a given domain. It is equally valuable to the user and search engines.
Add original data, professional opinions, customer reviews (good or bad), solid portfolio, personal experience, or first-hand knowledge to your articles. Show readers, and Google, that your content was made by real people who know what they’re talking about.
Analyze Your Backlink Profile
Backlinks remain a key ranking factor, but quality trumps quantity. Review your backlink profile using tools like Ahrefs or Google Search Console. Disavow links from spammy, irrelevant, or suspicious domains that could be harming your site’s reputation.
Make sure to check your web pages consistently for any fake links posted by spammy bots or competitors’ AI-powered tools. Most of the time, spammy links can appear as a virus or an attack on your site’s credibility.
Focus on Earning Genuine, Editorial Links
Avoid link exchanges, paid links, or manipulative tactics. Instead, invest in content marketing, digital PR, and thought leadership to naturally earn editorial backlinks. High-authority, organic links are a strong indicator of trust and can help your site recover from a spam update impact.
Review Code for Hidden or Deceptive Elements
Google is constantly scanning your source code—not just what users see on the page. Make sure there are no cloaked elements, hidden keywords, or deceptive redirects embedded in your HTML. What Googlebot sees should be the same as what your human visitors experience.
Avoid Cloaking, Sneaky Redirects, or Keyword Tricks
These black-hat tactics may work in the short term, but are guaranteed to backfire. Cloaking (showing different content to bots vs. users), doorway pages, and stuffing keywords invisibly into code are all now more easily detected by updates like SpamBrain. Clean up any pages using these methods before they get flagged or deindexed.
Generate pages that are only needed to offer real value instead of being used as a SEO aid. Pages that exist solely to funnel users to another page, without delivering meaningful content, are a red flag. These are often low-quality landing pages with little unique value. Either remove them or rewrite them into more comprehensive pages that serve the user’s intent directly.
Repurpose Low-Value Pages into Richer Assets
Instead of deleting every underperforming page, consider repurposing or combining them. Add more data, visuals, FAQs, or updated information to give the content new life. This allows you to preserve SEO equity while improving user experience.
Focus on solving queries through the People May Ask section on Google to understand what a common user wants to know. Content that is focused on helping and educating shows real purpose and is most loved by Google and users alike.
Monitor Performance Slowly, Don’t Panic
Google seo updates often take time to roll out fully, and the effects may fluctuate during that period. Avoid making drastic changes immediately after seeing a traffic drop. Monitor your site over several weeks and gather data before deciding what to tweak.
After all, real, genuine improvements need time to be implemented, but the results are worth the wait. Any quick method that generates quick results for you will also lose value upon the next update or so on.
Watch Search Console Closely
Google Search Console is your best friend during an update. Check for any manual actions or messages from Google that could indicate spam violations. It will also show which pages are losing visibility, helping you narrow down where to focus your cleanup efforts.
Compare Rankings After Full Rollout
Once Google confirms the update is fully rolled out, take a data-driven approach to measuring the impact. Compare traffic and ranking changes over consistent date ranges (e.g., this week vs. the same week last month). Look for patterns in what types of pages lost visibility, and which ones gained.
Adjust and Iterate Based on Real Data
Use the insights from your post-update analysis to guide your next moves. What worked before may no longer be effective. Use what the data tells you to refine your content strategy, optimize technical SEO, and align more closely with Google’s quality guidelines.
How to Make Sure Your Business is Not Affected by Future Spam Updates?
Beginning right away and early is the only way that you will not spend hours mending your way once any update is released. Spam updates don’t come out of nowhere, but they are enforcements of Google’s current systems and rules. Thus, you can simply avoid being spammed by any future spam update if you act proactively and do things right. Here is a quick guide on how to prepare your website for future spam updates from Google.
| Measure | What It Means | Why It Matters | Action Steps |
| Start Early | Don’t wait for an update to fix your content or SEO strategy. | Being proactive helps you avoid sudden traffic drops and penalties. | Conduct monthly content audits; review Google guidelines regularly. |
| Publish Helpful, Human-First Content | Focus on genuinely valuable, well-written content for your audience. | Google’s spam updates target low-quality, AI-spun, or keyword-stuffed content. | Write original content; avoid fluff; answer real user questions. |
| Reduce Thin and Duplicate Pages | Avoid creating multiple pages targeting the same keywords or repeating content. | Thin/duplicate pages are a common spam signal. | Merge similar pages; consolidate into strong, comprehensive resources. |
| Build Topical Authority | Demonstrate deep expertise in your niche or service area. | Google prefers sites that show depth and relevance in a specific subject. | Create clusters of related content; use internal linking to guide crawlers. |
| Avoid Over-Optimization | Don’t stuff keywords, buy backlinks, or overuse exact-match anchor text. | These are red flags in spam updates and can lead to de-ranking. | Use natural language; keep link profiles clean and diverse. |
| Ensure Local SEO is Clean (NAP Consistency) | Keep your business Name, Address, Phone consistent across all listings. | Google rewards trustworthy, locally relevant sites and penalizes inconsistent or spammy ones. | Audit all local listings; fix incorrect or outdated info. |
| Limit Automation and Auto-Generated Content | Avoid publishing low-effort AI or scraped content without human editing. | Spam updates often target sites relying too heavily on automation. | Always review and edit content manually; focus on user value. |
| Monitor Google Search Console & Industry News | Stay updated with early signals of changes in performance or updates. | Allows quick response if your site starts to drop or shows coverage issues. | Set alerts; check GSC weekly; follow official Google updates or SEO blogs. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Google Spam Update 2025?
The Google Spam Update 2025, rolled out in August, was a major algorithm update focused on identifying and removing low-quality or spammy content from search results. It targeted practices like AI-generated fluff, keyword stuffing, duplicate pages, manipulative links, and other tactics that violate Google’s spam policies.
How often do Google Spam Updates roll out?
Google rolls out spam updates multiple times a year, though the exact timing isn’t always announced in advance. In recent years, spam updates have happened 2 to 3 times annually, often paired with core or helpful content updates. Smaller, unconfirmed spam filters may run quietly in the background all the time.
Is a spam update permanent?
Not necessarily. If your site was hit by a spam update, the effects can be reversed, but only after you fix the issues that triggered the drop. Google may re-evaluate your site over time or during a future update. If your content improves and aligns with Google’s policies, rankings can recover. However, no timeline is guaranteed.
When is the next Google Spam Update due?
Google doesn’t publish a fixed schedule for spam updates. However, based on past trends, the next spam update could arrive in late 2025 or early 2026. It’s a good idea to stay alert by monitoring Google Search Central, SEO news sites, and tools like Google Search Console for any signs of upcoming changes.
Will I ever recover from a Google Spam Update?
Yes, recovery is possible. If your website was affected, it doesn’t mean it’s permanently penalized or considered “bad.” It simply means some parts of your site may not align with current quality standards. By auditing your content, removing spammy practices, improving user experience, and staying up to date with Google’s guidelines, you can gradually regain lost rankings and traffic.
