Just when SEOs thought things were stabilizing after the spring core updates, Google shook things up again with a major spam algorithm update. Officially dubbed the August 2025 Spam Update, this rollout stretched nearly a month and has left many marketers and business owners asking: what changed, why, and what should we do about it?
As SEO specialist here at Dogwood, I’ve closely monitored this update across my client sites. Below, I’ll walk you through the update, what Google says its goals are, what the SEO community suspects it targeted, and — most importantly — my own observations and takeaways from the past few weeks.
What Is the August 2025 Spam Update?
Google announced the August 2025 Spam Update on August 26, 2025, noting it was a global update in all languages that would take several weeks to complete. It officially finished rolling out on September 22, 2025, making it one of the longer spam update rollouts to date.
Importantly, this was not a core update. Instead, it improved Google’s ongoing spam detection systems, including its AI-driven system called SpamBrain.
Google describes spam updates as refinements to how they enforce their Spam Policies:
“While Google’s automated systems to detect search spam are constantly operating, we occasionally make notable improvements to how they work. When we do, we refer to this as a spam update.”
The Goal of the Update
Google rarely reveals the full scope of what an update targets, but the broad goals are clear:
- Protect search quality by keeping manipulative, low-value sites out of top results.
- Reward trustworthy content and sites that genuinely help users.
- Stay ahead of new spam tactics, particularly those leveraging AI or large-scale automation.
- Enforce link integrity by minimizing the effect of manipulative backlink schemes.
Click here for a full list of Google’s Spam Policies
What SEOs Believe This Update Targeted
Industry analysis points to several likely focal areas:
AI-Generated or Low-Value Content: These sites mass-produce content with little human oversight or original value.
Thin, Scraped, or Duplicated Content: Pages that offer little unique value or repeat existing content.
Link Spam & Manipulative Backlinking: This update made paid links, reciprocal schemes, and low-quality directory links riskier.
Parasite SEO/ Site Reputation Abuse: Third-party content hosted on a legitimate site just to “borrow” their site authority.
Classic Spam Tactics: Cloaking, doorway pages, and other deceptive tactics that have been and remain on Google’s radar. The update was global and broad, which explains the serp volatility many of us observed throughout September.
What I Saw Across Client Sites
As always, Google’s updates don’t affect every site equally. Here’s a candid look at what I observed across Dogwood Media clients and what other trusted SEO’s have reported (industries anonymized for confidentiality).
Early Impact (First 1–2 Weeks)
- Several sites saw quick drops in impressions and traffic (10–35%)
- Pages with thin “tips” or lightly optimized blog posts seemed most vulnerable.
- Search Console showed indexing fluctuations, with some pages dropping out temporarily.
Recovery & Rebound (Weeks 3–4)
- Clients with robust, well-maintained cornerstone content recovered more quickly.
- In fact, in a few verticals, we gained visibility because weaker competitors were filtered out.
- New, high-value blog posts published during the rollout often jumped up faster than usual, suggesting Google rewarded freshness plus depth.
Red Flags Noticed
- Sites with toxic backlink profiles were hit harder than usual.
- Engagement signals mattered: pages with higher time on page and lower bounce rates held steady, while “skimmed past” pages fell.
Lessons Learned & Action Steps
This update reaffirmed a lot of what SEOs already preach, but also underscored some urgent action items:
Content Audits Are Essential
- Thin or duplicate pages are a liability. Merge, improve, or remove them.
- Expand borderline posts with more depth, data, and original commentary.
AI Needs Human Hands
- AI tools are fine for drafting, but every piece must be edited, fact-checked, and infused with personal expertise. I will forever preach and practice this.
Backlink Profiles Must Be Monitored
- Toxic or spammy links are riskier than ever. Regular audits + disavows are non-negotiable.
User Engagement Should Guide Strategy
- Bounce rates, dwell time, and click-through rates are strong indicators of quality.
- If users aren’t sticking around, rankings won’t either.
Technical SEO Still Matters
- Crawl errors, Core Web Vitals, structured data, and clean indexing all remain critical for resilience.
What This Update Means for SEO Going Forward
If you take away one thing, let it be this:
Quick wins are disappearing. Sustainable SEO depends on authenticity, quality, and ongoing care. You cannot do it all with AI only.
- Mass-produced content is riskier than ever.
- Backlink shortcuts can drag you down instead of lifting you up.
- Updating and consolidating content is as important as creating new content.
- SEO now requires both technical rigor and editorial excellence.
And yes — patience. Recovery for affected sites often takes 4–8 weeks (sometimes longer).
SEO & Dogwood
The August 2025 Spam Update wasn’t as headline-grabbing as a core update, but it was just as impactful in many ways. It was both a challenge and an opportunity for my clients: some saw dips, but others gained visibility as weaker competitors were filtered out.
At Dogwood Media Solutions, our SEO work has always prioritized clean SEO that adds value to your audiences and is coupled with a great, technically functioning site. We will continue this practice and plan to double down on high-value, human-driven content and SEO practices that will stand the test of future updates.
If your site’s traffic has dropped recently, it may not be bad luck. Google’s Anti-Spam update could be telling you it’s time for a content and backlink checkup.
If you’re unsure how the latest Google updates impact your site — or you’re ready to strengthen your SEO strategy with proven, ethical tactics — we’d love to help. At Dogwood, we specialize in content that ranks, backlinks that build trust, and technical SEO that keeps your site healthy and competitive.
Let’s talk about how to grow your traffic and protect your rankings. Contact us today.
