The confirmed 2025-2026 core and spam updates with dates, how I check if a site was hit, and what Google actually says about recovery.
Google Search
Google core updates, spam updates, ranking systems and Search Console news, with what each change means for your site.
Google's September 2026 spam update finished on 8 October after almost two weeks. Here is what Google confirmed, what people saw, and how I'd check your site.
Google says core update recovery usually takes three to six months, and up to a year in slow cases. I explain why it takes that long and how I track…
Google's fourth spam update of 2026 may take up to two weeks. Here is what Google confirmed, how I monitor a site during it, and what to leave alone until…
Google is rolling out new aggregator and supplier units for searchers in Europe, and has stopped site reputation manual actions in the EEA. Here is what changed and what didn't.
Google's third spam update of 2026 rolled out in under three days. I cover what Google confirmed, how it compares with March and June, and how I'd check your site.
How YouTube ranks search results, what I fix first in titles, descriptions, chapters and captions, and how to get the same videos into Google and AI answers.
AI Overviews have pushed the answer box down the page, but featured snippets still show up. Here is how Google picks them, how I would go after one, and how…
Google's second spam update of 2026 rolled out worldwide in about two days. I explain what Google confirmed, how to check if it hit you, and how I'd recover.
Google's May 2026 core update finished on 2 June after almost 12 days. Here is what Google said, which dates I'd compare, and how to tell it apart from March.
Google started its second core update of 2026 on 21 May, just after I/O and six weeks after March ended. Here's how to watch it without overreacting.
Google swaps in its own headline or snippet when yours looks weak. I explain what causes it, how to spot it, and how I write versions Google keeps.