Google rolls out August 2025 Spam Update: what UK marketers need to know

At a Glance

• Global spam update started 26 August 2025 at 9:00 a.m. PT (5:00 p.m. UK)

• Applies to all languages and regions, with a multi-week rollout

• No specific tactics named, but aligns to Google’s spam policies

• Expect ranking and traffic volatility while systems recalibrate

• Track Search Console metrics and avoid knee-jerk changes

Google has begun rolling out a new spam update that will affect search results worldwide. The company confirmed the release via the Google Search Central X account and the Search Status Dashboard, noting that the rollout may take several weeks to complete. For SEOs and site owners, that means a short period of turbulence as Google’s automated systems reassess pages for compliance and quality.

What Google has said

Google’s incident note states the “August 2025 spam update” applies globally to all languages and will take a few weeks to finish. No extra detail has been provided on the exact behaviours targeted, which is normal for spam updates. These releases are designed to harden Google’s systems against manipulative tactics and deceptive experiences, and they usually ship multiple times per year alongside broader ranking improvements. You can follow the official progress on the Search Status Dashboard and revisit the current Spam policies for Search.

Timing and scope

The update began at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on 26 August, which is 5:00 p.m. in the UK. Because this is a global, all-language update, UK sites will feel the impact in step with other markets. Multi-week rollouts give Google room to monitor impact and tune systems, so short-term rises and dips are common before rankings settle.

What to expect

During the rollout window you may see:

• Movements in average position for affected queries

• Variability in impressions and clicks from Search

• Shifts clustered within certain page types, templates or content groups

Resist overhauling content or templates in the middle of the rollout. Rapid edits can muddy the waters and make it harder to diagnose what is algorithmic fluctuation versus the effect of your own changes.

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How to respond

Focus on user-first quality and strict policy alignment rather than guessing the specific tactics in scope.

1. Re-audit against spam policies. Watch for thin or auto-generated content, deceptive behaviour, link schemes, hacked content and sneaky redirects.

2. Tighten technical trust signals. Ensure crawl paths are clean, canonicals are consistent, pages are safe, and site identity and advertising disclosures are clear.

3. Check link hygiene. Qualify sponsored, affiliate and UGC links correctly, and keep internal anchors natural and purposeful.

4. Improve usefulness. Consolidate near-duplicates, expand thin assets with clear expertise, and ensure pages answer the query directly.

5. Keep a change log so any edits can be correlated with performance later.

   
   

What to track

Annotate Analytics and Search Console with the official start time. Monitor impressions, clicks and average position at query and page level, then look for patterns across page types or clusters rather than reacting to one-off blips. Track competitor movement to distinguish site-specific issues from wider ecosystem shifts.

The bottom line

Spam updates are one part of Google’s broader ranking systems. Sites that avoid manipulative tactics and invest in helpful, trustworthy content are typically well positioned once the rollout completes and results stabilise. Expect some noise, communicate with stakeholders, and stay the course on quality.