Google September 2026 spam update: what changes for your site

On September 24, 2026, Google launched its fourth spam update of the year. Here is what it targets, what to check on your site, and the mistakes to avoid.

Digital Marketing
7 October 2026
Aisysnext

The Google spam update of September 2026 started on September 24, 2026. Google applies it worldwide and in all languages. It is the fourth operation of this kind since January, after those of March, June, and August.

For an SME, the question is therefore simple: does your site follow the search engine’s rules? This article sums up the verified facts, then offers a checking method that an executive or a marketing manager can apply.

Key takeaways

Google launched its spam update on September 24, 2026, with an announced rollout of about two weeks.
The search engine did not specify which rule it is tightening. You therefore need to reread all of its spam policies.
The previous update started on August 18, 2026, and lasted 2 days and 16 hours.
In addition, since August 30, 2026, Google applies its site reputation abuse rule differently for users in the European Economic Area.

Spam update: what Google announced in August and September 2026

The Google Search Status Dashboard lists four spam updates in 2026. The March update lasted less than a day, the June update 2 days and 1 hour, and the August update 2 days and 16 hours.

The September spam update, by contrast, follows a different pace. According to the specialized site Search Engine Roundtable, Google expects about two weeks of rollout. In early October 2026, when we checked, the dashboard did not yet show an end date.

Google did not detail the target. Search Engine Roundtable only specifies that the operation does not focus specifically on links. The dashboard also mentions no core update in August or September: the last two date from March and May 2026.

A specific regime for the European Economic Area

Another change dates from August 30, 2026. According to Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Land, Google no longer applies manual actions related to site reputation abuse for searches made from the European Economic Area. This rule targets third-party content that an established site hosts in order to benefit from its reputation. The decision follows a request from the European Commission.

Outside this area, and therefore for a search made in Tunisia, the rule still applies. A Tunisian company that also targets France or Germany must keep this difference in mind.

Spam update or core update: what is the difference?

A core update reassesses the overall quality of content. A spam update, by contrast, strengthens the detection of specific practices that Google prohibits in its policies.

Google’s spam policies describe sixteen practices. Here are the ones that most often concern business websites:

Content produced at scale: many pages written in bulk, with or without generative AI, with no added value for the reader.
Keyword stuffing: artificial repetitions in body text, titles, or the footer.
Artificial links: links bought or exchanged for the sole purpose of manipulating rankings.
Doorway pages: nearly identical pages, for example one per city or per query variant.
Hidden text and links, as well as deceptive redirects.
Hacked content: pages that a third party adds to a poorly protected site.

According to Google, a site that breaks the rules can drop in the results or disappear from them. The search engine combines automated systems and human reviews. These reviews sometimes lead to a “manual action,” which Search Console then reports to the site owner.

What to check on your site after the spam update

Open Search Console. Check the “Manual actions” and “Security issues” sections.
Compare traffic before and after September 24, 2026, page by page. A clear drop on a group of pages points the diagnosis in the right direction.
List the pages created in series: city pages, automatically generated listings, articles published in bulk. Merge, enrich, or delete those that add nothing.
Review your inbound links. Stop all link buying and all systematic link exchanges.
Update your CMS, your plugins, and your passwords. A hacked site sometimes displays pages that you do not see.
Wait for the rollout to end before you draw conclusions, because rankings move throughout the operation.

Does your site need a technical overhaul? Our web development team works on WordPress, PrestaShop, and WooCommerce.

Mistakes to avoid

Rewriting everything in a hurry. A precise diagnosis beats a blind redesign.
Confusing a traffic drop with a penalty. Seasonality, a more active competitor, or an AI-generated answer can also explain a drop in clicks.
Deleting useful pages because they are several years old. The age of a page is not a problem in itself.
Publishing more to compensate. Adding dozens of automatically generated articles actually increases the risk.
Expecting an immediate comeback. Search Engine Roundtable notes that a recovery can take several months.

The AISYSNEXT point of view

At AISYSNEXT, we use AI every day. Our conviction remains simple: AI speeds up production, but it replaces neither expertise nor proofreading. Google’s policies do not condemn AI as such. They target pages created in bulk with no value for the reader.

We therefore recommend three habits. First, every page answers a real question from a customer. Second, a qualified person proofreads and completes every text. Third, the site keeps a sound technical foundation.

Our digital marketing and SEO service starts with an audit, one of the agency’s four pillars. To go further, explore our areas of expertise and the other analyses on the AISYSNEXT blog.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know whether the spam update affected my site?

Compare clicks and impressions in Search Console before and after September 24, 2026. Also check the “Manual actions” section. A drop limited to a few pages does not mean the same thing as a general fall, however.

Does Google ban content written with AI?

No. Google’s policies penalize the mass production of pages with no added value, whatever the tool. A text prepared with AI, then verified and enriched by an expert, complies with these policies.

How long does it take to recover your rankings?

Nobody can guarantee a timeframe. Google’s systems reassess a corrected site over time, which can take several months. The priority is to fix the cause, then to monitor the data every week.

Would you like an outside view of your site after this spam update? Describe your situation in our free quote request: our team then proposes an audit tailored to your business.