The Google spam update in September 2024 hit hard. If your clicks suddenly dropped, this might be why.
No warning. No explanation. Just a sharp dip in traffic that makes you question everything.
But don’t panic. We’re here to walk you through what’s changed, who’s affected, and what to do if your site’s taken a hit. Spoiler: if you’ve ever dabbled in dodgy SEO tactics, it’s time for a clean-up.
What’s the Google Spam Update, Anyway?
Spoiler: Google won’t tell you. The only sign is a sudden drop in clicks in Search Console.
Pro tip: don’t look at impressions. They don’t pay the bills. Look at clicks. If your numbers fell off a cliff, it’s time to investigate.
How Do You Know If You’ve Been Hit?
Google regularly tweaks its algorithm to keep search results useful. A spam update is when they roll up their sleeves and clear out websites that are using shady tactics to game the system.
And these aren’t new tricks – they’re the same grey hat methods that dodgy SEO people used to push back in the late 2000s. We avoided them then, and we avoid them now. Why? Because they always come back to bite you.
Grey Hat? More Like Grey Mess.
Those “clever tricks” from the 2000s? They’re dinosaurs. Stop feeding them. We’ll help you clean up the mess and get back in Google’s good books.
What Google’s Targeting (a.k.a. the Naughty List)
Here’s the stuff Google’s cracking down on. If you spot any of these on your site, sort them ASAP:
Cloaking and sneaky redirects – showing Google one thing, your visitors another.
Doorway pages – dozens of near-identical pages stuffed with keywords.
Expired domain abuse – buying old domains just for their authority.
Hidden text/links – the old “white text on white background” trick. Yes, people still do it.
Keyword stuffing – making your page unreadable with endless keywords.
Scaled AI spam – pumping out hundreds of low-quality AI posts with zero real value.
Scraped content – copying someone else’s work like it’s homework.
Reputation abuse – letting any old rubbish get published on your site for traffic.
Thin affiliate content – copy-paste product descriptions with nothing extra.
Misleading buttons – fake downloads or dodgy “click here” nonsense.
User-generated spam – junk comments and forum posts you haven’t tidied up.
Basically, if it feels sneaky, spammy, or lazy… Google’s onto it.
No Gimmicks. No Nonsense.
We don’t do smoke and mirrors. Pick & Fix gives you steady, long-term wins — not dodgy quick fixes that fall apart next week.
What To Do If You’ve Been Hit
Right. Time to roll up your sleeves.
Check clicks in Search Console. If they’re down, you’ve got work to do.
Audit your site. Be honest. Are some of your pages thin, duplicate, or pointless?
Fix it. Combine doorway pages into one useful page. Delete junk. Rewrite with value.
Tidy up comments. Clear spammy posts and block future ones.
Improve affiliate content. Add reviews, photos, comparisons, tips – not just the sales blurb.
Keep a record. Note what you changed. You’ll want it when monitoring recovery.
Be patient. Recovery can take weeks or even months.
The Digital Fixers Takeaway
Google isn’t punishing good content. It’s targeting cheats. If your content is helpful, original, and written for people rather than bots, you’re in the clear.
But if you’ve taken shortcuts (or your “SEO guy” did in 2014), this update might be behind your drop in traffic.
Not sure if your site is clean? That’s exactly what we cover in the Pick & Fix Membership.
We’ll check your site, find any grey-hat issues, and help you fix them step by step. No jargon. No stress.
Join Pick & Fix – Because Cleaning it up properlu now saves you a headache later!
Final Word: Don’t faff about with shortcuts. Build content that helps people, and Google will reward you. Spammy tricks? They’re history.
Don’t Panic. Seriously.
Your clicks dip, you freak out, we fix it. That’s the deal. Join Pick & Fix, you’ve got two bossy tech mums in your corner.
