Google Spam Update Phase Two Delivers Second Ranking Jolt
What happened
Google's September 2026 spam update — launched on 24 September — delivered a second wave of ranking disruption on 30 September and 1 October. Search Engine Roundtable reported that site owners saw sharp drops coinciding with this "Phase Two" hit, with particularly volatile swings in Google Discover and Google News traffic.
This is Google's longest spam update rollout to date — expected to continue until around 8 October — compared to the typical two-day turnaround of previous spam updates. The update targets mass-produced pages built for search traffic, expired domain abuse, manipulative link schemes, deceptive redirects, and doorway pages.
Google has not confirmed which specific spam type triggered the second wave, but Search Engine Watch described the Phase Two impact as "another ranking jolt" felt across a wide range of sites.
What this means for tradespeople
If you're a tradesperson with a straightforward website that clearly explains your services, lists accurate contact details, and doesn't use any shortcuts to game search results, you're unlikely to be affected.
The businesses getting hit are those using tactics like hundreds of near-identical pages targeting different postcodes (e.g. "plumber in [town name]" repeated across 200 pages with just the location swapped), or buying expired domains to redirect traffic. If a local SEO agency built your website and you're not sure what's on it, this is a good time to check.
For tradespeople doing things properly, this update is positive — it clears out spammy competitors who've been gaming their way above you in local search results.
What to do about it
Check your website traffic over the past week. If you use Google Search Console, look for any sudden drops in impressions or clicks between 30 September and 2 October.
If you've noticed a drop, review your website for doorway pages — pages that exist only to rank for specific locations without offering genuinely useful content. Remove or consolidate them into a single, comprehensive service area page.
If your traffic is stable, there's nothing to do. Keep building genuine reviews and useful content — Google's direction of travel is consistently rewarding businesses that do things properly.
Source: Search Engine Roundtable