Google has just announced its latest spam update, the June 2024 spam update. This update is expected to take up to one week to roll out completely. Google’s automated systems are constantly working to detect search spam, but occasionally, notable improvements are made to enhance their effectiveness. These improvements are referred to as spam updates, and Google shares information about them on their list of Google Search ranking updates.
One of the key components of Google’s spam-prevention system is SpamBrain, an AI-based technology that helps identify and prevent spam. As new types of spam emerge, Google makes regular updates to SpamBrain to ensure it can effectively detect and combat these spammy practices. Websites that witness changes in their rankings after a spam update should review Google’s spam policies to ensure compliance. Violations of these policies can result in lower rankings or even complete removal from search results. By implementing the necessary changes, websites can potentially improve their rankings if Google’s automated systems determine that they comply with the spam policies over time.
However, in the case of a link spam update specifically targeted at addressing link spam, making changes might not lead to an improvement in rankings. This is because when Google’s systems remove the effects of spammy links, any ranking benefits that these links previously provided to a website are lost. It is important to note that once the ranking benefits from these links are gone, it is unlikely that they can be regained.
The previous spam update, known as the March 2024 spam update, was implemented from March 5th to March 20th. These updates are a regular part of Google’s efforts to combat spam and ensure that search results are accurate and reliable for users.
About the author:
Barry Schwartz is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a New York-based web consulting firm, and runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog that covers advanced SEM topics. You can follow Barry on Twitter for more insights and updates.
In conclusion, Google’s June 2024 spam update is expected to bring improvements to the spam-prevention system and further enhance the accuracy of search results. Website owners should review Google’s spam policies to ensure compliance and make necessary changes if required. While these updates can result in changes in rankings, it is important to understand that the benefits from spammy links may not be regained once they are removed.
