Google Spam Update Hits Final Phase — Ranking Volatility Spikes Oct 4-6
What happened
Google's September 2026 spam update — the fourth of the year — appears to have entered its final phase, with a third wave of ranking volatility hitting between 4 and 6 October.
The update launched on 24 September with an unusually long two-week rollout window, compared to the typical two-day rollout of previous 2026 spam updates. The first wave of impacts hit on 25-27 September, a second wave struck around 30 September, and now this third spike has arrived in the final days before the expected completion around 8 October.
Multiple ranking tracking tools — including SEMRush, Wincher, Sistrix, and Algoroo — all show elevated volatility over the weekend. Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Roundtable reports this is likely the final push before the update completes.
The update targets fake reviews, scaled content abuse, and doorway pages — all areas that directly affect local search results.
What this means for tradespeople
If your website traffic or Google Business Profile visibility has dipped over the past two weeks, this update is likely the reason. The good news: spam updates are designed to remove low-quality, manipulative content from search results. If your site is legitimate and you haven't bought fake reviews or used spammy SEO tactics, any temporary ranking dips should settle once the rollout finishes.
For tradespeople who've been doing things properly — building genuine Google reviews, keeping an accurate business profile, and maintaining a real website — these updates tend to be net positives. Your competitors who took shortcuts get pushed down, making your profile more visible.
What to do about it
- Don't panic if traffic has dropped. Wait until the rollout completes (expected around 8 October) before drawing conclusions.
- Check your Google Business Profile is accurate and up to date — hours, services, phone number, service areas.
- Keep collecting genuine reviews. Google's spam filters are getting better at spotting fake ones, and this update reinforces that legitimate review profiles are what gets rewarded in search.
Source: Search Engine Roundtable