Google has completed the rollout of its December 2024 spam update after a seven-day release cycle. The launch began on December 19, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET and concluded on December 26, 2024. This was a broad spam update, not an update specifically targeting links, marking a significant development in the way Google handles unwanted content on its search results.
This update had an immediate impact, with many site owners reporting deindexing and ranking drop issues within the first few days, and the situation remained tense until after Christmas. The impact of this update appears to be some of the most notable we've seen in a long time, and it came at a particularly difficult time of year for updating search results.
Fast Facts About the December 2024 Spam Update
Here is the main information to remember about this update:
- Nom : December 2024 Spam Update
- Launch : December 19, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET
- Completion: December 26, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. ET
- Targets: Sites violating certain Google anti-spam policies.
- Not targeted: This update is not aimed at link spam or site reputation abuse.
- Penalties: It punishes certain spam techniques contrary to Google guidelines.
- Global : This is a global update affecting all regions and languages.
- Impact : Google has not revealed what percentage of queries were affected by this update.
- Recovery : If you have been impacted, Google recommends reviewing its anti-spam policies to ensure compliance.
- Refreshments: Periodic refreshes of this update will be carried out; recovery may take several months.
What Google said
Google has confirmed that this update is global and affects all languages. During the launch, Google mentioned: “We have rolled out the December 2024 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. Deployment may take up to a week.”
On December 26, Google announced that this update was now complete.
Although Google's automated search spam detection systems are always operational, we sometimes significantly improve their operation. When this happens, we call it a spam update and share it on our Google Search Ranking Updates list.
Sites that notice a change after a spam update should review our policies for compliance.
More info on the December 2024 spam update
As mentioned, this update affected many site owners, leading to heated discussions within the SEO community. Comments and analyzes appeared on different platforms, many claiming that this update encouraged certain types of spam instead of punishing them.
December 2024 Spam Update Tracking Tools
A week into the update, a few trackers are showing significant movements compared to the main December update. Here are some illustrations of the variations noted:
Algoroo:
Wincher :
Semrush :
Previous Google Spam Updates
Here's a look at past spam updates:
- June 2021 Spam Update – June 23, 2021
- July 2021 Spam Update – July 26, 2021
- October 2022 Spam Update – October 19, 2022
- March 2024 Spam Update – March 5, 2024
- June 2024 Spam Update – June 20, 2024
- December 2024 Spam Update – December 19, 2024
Discussions on this topic continue on forums like X, LinkedIn, Black Hat World and WebmasterWorld.
Takeaways
- The Google Spam update rollout lasted from December 19 to 26, 2024.
- It mainly affected sites violating Google's anti-spam policies, without targeting link-related spam techniques.
- Site owners should review Google's spam policies to ensure compliance after this update.
In short, this update raises questions about Google's strategy against spam and how it can influence the work of website managers around the world. It is essential to keep in mind that following developments in search algorithms can not only help you better understand fluctuations, but also help you adapt your content strategy. Whether you are a simple user or an SEO professional, this update pushes us to think about the future of SEO and anti-spam measures.
- Source image(s) : www.seroundtable.com
- Source : https://www.seroundtable.com/google-december-2024-spam-update-done-38641.html
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