Picture this. You wake up one morning, check your website stats, and see traffic has dropped off a cliff. Calls are slower, enquiries have thinned out, and your once-reliable flow of leads seems to have vanished overnight.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Google’s August 2025 spam update has caused a stir across the web, and small local businesses are feeling it just as much as the big players. This isn’t one of those distant tech updates that only affects huge publishers. It’s about how Google decides which sites to trust and which ones to push down the search results.
The rollout ran from August 26 to September 22, and applied globally in all languages.
Let’s unpack what happened, why it matters, and what you can do to protect your business online.
So, what actually happened?
Google started rolling out the August 2025 spam update on 26 August, finishing around 22 September. That’s almost a month of movement in search results. Unlike the big core updates that adjust lots of ranking signals, this one focused on what Google calls “spam detection.”
In plain English, it means Google improved the way it spots pages that bend the rules. That includes things like copied content, keyword-stuffed pages, dodgy backlinks, or anything that tries to game the system rather than genuinely help users.
| 21 Sep 2025 | The rollout was complete as of September 22, 2025. |
| 26 Aug 2025 | Released the August 2025 spam update, which applies globally and to all languages. |
There’s another twist too. Around the same time, Google quietly stopped supporting the old “num=100” search parameter. That might sound geeky, but it matters because it changed how tools and SEO reports collect data. Many businesses suddenly saw drops in impressions or keyword counts in Search Console even when their real traffic hadn’t changed much.
It all led to confusion. Some people thought their site had tanked when in reality, part of it was just a data change. But for plenty of others, the hit was real.
What local businesses should be watching for
You might think this kind of thing only matters for bloggers or ecommerce giants, but local sites are right in the firing line.
Here’s where the risks often appear:
1. Thin or duplicated pages
If your site has lots of near-identical service or location pages, that’s a warning sign. For example, if you’ve got separate pages for every town or product but they all say more or less the same thing, Google can treat them as spammy.
2. Keyword stuffing and doorway pages
Old-school SEO tactics like cramming a keyword into every sentence or making hidden pages for search engines can trigger penalties now.
3. AI or automatically generated content
Lots of businesses have turned to quick AI content lately. The issue isn’t AI itself but lazy use of it. If it reads like filler, lacks local insight, or repeats what’s already everywhere else, Google is starting to push that content down.
4. Low-quality backlinks
Google didn’t label this a “link spam” update, but poor backlinks can still cause damage. If your links come from random directories, blog networks, or sites that exist purely to sell links, they’ll do more harm than good.
5. Misleading structured data
Some websites use schema markup to make their listings look better, but if it misrepresents the content or tries to trick Google, it’s risky.
6. False alarm from data changes
Remember the num=100 change. Your Search Console impressions may have dropped without your rankings actually changing. Always compare traffic and leads before panicking.
How to tell if you were hit
There’s no red warning sign from Google saying “you’ve been penalised.” You have to spot the signs yourself.
Check these areas first:
- Organic traffic from late August to late September
- Clicks and impressions in Search Console
- Keyword positions for your main search terms
- Whether specific pages lost rankings or disappeared
- Any crawl or indexing delays
❌
You were probably hit if:
Traffic dropped sharply in that window, several core pages lost rank, or you noticed a dip in calls and enquiries that line up with those dates.
✅
You were probably fine if:
Traffic looks steady, rankings only moved slightly, or you saw fewer impressions but no real drop in leads.
And don’t forget, some reporting tools show odd numbers right now because of that parameter change, so double-check before jumping to conclusions.
What to do if your traffic fell
If you think your site took a hit, don’t panic. Recovery takes time, but it’s entirely possible. The goal is to clean up your site and make it genuinely helpful again.
Step 1. Be honest with yourself
Do a quick audit. Look through your pages and ask, does this actually help a real person or is it just there for Google? Remove or rework anything that feels repetitive or low quality.
Step 2. Merge or improve weak pages
If you have lots of similar pages, combine them into one strong, useful version. Add fresh detail, local examples, staff quotes, real photos, reviews, or anything that makes it more human.
Step 3. Check your backlinks
Use tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to find spammy or irrelevant links. Disavow the bad ones or ask site owners to remove them. Focus on earning links naturally through genuine local partnerships or press coverage.
Step 4. Build real credibility
Google’s E-E-A-T model (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) still matters. Share your experience openly, show who’s behind your business, list awards or accreditations, and include customer feedback. Transparency builds trust both with users and algorithms.
Step 5. Fix technical issues
Fast loading speed, mobile-friendly design, clear navigation, and accurate metadata all count. Broken links or hidden text can hurt you more than you think.
Step 6. Be patient
Even after fixing issues, it can take weeks or months to recover. Google needs time to crawl, re-evaluate, and adjust. Don’t expect overnight results.
How to future-proof your site
If you’re not affected yet, now’s the time to strengthen your website so you stay out of trouble.
Here’s what works long term:
- Write for people first, search engines second
- Keep your content genuinely local and personal
- Avoid mass-producing pages just to target keywords
- Earn links naturally through community work or collaborations
- Keep your site updated, factual, and easy to navigate
- Watch for new Google policy updates about spam or site reputation
- Don’t rely on one traffic source; use social, email, and referrals too
A good way to think about SEO is like tending a garden. You don’t just plant it and walk away. You prune dead leaves, water the healthy plants, and keep an eye out for pests. Google updates are like the weather changing. You can’t stop the storm, but you can make sure your garden survives it.
Final thoughts
These updates always cause a bit of chaos. Rankings bounce, people panic, and forums fill with rumours. But underneath it all, Google’s goal is pretty simple. It wants to reward genuine, helpful websites and filter out the noise.
If your business puts real effort into providing useful, honest information for your customers, you’ll be fine in the long run.
So yes, the August 2025 spam update stings for some, but it’s also a good reminder to tidy up, refresh old content, and focus on what really matters – helping people find you, trust you, and choose you.
And if you’re unsure where to start, an SEO health check might help. A few small fixes today could save a lot of stress the next time Google stirs the pot.