Google’s October 2022 Spam Update
After only a month since Google rolled out the September 2022 Core update, it has released yet another update on the 19th October called the 2022 spam update. This comes just 11 months after the previous spam update.
What is the spam update?
Every so often, Google makes small changes to its AI-based spam prevention system, SpamBrain, for it to be able to detect spammers (or low-quality websites) within search results.
In short, the spam updates target sites that violate specific guidelines.
As far as we know, this spam update predominantly impacted websites that have automatically generated content, created through various tactics. However, Google did not implicitly say if the update was related to a specific area, i.e., content, links, or other forms of spam.
The update is global, affects all languages, and took around several days to a week to fully complete.
Here is the Google Search Central tweet announcing the update:
Today we released the October 2022 spam update. Find out more about spam updates at https://t.co/XthD5GF06M . We'll update our ranking release history page when the rollout is complete: https://t.co/sQ5COfvo3J
— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) October 19, 2022
What impact will the spam update have on sites?
Even if you’re not actively using spam tactics, Google will identify low-quality content too. The search engine attempts to show the best possible results to users, meaning if you are creating poor content your website could be impacted.
Therefore, if you noticed significant changes in rankings or traffic from your site’s organic search results, you might want to investigate this further.
What do we know about the Google 2022 spam update?
Below is a summary covering what we know from the October 2022 spam update:
- Update name: Google October 2022 Spam Update.
- Date launched: October 19, 2022.
- Rollout duration: Several days to a week for a full rollout.
- Purpose of update: To improve Google’s spam detection techniques – “sites that violate our policies may rank lower in results or not appear in results at all”, Google said.
- Who it will penalise: Sites adopting spam techniques that violate Google’s spam policies.
- Location: The update is global and impacts all regions and languages.
- What to do if impacted: Review content on the site to ensure no pages violate Google’s spam policies.
- Recovery: Once a site is hit, it could take a few months to recover from the update.
The key takeaway from this update is that Google is looking to provide users with the most relevant information from reputable sites. This change looks to further improve user experience on the search engine results page, which should ultimately benefit searchers, retailers, and advertisers. If you are creating high-quality content that provides value to users, then this update shouldn’t be anything to worry about, but it is still good to be aware of.
If your site has been impacted by the recent spam update, Fusion Unlimited has the knowledge and experience needed to help. We can also ensure your site is prepared to tackle any core algorithm updates or product review updates.
Get in touch with us today if you need assistance in overcoming the impacts of the October 2022 Spam Update, or if you’re looking to supercharge your SEO strategy.
by Price Ndlovu
