Google Core and Spam Algorithm Updates – March 2024

Since the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) platforms like ChatGPT, AI-generated content has flooded the internet. Many companies saw it as a quick fix to increasing website traffic and search rankings and creating massive amounts of content in the blink of an eye.

The thing is you can’t fool Google. March 2024’s Google Core and Spam algorithm updates are aimed at tackling this Blackhat content technique head-on. Let’s dive into what these updates mean.

Cleaning up search results – by getting rid of spam

The truth is millions of AI-generated blogs and landing pages have made Google’s search results less than reliable. When customers search for something, whether it be for information or to buy a product, they don’t want to be faced with surface-level content written by AI. They want relevant, informative content that’s engaging and meets their needs.

In line with the search engine’s E-E-A-T standards, the March 2024 Google Core and Spam algorithm updates are changing the ranking system again. This time, they’re tackling low quality, unoriginal results. What does this mean? According to Google, its ranking system is targeting:

• Websites created to specifically match search queries that are not user-centric
• Websites and content that aren’t relevant or don’t help the user
• Websites and landing pages that have a bad user experience

Google is constantly shifting its algorithms to be more helpful for its users and these updates aren’t any different. However, this update goes beyond the ranking system for spammy content.

Calling out the latest Blackhat SEO techniques

For those of us working hard to create meaningful, engaging, relevant content, these updates couldn’t have come quickly enough – and Google recognises that. Google’s March 2024 algorithm updates specifically call out the following Blackhat techniques:

• Scaled content abuse – Yes, they’re calling the creation of hundreds, thousands, millions of pieces of AI-generated or human-generated content “abuse”. This isn’t new. Creating mass amounts of low-quality content to manipulate search rankings has always been against the rules. The introduction of AI and the exponential rise of scaled content has brought this to the forefront. Google is now strengthening policies to address this abusive behaviour directly – and websites using this content model will face consequences, including having their pages de-indexed from search engines.
• Site reputation abuse – If your website has a great domain authority and you’re capitalising on that by hosting low-quality content from third-party sources, Google views that as misleading. Any content produced simply for search engines and not to help people will be viewed as spam. While published as part of the March 2024 Google Core and Spam algorithm update it won’t be enforced until 5th May. This gives organisations time to remove that content before they are penalised.
• Expired domain abuse – There have been instances where new owners purchased expired domains and published mass amounts of low-quality content. Again, this is viewed as misleading. Google believes it misrepresents the old domain and leads people to believe they published the latest content. Expired domains that have been purchased and are now publishing low-quality content will be viewed as spam by Google.

What happens if I am penalised in the March 2024 Google spam update?

As of the writing of this blog, the March 2024 Google Core and Spam algorithm updates are only a few days old. That said, we’re already hearing about penalties hitting websites across the internet. So, what happens if your website falls under the latest spam rules?

In most circumstances where websites have fallen afoul of Google’s rules, penalties are applied to the domain. If you’ve suddenly lost a significant amount of traffic overnight – this could be you.

If you’re a site administrator, you may receive an email from Google saying your website has been penalised. If not, you can find out if you have penalties on your website by visiting Google Search Console.

These can be found under the “Security & Manual Actions” section, under Manual Actions. There will be instructions on what you need to do to resolve these penalties. Once completed, you can submit a reconsideration to Google.

While this is the most common scenario, this spam update looks a little bit different. There are instances of Google removing entire websites from the search index. Keep in mind that these algorithm updates will take a full month to roll out – so if you don’t see a traffic drop straight away, keep monitoring it over the next 30 days.

Carefully crafted, helpful content crafted by humans for humans

When ChatGPT was announced, Team Bamboo firmly stated its position on content crafted by AI. Our team of experienced, passionate writers create content for our clients that resonates with their readers. We use our tech experience and understanding to break down complex topics to be more digestible and approachable.

We understand that AI isn’t going anywhere, but it certainly isn’t the answer to getting ranked in search engines. Contact us to discuss Team Bamboo’s content marketing and why we’ll always be writing helpful content by humans, for humans.