Google’s Updated Spam Policy

 – Repeated Manipulation Could Lead to Removal from Search

Google has recently updated its documentation on spam policies, introducing several notable changes worth discussing.

1. Manipulating Search Rankings = Spam

Google now explicitly states in its updated guidelines:

“Content designed to deceive users or manipulate our Search systems in order to rank highly is considered spam.”

While it’s no surprise that deceptive content is classified as spam, the emphasis on manipulation to improve rankings touches on a significant portion of web content today.

2. Removed: Links as a Factor for Determining Relevancy

This change in wording raises eyebrows. Google removed references to links playing a role in determining content relevancy.

While this could be a simple update for brevity, I suspect otherwise. It’s possible Google is placing greater reliance on vector search technology, especially after recent advancements in its machine learning architecture. Announced in February 2024, these advancements enable Google’s large language models to process larger contexts and more text. This, combined with systems like RankBrain, DeepRank, and RankEmbed BERT, could signify a shift towards vector spaces over traditional PageRank algorithms. Notably, the latest API files (version 0.6.0) showcase document chunking capabilities, further enabling the use of vector search to determine content relevancy.

3. Clarified Site Reputation Abuse Policies

Google has provided more clarity on site reputation abuse, a relatively new aspect of its spam policy. This was first enforced through manual actions in May 2024, targeting third-party coupon domains. Algorithmic enforcement is expected soon, though it hasn’t been fully rolled out yet.

Here’s what changed:

• Removed: “Such third-party pages include sponsored, advertising, partner, or other third-party pages that are typically independent of a host site’s main purpose or produced without close oversight or involvement of the host site, and provide little to no value to users.”
• Added: “Close oversight or involvement is when the first-party hosting site is directly producing or generating unique content (e.g., via staff directly employed by the first-party or freelancers working for the staff). It does not include third-party services (such as ‘white-label’ or ‘turnkey’) that focus on redistributing content primarily for manipulating search rankings.”

Additionally, the example of what doesn’t constitute site reputation abuse was changed from “coupons listed with close involvement of the hosting site” to “coupons sourced directly from merchants and other businesses that serve consumers.”

This suggests that if a site (such as a newspaper) directly sources and manages coupon content, it’s acceptable. However, if a site outsources this to third parties under a subdomain, it’s likely considered site reputation abuse—leveraging the site’s authority for ranking purposes.

4. Repeated Spam Policy Violations Could Lead to Removal from Search

A new section on policy circumvention targets site owners who consistently create content designed to manipulate search rankings rather than serve their audience. This addition gives Google the potential to quietly and without warning remove sites or sections from Search for repeated manipulation attempts.

With these changes, it seems we’re entering a new era in search—one where repeated violations may lead to severe consequences, including total removal from Google’s index. Interesting times may lie ahead.