Another significant change is taking place in Google Search.

The Google September 2026 spam update began on September 24, 2026. This update applies globally and across all languages. Google had stated that the rollout could take up to two weeks. Currently, the update appears as active on the Google Search Status Dashboard.

This does not mean that every website’s ranking will drop.

However, if your website has experienced a sudden drop in traffic, a decline in keyword rankings, or a change in the visibility of certain pages, it is essential to examine the site with this update in mind.

And there is one thing here that is most important.

Google is not looking only at spam links.

In modern search, content quality, manipulation, scaled content, and user value are also very important.

So, let’s find out how your SEO could be affected by the September 2026 spam update.

Google processes millions of web pages every day.

These include both useful content and spam.

Some websites try to manipulate search results instead of helping users.

For example:

• Creating very low-quality pages
• Repeatedly using keywords
• Creating fake or manipulative backlinks
• Publishing copied content
• They show different content to search engines and users.
• Generating large-scale, low-value pages using AI.

Google’s spam systems work to detect such practices.

The September 2026 spam update is an announced update to this spam-detection system.

This initial list is essential.

The arrival of a spam update does not mean that every website will be penalized.

If your website contains useful content and avoids spam practices, there is no need to make changes simply because of the update.

However, if the website’s growth relies on certain risky SEO techniques, it would be wise to review the situation.

So, when it comes to rankings, do not immediately jump to the conclusion that:

“Google has penalized my website.”

Look at the data first.

Suppose an article on your website ranked 5th on Google last month.

Now, it has dropped to the 15th position.

There could be several reasons for this.

It could be that:

• Google has updated its spam system.
• The competitors’ content has improved.
• The intent of the search changed.
• Your content has become outdated.
• A technical issue has arisen.
• Internal linking is free
• A new search feature has appeared in the SERP.

Therefore, a ranking drop and a spam penalty should not be considered the same thing.