Google has just completed its March 2024 spam update rollout, which began on March 5 and lasted for 14 days and 21 hours. This update is separate from the ongoing core update that is still rolling out. While Google did not provide many specifics about the spam update, they did mention launching it alongside new spam policies. The update aims to improve Google’s AI-based spam-prevention system, SpamBrain, so that it can better detect and catch new types of spam.
Websites that have experienced changes in rankings after the spam update are advised to review Google’s spam policies to ensure compliance. Violations of these policies may result in lower rankings or even removal from search results. However, making changes may not necessarily lead to improvements if the update specifically targets link spam. In such cases, any benefits previously gained from spammy links will be lost when they are removed by Google’s systems.
Google also introduced three new spam policies as part of this update. The first two, scaled content abuse and expired domain abuse, went into effect immediately. The third policy, site reputation abuse, will be implemented in May. Following the introduction of these policies, there was a surge in manual actions related to pure spam issues. It is important to note that manual actions are conducted by humans at Google, while algorithmic updates like the spam update are automated.
With the core update, spam update, and manual actions, there have been significant changes to Google’s search results. However, it is advised to exercise patience before making any drastic changes to websites until the core update is completed. Google warns that more changes related to the core update are expected, so it is important to wait and see where a site will end up. Additionally, while the March 2024 spam update is finished, there may be future updates in store.
Overall, Google’s ongoing efforts to combat spam and improve its search algorithms are aimed at providing users with more accurate and relevant search results. Webmasters and site owners should stay informed about these updates to ensure compliance with Google’s policies and maintain their visibility in search rankings.
