Google released its September 2026 spam update on September 24. The update applies worldwide and in all languages, and it is the fourth spam update Google has released this year. For SEO teams, the update itself is less interesting than the timeline: Google says the rollout may take up to two weeks.
When Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable asked whether that two-week estimate was a typo, Google’s John Mueller replied on Bluesky that it is “likely to take longer than some of the previous ones.”
What makes this rollout different
The previous three spam updates of 2026 each finished in under three days. That tight window gave marketers a clean before-and-after view of ranking changes. A two-week rollout stretches that window, and Search Engine Roundtable had already noticed ranking volatility around September 23, a day before Google made the announcement.
During a long rollout, your ranking shifts will blend with whatever else is changing in search, from competitor moves to other algorithmic activity. That makes attribution harder.
Google has not said what the update targets, and it has not linked it to the August 28 change in its site reputation abuse policy, although this is the first spam update since that policy change.
Why this matters for your reporting
If you see a visibility drop this week, resist the urge to call it a spam update hit. Until Google marks the rollout complete on the Search Status Dashboard, treat it as a watch period.
- Compare your rankings from before September 23 with the days after September 24.
- Check whether direct competitors moved in the same direction at the same time.
- Look at visibility outside Google, such as ChatGPT or Perplexity, before blaming one cause.
Google’s spam update documentation points to the same disciplined approach: review its spam policies, and remember that if you make changes, Google’s automated systems may need months to learn that your site complies.
A simple attribution framework
When a ranking drop lands mid-rollout, run three quick checks.
First, check your own data. If your target keywords began slipping before September 23, the spam update is probably not the trigger. Next, benchmark the competitive set. If an entire category moved, you are likely seeing broader volatility, not a site-specific penalty. If only your site moved, dig into your own pages and policies.
Finally, separate Google’s network from AI search. If Google rankings fell but citations in ChatGPT and Perplexity held steady, the problem is specific to Google. If AI visibility also dropped, look at the underlying content or brand signals.
For teams that want a clearer read, daily position tracking, competitor organic visibility comparisons, and AI citation dashboards can automate these steps across the full two-week window. General SERP volatility trackers can also show whether movement is hitting entire verticals rather than individual sites.
Source: Semrush Blog
