In the past, Google’s spam updates were generally well-received by the search marketing community. However, today’s announcement reflects a stark shift in sentiment within the search marketing and publishing sectors, which have been enduring six months of tumultuous updates and the contentious rollout of AI Overviews—seen widely as a feature that siphons traffic.
The response to Google’s latest spam update can only be overwhelmingly negative.
Not The Update Publishers Are Waiting For
Google’s March 2024 Core Update, spanning about 45 days, has left many site owners reeling from significant ranking declines. Despite Google discontinuing its Helpful Content system (HCU), those impacted by last year’s HCU are still awaiting a corrective update.
One frustrated individual tweeted:
“@JohnMu @searchliaison Can this update finally remove the sitewide penalties from last September’s HCU? Or are we waiting for another major core update?” Another shared their dismay with a touch of humor, posting a screenshot showing their web traffic dwindled to just six organic visitors:
“Google’s coming for my last six organic visitors 🤣 Bring it on! Let’s see if we hit zero.” Another voiced deep discouragement after losing 95% of their traffic due to previous updates:
“Honestly, no update can fix what’s happened. Removing Google Site Kit from my site—I can’t bear logging into WordPress and seeing constant, plummeting stats. Losing 95% of my traffic for no clear reason is demoralizing.” Reflecting widespread sentiment, another tweet criticized Google’s updates as fundamentally flawed:
“Your monopolistic practices are destroying the web. Each update kills more independent sites while boosting spam.” Another lamented:
“Google has turned many helpful sites into wastelands.” It appears Google’s latest update may have missed the mark. For those affected by last year’s changes, it may signal a shift in how Google defines site quality or relevance—leaving many hoping for a course reversal.
Backlash Against Pinterest and Reddit in SERPs
There has been notable dissatisfaction expressed regarding how Google ranks websites. One individual took to Twitter, expressing hope that the latest spam update would address Google’s tendency to prioritize Pinterest over other sites:
“Will this update finally prioritize my website over Pinterest pins when users search for brands?”
Another critique centered on Reddit’s prominence in search engine results:
“Reddit is dominating the SERPs with spam right now.”
Numerous others echoed this sentiment:
“It’s refreshing to see Google addressing spam in their update! Curious to see if Reddit’s visibility in search results will be affected. I find little valuable content there; Reddit seems to be flooding the search results with spam.”
These reactions reflect widespread concerns about the ranking algorithms favoring platforms like Pinterest and Reddit over other content sources.
What About The Site Reputation Update?
Site reputation abuse, where marketers exploit third-party websites to boost rankings quickly, remains a persistent spam. It serves as a shortcut to avoid the effort of creating and promoting a new site from scratch.
Recently, Google SearchLiaison addressed queries regarding whether the latest spam update included elements targeting site reputation abuse, as Google had previously announced. SearchLiaison clarified that this update did not incorporate algorithmic measures specifically aimed at tackling site reputation abuse at this time.
In a tweet, SearchLiaison emphasized:
“Once again, I want to clarify that we haven’t implemented algorithmic measures for site reputation abuse yet. Rest assured, when we do, we will announce it clearly. I won’t provide weekly updates on this, so please refrain from asking repeatedly.”
He further elaborated:
“Given this update’s standard nature—no blog post, no ‘FYI things to know,’ just a routine update on our dashboard—it’s important to recognize its focus. While I understand the interest, repeatedly asking about this won’t accelerate its implementation.”
These statements underscore Google’s approach to addressing site reputation abuse and managing expectations around future algorithmic updates that aim to combat this issue.
No Description Of Spam Update
Google only announces changes to its rankings if expected to have noticeable effects, making this update particularly noteworthy and impactful. The update will roll out over a week, adding to its significance.
While Google typically publishes blog posts detailing their spam updates, this time, there is no accompanying article specifying the targets of this particular spam update. This lack of information may contribute to the anxiety expressed in various responses to Google’s announcement.
Google Has A Sentiment Problem
Recent developments such as AI Overviews, the late 2023 Helpful Content Update, and subsequent March updates have collectively fostered a wave of negativity within the digital marketing community. The recent “leak” further exacerbated this sentiment. While the leaked data did not reveal new information, it validated long-held suspicions for some, leading to accusations of dishonesty against Google.
This negative sentiment isn’t confined to search marketing; independent web publishers and significant news organizations alike have also grown disillusioned with Google. The accumulation of discontent over the past year has reached a point where even the typically welcomed spam update is now met with skepticism and criticism.
