Digital Pulse TEST Sept. This is a live article on ven.com.au.
On 24 September 2026 Google started rolling out its September 2026 spam update globally, in all languages. The rollout can take up to about two weeks.
It is the fourth confirmed spam update of 2026, after March, June, and August. Google has not named a specific new tactic. It describes this kind of release as a notable improvement to its automated systems for detecting search spam.
What it is, and what it is not
Spam updates are aimed at sites that break Google's spam policies. Sites that do can rank lower, or drop out of results, including generative surfaces. Google has not published a target list, and it has not framed this one as a link-spam update.
Trade reports covering 25 to 27 September noted elevated movement in search results. Search Engine Roundtable described a heated weekend after the 24 September announcement, with the rollout still unfinished. That is observation from ranking tools and publishers. It is not an official list of who Google meant to hit.
A wobble in traffic on those days can be this update, an unrelated fluctuation, or both. The rollout is a reason to look. It is not a reason to rebuild the site overnight.
How to read Search Console
- If organic traffic wobbles, pull Search Console by date and compare the days after 24 September with the weeks before.
- Look at pages, not just the site total. A spam update often shows up on a cluster of thin or lookalike URLs, not as a gentle dip across every page.
- Audit thin AI content, doorway pages, scraped material, and deceptive redirects against Google's spam policies.
- Clean sites usually need no campaign change. Wait for the rollout to settle before you rewrite the strategy.
If you are new to the report, our guide to Google Search Console covers the basics.
If Ven looks after your SEO
If Ven looks after your SEO, we are already monitoring this. You do not need to send a screenshot of a two-day dip unless Search Console looks sharply wrong on pages you know are solid.
From Ven
Want a second look at the dates?
We can compare Search Console around 24 September and tell you whether anything needs a change, or whether it is wiser to wait.
The bottom line
Check the dates before you change the site. A spam update that is still rolling out is a poor moment to delete half your content. It is a good moment to confirm you are not publishing thin, scraped, or misleading pages, and to watch Search Console until the rollout finishes.
Related reading: Search Console's new AI report and the impact of AI on SEO.
Also this week: what to audit after Google's AI Max Search upgrade and Meta's Creator Marketing Hub and Instagram Live ads.
Sources
- Search Engine Journal: Google rolls out the September 2026 spam update, 24 September 2026
- Search Engine Roundtable: the September 2026 spam update is rolling out, 24 September 2026
- Search Engine Roundtable: weekend impact, 25 to 27 September, 28 September 2026
- Google Search Status Dashboard
- Google Search Central: spam policies