The March 2026 Google spam update was rolled out on the 24th March and officially completed on the 25th in record time, after Google originally stated it may take a few days to roll out. This is the first spam update of the year and the last one since the August 2025 update. Google hasn’t yet revealed why the update could be carried out so quickly, and there are no concrete details about what’s actually been changed this time, but we’re here to offer advice on how this update can affect SEO, along with recommendations for keeping in line with Google’s policies. 

 

The March 2026 Google spam update summed up 

 

• The rollout for the March 2026 Google spam update officially began on 24th March 
• It has been rolled out across all languages and geographical areas 
• It took just over a day and was fully completed as of the 25th March, notably faster than previous spam updates
• This is the first Google spam update of 2026, and the last since the August 2025 update
• It’s the second Google algorithm update of 2026, following the Google Discover Core update in February   
• Implement E-E-A-T and people-first content as a top priority to stay in line with Google’s spam policy 
• If your website is based around quality content that is helpful to users and in line with Google’s spam policy, then your rankings shouldn’t be affected by the March 2026 update 
• Ways to check if your site has been affected include monitoring impressions, click-through rates, ranking and average position to detect any noticeable declines or patterns around the time of the update 
• The Google spam update differs from the core update as it is designed to detect specific behaviours, as opposed to assessing the quality and relevance of content as a whole 

 

What is the Google spam update? 

 

The March 2026 Google spam update, like those from previous years, is designed to reduce visibility for content that violates Google’s spam policy. This is put in place to improve the quality of search results and reduce the visibility of websites that try to manipulate rankings rather than actually providing helpful content for users. This is part of their push for a people-first approach to content over the last few years, in line with their E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness & Trustworthiness) model.

What’s different? 

 

Google hasn’t announced any specific changes yet about what the March update is designed to target; however, based on previous updates, we can assume the main goal is to reduce spam-like content and, in turn, reward sites that follow the guidelines and provide users with helpful information. 

 

Do Google spam updates affect SEO? 

 

Are you wondering whether you should be concerned? The simple answer is: if your website is built around quality content that is helpful and useful to users, not just there to rank, then you should be in the clear! If you do find that your organic visibility has dropped since the Google spam update, it’s worth reviewing their spam policy to determine in what way your content violates this in order to fix it and become visible again. 

 

Ways of checking whether your site has been affected 

 

• Use GSC (Google Search Console) to track visibility data specifically around the time of the update 
• Monitor rankings and CTR (click-through rates) 
• Track clicks, impressions and average page position across key pages and look out for any noticeable declines 
• Look out for patterns (if a large number of your page rankings drop around the same time, it’s likely this could be because of the update) 

 

Ways to keep your content in line with Google’s spam policy

 

Discover our top tips below to keep your site content in line with Google’s spam policy. If you stick to this advice, you shouldn’t have to worry when the Google spam updates come around. 

 

• Implement E-E-A-T and people-first content as a top priority 
• Avoid producing and posting content that doesn’t offer any value to users / your target audience
• Take advantage of the second E, expertise! Google favours content backed by experience, explanation, or data, or all 3. 
• Keep your content relevant and up to date (Google also likes timely, accurate content) 
• Avoid using spammy/manipulative SEO tactics (keyword stuffing, hidden text and links, link buying, doorway pages, creating and uploading large amounts of content with little to no oversight, etc.) 

How are Google’s spam updates different from the core updates? 

 

Google’s core updates focus on assessing content quality and relevance as a whole, whereas the Google spam update is designed to identify specific behaviour that isn’t in line with their spam policies. The update aims to improve their automated systems and catch spam more effectively, allowing them to detect more sophisticated forms of SEO violations. The last Google core update was rolled out in February 2026, and there is no official announcement yet around when to expect the next one, but these tend to happen several times a year. 

 

Discover how our expert SEO team can help 

 

Whether this update has affected you or not, the team at Fusion are here to help. We can help navigate any potential impact of this update by offering guidance and recommending improvements to stay in line with Google’s policies. Get in touch today and let us help! And be sure to keep up with our blog to stay on top of future Google algorithm updates.