Google Spam Update Rolls Out in Phases, Impacting Multiple Cycles

Google's September 2026 spam update continues to roll out in phases. The second wave of impacts hit on September 30th, causing significant drops for some websites. This phase is expected to be a two-week process, with multiple cycles of impact.

Glenn Gabe reported receiving emails from site owners who experienced huge drops on September 30th. He also observed that Reddit's AI translations are surging again in several countries after previously being impacted by the May and June updates.

The Google update is taking a longer time to roll out than usual, with an expected two-week timeframe. This has led to multiple cycles of impact, making it challenging for website owners to predict when they will be affected.