Google Spam Update August 2025: Impacts and SEO Tips

Google announced a new anti-spam update to its search engine on Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Named the August 2025 Spam Update, it will be deployed across all languages and regions, with a process that may take several weeks (Google Search Status Dashboard).

The announcement was shared by the Google Search Central team on social media, particularly X (former Twitter), signaling direct communication toward SEO professionals. Unlike a Core Update, which broadly reevaluates quality signals, this update specifically targets abusive or manipulative content.

Spam Update vs. Core Update: Understanding the difference

A Spam Update does not target all websites but focuses on behaviors considered abusive:

• Mass-generated automated content
• Low-quality or duplicate texts
• Misleading redirects
• Artificial links intended to manipulate rankings

In contrast, a Core Update evaluates the overall quality and relevance of content, which can positively or negatively affect even compliant websites. Here, Google primarily aims to clean its SERPs of useless or misleading content.

Early Feedback from the SEO Community

On Reddit, several SEOs have already shared their observations:

• Some report positive signs, with previously invisible sites reappearing in the SERPs
• Others see a traffic recovery after drops related to the June Core Update
• A consensus is emerging: Google seems to prioritize low-value, unhelpful, or mass-produced content designed to manipulate rankings

One user summarizes the situation well: "Work on improving content that can be considered thin, scalable or for ranking purposes only not for users."

Concrete Impacts for websites and content creators

If your site is affected, no immediate action is recommended. Google itself advises waiting until the rollout is complete before drawing conclusions. Best practices remain the same:

• Prioritize original, useful content designed for users first, search engines second
• Regularly audit your pages to identify those that may appear “thin” or “artificially scaled”
• Follow Google’s official spam guidelines

If penalized for artificial links, note that any ranking benefits gained through them will never be recovered, even after cleanup.

Anticipating changes: staying agile in SEO

This Spam Update underscores the importance of closely monitoring algorithm changes. For SEO and marketing teams, this means:

• Monitoring traffic and ranking data throughout the rollout
• Comparing impacts with previous updates (e.g., June 2025 Core Update)
• Strengthening strategies around useful, well-structured, and technically optimized content

At Enodo, our tools like Butterfly (headless CMS) and Semantic (SEO editor) support this approach: producing strong content that follows best practices and adapts to future changes.

In conclusion: patience and vigilance

As with all updates, the effects of the August 2025 Spam Update will unfold over several weeks. Some sites will see increased visibility, others a decline. The key remains the same: invest in quality and user experience.

Quick Overview: August 2025 Spam Update

• Launch date: August 26, 2025, across all languages and regions
• Estimated duration: Several weeks
• Target: Low-quality content, link abuse, misleading redirects
• Difference from Core Update: Specific targeting, no global reevaluation
• Recommendation: Wait until the rollout is complete, then audit content and practices
• Note: Gains from removed artificial links are permanently lost