Google has released the December 2024 spam update one day after the December 2024 core update was completed and just days before the big year-end holiday break. This release likely surprised most of us, but at this point, I guess nothing should surprise us.
Google wrote, "Released the December 2024 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take up to 1 week to complete."
Google announced this on December 19, 2024 and 12 pm ET and the update should be done in about a week (around Christmas/Hanukkah time).
Today we released the December 2024 spam update.
— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) December 19, 2024
It may take up to 1 week to complete, and we'll post on the Google Search Status Dashboard when the rollout is done: https://t.co/L7n9n3Nh6X
December 2024 Google Spam Update Quick Facts
Here are the most important things that we know right now in short form:
- Name: Google December 2024 Spam Update
- Launched: December 19, 2024 at about 12:00 pm ET
- Rollout: Will take about a week to fully rollout.
- Targets: Sites violating some of the Google search spam policies.
- Does Not Target: This update does not target link spam, it does not target the site reputation abuse policy and some other policies.
- Penalty: It penalizes some of spam techniques that are against Google's spam policies.
- Global: This is a global update impacting all regions and languages.
- Impact: Google would not tell me what percentage of queries or searches were impacted by this update.
- Recover: If you were hit by this, Google said you should review its spam policies to ensure they are complying with those.
- Refreshes: Google will do periodic refreshes to the spam update. It can take many months to recover, Google said.
What Google Said
Google said this is a global update that applies to all languages. Google wrote, "Released the December 2024 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take up to 1 week to complete."
Google linked to its spam updates page which was updated on October 31, 2024 to read:
While Google's automated systems to detect search spam are constantly operating, we occasionally make notable improvements to how they work. When we do, we refer to this as a spam update and share when they happen on our list of Google Search ranking updates.For example, SpamBrain is our AI-based spam-prevention system. From time-to-time, we improve that system to make it better at spotting spam and to help ensure it catches new types of spam.
Sites that see a change after a spam update should review our spam policies to ensure they are complying with those. Sites that violate our policies may rank lower in results or not appear in results at all. Making changes may help a site improve if our automated systems learn over a period of months that the site complies with our spam policies.
In the case of a link spam update (an update that specifically deals with link spam), making changes might not generate an improvement. This is because when our systems remove the effects spammy links may have, any ranking benefit the links may have previously generated for your site is lost. Any potential ranking benefits generated by those links cannot be regained.
Video on December 2024 Spam Update Completing
I've been working on my YouTube skills, so here is a quick video I did on this spam update (I misspoke in the video and said December 20th, not 19th):
Previous Google Spam Updates
Here are the documented previous spam updates:
- June 2021 spam update on June 23, 2021 - one day rollout
- June 2021 spam update on June 28, 2021 - one day rollout
- July 2021 link spam update started on July 26, 2021 and completed 29 days later on August 24, 2021
- November 2021 spam update started on November 3, 2021 and completed 8 days later on November 11, 2021
- October 2022 spam update started on October 19, 2022 and completed 48 hours later on October 21, 2022
- December 2022 link spam update started on December 14, 2022 and completed 19 days later on January 12, 2023
- October 2023 spam update started on October 4, 2023 and completed 15 days later on October 20, 2023
- March 2024 spam update started on March 5, 2024 and completed 15 days later on March 20, 2024
- June 2024 spam update started on June 20, 2024 and completed 7 days later on June 27, 2024
- December 2024 spam update started on December 19, 2024 and should complete in about a week.
Tracking Tools On December 2024 Spam Update
With the December 2024 core update just finishing, it might be a tad hard to distinguish between the tail end of that core update and the start of the December spam update. But here is what we are seeing from these tools:
SEO Chatter On December 2024 Spam Update
Most of the chatter is around, how can Google do this so close to the holidays and right after the core update finished. But Google did tell us to expect more updates, more often - I guess.
Here is some of the chatter from here, WebmasterWorld and social:
Yesterday was a sad day. One of our websites that used to get 5000-6000 visits a day was reduced to just 2300 visits. Less than half. It's unbelievable. Most of our partners are complaining about Google's unfairness. I don't know anyone who is doing well during this time.
Oh my goodness.... brace yourselves for impact AGAIN.Spam updates are the worst. Oh you used the keyword 1 too many times. So now you have to change every page on your site, but do not use AI.
Just in time for the holidays, where even your SEO strategies get coal if they’ve been naughty.
Lets hope this one targets actual spam.
Listen up... I'm sure there's bandwidth to fit an HCU in tandem and go out to the New Year on a bang!
Google’s ‘Have you been naughty this year?’ update is here.
Friend: What you got for Christmas?Me: spam update
Are you going to take a break for the holidays or are you going to continue working? Just asking...
Lets hope this one targets actual spam.
it's thursday. get ready for more shuffling.
Lol , We sailed through Dec core update somewhow but spam update looks bad for us :)
Glad to see the December 2024 Spam Update is working... or not. Oof, some of these are dangerous as well. I'll be tracking these over the update... Eager to see if they drop or keep surging. pic.twitter.com/pBTih1FVAX
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) December 20, 2024
"Applies globally and to all languages. The rollout may take up to 1 week to complete."
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) December 19, 2024
Would love to know a bit more about what the update is targeting, but I guess we'll find out soon enough when sites are impacted... https://t.co/udAXL9F0mc
At this point… whatever
— Mordy Oberstein *Copy Nothing but Everything" (@MordyOberstein) December 19, 2024
SEOs ready to start the end of year holiday season 🙈 Thanks Google! pic.twitter.com/76GSHlhnPt
— Aleyda Solis 🕊️ (@aleyda) December 19, 2024
End of year deadlines, anyone? https://t.co/yoUTNqvuxh
— Lily Ray 😏 (@lilyraynyc) December 19, 2024
Google December 2024 Spam Update - prob for the worst offenders.. https://t.co/jcYR3WD5qV
— Len (@lenraleigh) December 19, 2024
I’m telling you Google’s still throwing us a bone here.
— Shaun Anderson (@Hobo_Web) December 19, 2024
Clear separation between spam and core updates that’s what we want 👏 https://t.co/ihMIDrJSvo
The comments are brutal. 👀 https://t.co/bG3BzvHFPX
— Brandon Saltalamacchia (@iambrandonsalt) December 19, 2024
Forum discussion at X, LinkedIn, Black Hat World and WebmasterWorld.
