Google's August 2026 spam update has caused significant search visibility drops for some publishers, including long-standing performers, and the update is now complete. Affected sites need to act before Q4 sales begin.
Google's August 2026 spam update caused 16.71% of top 10 URLs to fall beyond position 100, an 82% increase compared to a period without a confirmed ranking update, according to SE Ranking data.
Google has launched its August 2026 spam update and introduced generative UI elements in AI Overviews. Reddit's share of ChatGPT citations has also declined.
Google confirmed the August 2026 spam update, which began on August 18, 2026, completed its rollout on August 21, 2026. The update affects all languages and regions globally. This is the third spam update this year, focusing on combating spammy content in search results.