Intro
Google's announcement of the June 2024 spam update has drawn significant criticism, with some even suggesting that Google's definition of SPAM is: Small Publishers Are Meaningless.
Discontent Among Publishers
Traditionally, Google's spam updates have been welcomed by the search marketing community. However, the current mood is sour, exacerbated by six months of disruptive updates and the controversial AI Overviews feature, which is seen as reducing web traffic.
Community Reactions
The response to the spam update has been overwhelmingly negative:
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Persistent Issues from Previous Updates: Many site owners affected by the March 2024 Core Update and previous Helpful Content Update (HCU) are still experiencing significant ranking issues.
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Tweet Reactions: Users have expressed their frustration on social media. One tweeted about losing nearly all organic visitors, while another mentioned being demoralized by a 95% traffic loss.
"@JohnMu @searchliaison can this update remove the sitewide classifier still applied to sites since last September HCU? Or do we need to wait for a larger core update?"
"Google is coming after my last 6 organic visitors🤣 Bring it on! Let’s see if we get to 0."
"Honestly, it doesn’t matter what update you have under your sleeve. I’m uninstalling Google Site Kit from my site. Seeing constant, declining charts and figures every time I log into WordPress is demoralizing. They remind me that I’ve lost 95% of my traffic for no reason at all."
Concerns Over Rankings and Content Quality
Many believe Google’s updates are harming independent websites while boosting spam. Users have criticized Google for consistently ranking platforms like Pinterest and Reddit highly, even when the content quality is perceived to be low.
"Does this update mean that Google will start to show my website when users make a 'brand search' instead of my pins on Pinterest?"
"Reddit is the only spam in the SERP right now."
Addressing Site Reputation Abuse
Site reputation abuse, where content is published on third-party websites to leverage their reputation for quick rankings, remains a concern. Google Search Liaison confirmed that the June spam update does not include the algorithmic component targeting site reputation abuse.
"For the third time now, I’ll say again, I have every confidence that when we’re acting on site reputation abuse algorithmically, we’ll say that. It’s not right now."
Lack of Detailed Guidance
Unlike some previous updates, Google has not published a detailed blog post explaining the specifics of the June 2024 spam update. This lack of transparency has contributed to anxiety and skepticism within the digital marketing community.
Growing Negative Sentiment
The combination of recent updates, the AI Overviews feature, and perceived issues with the Helpful Content Update have created a pervasive negative sentiment towards Google. Both independent publishers and major news organizations have expressed discontent.
Conclusion
The June 2024 spam update, which would typically be welcomed for improving search quality, is now met with skepticism and complaints due to ongoing issues and perceived negative impacts on website rankings. As the update rolls out, webmasters are advised to monitor their site metrics closely and remain cautious about potential impacts.
