My Take on Google’s August 2025 Spam Update

When Google announced its August 2025 Spam Update on August 26th, my reaction was a mix of curiosity and anticipation.

As someone who has worked in SEO for over a decade, I know spam updates are never just “background noise” they send real ripples through search results, and for some businesses, those ripples can feel like tidal waves.

This particular update is the first spam-focused adjustment since December 2024, and the first algorithmic shake-up since the June 2025 core update.

Google has made it clear: the rollout is global, in all languages, and expected to take several weeks. And within just 24 hours, I started seeing evidence of its impact.

The Businesses Behind the Numbers

What really stands out to me with this update is the human side. Behind every graph showing traffic dips or boosts, there’s a business owner, a marketing manager, or an entrepreneur watching their livelihood shift in real time.

On SEO forums, I saw comments like:

A 300% traffic drop reported by one site owner. They had already been hit hard by the July core update, and this spam update seemed to pile on. From what I can gather, this business relied heavily on low-quality content and thin affiliate-style pages.

For them, this wasn’t just a blip in Analytics it meant leads dried up overnight, and they were left scrambling to figure out what went wrong.

On the flip side, another marketer noted a 150% boost to a specific page. They’d invested in well-researched, authoritative content on a competitive topic. While one page soared, another part of their site saw more modest gains (10–15%).

This tells me the update wasn’t blanket punishment, it was a careful recalibration, rewarding pages that actually solve user problems.

These two examples highlight the polarity of SEO in 2025: sites cutting corners get exposed, while sites doubling down on expertise and user value get rewarded.

Why Spam Updates Matter

Spam updates aren’t just Google cracking down on obvious black-hat tactics like cloaking, keyword stuffing, or link farms. In 2025, “spam” also means content that looks fine on the surface but doesn’t truly help users. That includes:

• AI-generated fluff churned out with no human editing.

• Duplicate or scraped content spread across multiple domains.

• Doorway pages that exist only to funnel traffic, not provide value.

• Manipulative link-building schemes designed to game authority.

  
  

For businesses, this means Google is doubling down on what I call the “substance test.” If your content can’t stand up to human scrutiny, if it’s there just to take up space, it’s at risk.

My Advice If You’ve Been Hit

If you’ve noticed a dip since late August, here’s the approach I recommend:

1. Audit Your Backlinks

   
   

   Use tools like SE Ranking or Google Search Console to identify spammy or irrelevant backlinks. If you’ve been overly aggressive with link-building, now’s the time to clean house. Disavowing toxic links can protect you from long-term harm.

   
   

2. Review Content Quality

   
   

   • Do you have blog posts or landing pages that say very little, just rehashing existing information?

   • Do you have AI-generated content with no human oversight?

   • Are you answering real questions in depth, or just targeting keywords?

     
     

   One small e-commerce store I’ve worked with recently failed this test. They had dozens of “SEO blog posts” that were essentially filler, and their organic traffic flatlined after this update.

   
   

   Our recovery plan is to prune and merge thin pages, then re-invest in authoritative content written with customers in mind.

   
   

3. Check for Technical Spam Signals

   
   

   Things like cloaked redirects, doorway pages, or hidden text may seem old-school, but I still see them crop up. Google’s spam filters are ruthless on this front.

   
   

4. Focus on E-E-A-T

   
   

   (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).This is what saved the site that saw a 150% page boost. They published content written by someone with real expertise, backed it up with case studies, and cited reputable sources. Google rewarded that authenticity.

   
   

5. Be Patient, But Proactive

   
   

   Spam updates roll out over weeks, meaning your traffic might fluctuate until things stabilise. Don’t panic and start making random changes. Instead, document the shifts, make sensible cleanups, and focus on long-term improvements.

   
   

   

   
   

My Closing Thoughts on Google’s August 2025 Spam Update

The August 2025 Spam Update reinforces a truth I’ve believed since the start of my career: SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.

Businesses chasing quick fixes, whether it’s pumping out AI text or building shady backlinks, will always be on shaky ground. But those who invest in real value, authenticity, and user experience will come out stronger.

If you’re a small business owner reading this, don’t think of this update as a punishment. Think of it as a reminder to build a digital presence that truly represents you. Clean your house, focus on quality, and know that while updates come and go, the fundamentals never really change. If you are concerned about how the update has effected your website book a 20min chat with me today.