What You Need to Know About Google’s New Spam Update 2024

Google has been continuously updating its algorithms to provide users with the most relevant and high-quality search results.

In early 2024, Google announced a core update that included major changes to its spam policies. This update aims to further improve user experience by cracking down on spammy content.

What Is the 2024 Spam Update?

The 2024 Spam Update is a major algorithm change that Google implemented to combat different forms of spam, but more particularly on three black-hat SEO practices that have been increasing in frequency in recent years:

Expired domain abuse

Expired domains, or “dropcatching,” is the practice of purchasing and using a previously registered domain name to gain higher search engine rankings. This often involves redirecting these expired domains to other websites in an attempt to manipulate search results.

How to prevent this:

• Proactively monitor your domain’s expiration date and renew it before it expires.
• Be cautious when purchasing expired domains and make sure they have a clean history.

Scaled content abuse

Scaled content abuse, also known as “content spinning,” involves using automated tools to generate large amounts of low-quality content that is often plagiarized from other sites. This type of spam aims to trick search engines into ranking the content higher.

How to prevent this:

• Regularly review and monitor your content for any signs of plagiarism or duplicate content. Utilize tools such as Copyscape to ensure your content is original.
• Focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that provides value to your readers rather than trying to manipulate search rankings through spammy tactics.

Site reputation abuse

Site reputation abuse happens when a third-party website publishes content that is unrelated to the first-party website in an attempt to increase its own search rankings. This can also include posting malicious links or content on the first-party website without permission, damaging the site’s reputation.

How to prevent this:

• Regularly monitor your website for any unauthorized third-party content or links.
• Set up alerts for any changes in your website’s search ranking that may indicate fraudulent activity.

How Will the New Spam Update Affect Your Website?

If your website has been using any form of black hat SEO tactics or unknowingly engaging in spammy behavior, then your search engine rankings may be negatively affected by this update.

Penalties can range from a decrease in search engine rankings to even being removed from Google’s index altogether.

To avoid being penalized by this update, it is important to regularly review your website for any potential issues and make necessary changes. This can include:

• removing any low-quality or duplicate content
• disavowing any unnatural backlinks
• actively monitoring your website’s SEO performance
• ensuring your website has proper security measures in place

You may also refer to Google’s Spam Policies for more detailed information on other spammy behaviors to avoid.

Stay Compliant with Google and Provide Value to Users

Google’s new spam update will continue the ongoing battle against spammy websites and provide a better experience for users by delivering high-quality, relevant content in search results.

As a website owner, it is crucial to keep up with these updates and ensure that your website follows ethical SEO practices. This not only benefits your website but also contributes to a better overall online ecosystem.

To learn more about white-hat SEO techniques, check out our blog at https://www.ilfusion.com/blog.