Google’s September 2026 spam update has finished rolling out. It began on 24 September and was complete on 8 October 2026, taking about two weeks, much longer than recent spam updates. If you saw a clear traffic change in early October, take a closer look at your site.
What happened?
Google said on its Search Status Dashboard that the update applies globally and to all languages, and that the rollout was complete on 8 October. Search Engine Roundtable and PPC Land confirm the dates. Google called it a ”normal” spam update.
What does it target?
Sites that violate some of Google’s spam policies. Google did not say which ones, and according to Search Engine Roundtable it does not target link spam. Violating sites may rank lower or not appear at all.
How do you check your site?
In Search Console, compare clicks and impressions for 25 September–10 October with the two weeks before. Check whether the drop is on a few pages or sitewide, and look for manual actions. Don’t make big changes based on a few days of data.
What if you lost traffic?
Review the spam policies honestly: pages made only to rank, thin content at scale, or third-party content published without oversight. Fix what applies. Google says recovery can take months.
Sources: Google Search Status Dashboard, Search Engine Roundtable, PPC Land, Google spam policies.
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