Google Completes September Spam Update After Nearly 14 Days
Google’s September spam update rolled out over 13 days and 16 hours, affecting Search worldwide. Here’s what site owners should check in their own data.
Google completed the rollout of its September update to its search spam detection systems on October 8. As Habr reports, the rollout lasted 13 days and 16 hours and applied to Search worldwide in all languages. Site owners would do well to compare their own performance before, during and after the update rather than judge its effects by the industry’s overall reaction.
What we know about the timing and scope
The rollout began on September 24 at 9:15 a.m. US Pacific Time and ended on October 8 at 1:00 a.m. The completion notice appeared 37 minutes after the rollout actually ended. According to Search Engine Journal, this was Google’s longest spam update of 2026: the other three updates finished sooner.
Google described the release as a routine update to its spam-fighting systems. The company did not say whether it introduced new signals, which categories of sites were assessed or what share of queries was affected. This was not a core update. For now, there is no basis for describing it as a targeted crackdown on AI content or a wave of penalties against particular types of sites. A related topic is Google’s guidance on checking AI content before publication, but it should not be conflated with unconfirmed theories about this update.
Industry observers noted fluctuations in search results in late September and from October 4 to 7. But a change in a site’s performance coinciding with the rollout does not establish the cause: third-party trackers cannot identify it for an individual project. Any analysis should also account for seasonality, other changes in Search and potential technical issues. The update’s dates define the period to examine; they do not replace the examination itself.
What site owners and marketers should check
Start with Google Search Console: compare impressions, clicks and positions before September 24, during the rollout and after October 8. For a fair comparison, use the same days of the week, countries and devices. Rolling everything into one number can hide where performance changed and lead to premature conclusions about the site as a whole.
Then look at specific queries and pages. Which page changed in visibility, for which queries, and is the change apparent in clicks as well as rankings? This gives you a more concrete picture than a site-wide average. Allow for the delay in fresh data, too: the first figures available after the rollout may not be enough for a final conclusion.
If you monitor your reputation in Search, it is worth looking separately at results for branded queries. That is a distinct area to check, not evidence that a spam filter was triggered. For other queries, the approach is the same: establish what changed before deciding which pages need attention.
If a drop in visibility persists, Google recommends checking whether the site complies with its spam policies for Search. Fixes do not guarantee an immediate recovery: the system may need several months to take changes into account. When planning work, it is better to separate page reviews and potential fixes from promises to restore previous performance by a particular date.
Why I’d ask for the numbers first
I’d be wary if a contractor brought me nothing but a chart showing a drop and was already proposing a site overhaul. First, I’d ask for a comparison of the same days of the week, countries and devices; a list of affected queries and pages; and trends in impressions and clicks. Then I’d ask how they checked for technical issues and seasonality. I don’t need a confident story about the algorithm. I need a clear explanation of what they actually found on my site and what work follows from it.
As a store owner, hearing that my average position has worsened would not be enough: I’d want to know whether organic search visits changed and how that relates to sales. This news provides no sales data for individual sites, so I wouldn’t treat search metrics as a substitute for it. If the review points to necessary changes, I’d ask in advance about the scope of the work, the cost of support after launch and the plan if the contractor disappears. A long rollout is not, by itself, a reason to agree to work without a clear outcome and a separate estimate for any follow-up changes.
Sources
Where the news comes from. The text is a retelling in the author’s own words; the facts come from the source, the opinion is the author’s.
home goods store owner
I sell home goods through a small online store in Brno. Before investing in a website, I ask to see the numbers: what maintenance costs and what happens if the contractor disappears.
All posts by the authorRelated articles
Google’s September Search Spam Update Finished Rolling Out After Two Weeks
Google finished rolling out its September search spam update on October 8, after two weeks. Site owners should compare Search Console data and check compliance with Google’s policies.
Google Explains More Frequent Spam Updates as Content Volume Grows
Google says it is releasing spam updates more often because there is more content to assess and AI helps detect spam. Site owners should look at the quality of individual pages.
Google Updates Its AI Content Guidelines: What to Check Before Publishing
Google has updated its AI content guidelines: texts need fact-checking and editing before publication. What does this mean for editorial teams and website owners?
Discussion 4
Pavel Zdeněk
Since Google hasn’t said what changed in the spam systems, what would you actually look for in a small business site’s data to separate an update effect from normal seasonality? I’d rather not pay someone to produce a 20-page “algorithm impact” report when the useful answer might be in a few weeks of Search Console numbers.
Kristjan Tamm
Start with weekly Search Console clicks and impressions by page and query, comparing the 13-day rollout with the same period last year and the weeks just before and after; check whether losses cluster around spam-prone pages or queries, and rule out tracking, ranking, and demand changes before calling it an update effect.
Ewa Helińska
Would you treat a drop during the 13-day rollout as meaningful if it continued afterward, or wait for a full few weeks of data before paying for any deeper analysis?
Nikolaj Trnka Post author
You can start with Search Console yourself: compare the same weekdays before, during and after the September 24–October 8 rollout, and split clicks and impressions by page and query rather than relying on the sitewide total. Check whether any drop persists after October 8 and whether it is concentrated in particular sections; then compare with the same period last year and your sales or leads, since seasonality can move search demand without any change to rankings. If the pattern is broad and sustained, get a focused diagnosis before paying for a long report. The rollout timing alone doesn’t prove the update caused a change.