On July 26, Google announced the launch of a new update to its search algorithm. Called the Link Spam Update, it was to be an update to the most efficient algorithm for identifying and suppressing link spam more broadly and in multiple languages.
In parallel, Google posted a blog post titled A reminder on qualifying links and our link spam update. The post is basically a reminder on what types of links do not follow Google’s webmaster guidelines. It places particular emphasis on links of a commercial nature. And he goes over best practices, affiliate links, using the nofollow and rel = sponsored tags, talks about sponsored and invited posts, etc.
Finally, he announces the new Link Spam Update with this paragraph: “As part of our continuous effort to improve the quality of search results, today we are launching a new change: the update to combat link spam. It will roll out over the next two weeks and is even more effective at identifying and neutralizing link spam more widely in multiple languages. Sites that spam links will notice their position change in Search, as our algorithms will evaluate spam links differently. ”
And they add: “We recommend that website owners follow best practices on links, both inbound and outbound. It’s always better to focus on creating high-quality content and improving the user experience than just manipulating links. ”
Main data of the Google Link Spam Update
- Its name is Link Spam Update (not like Link Spam Update July 2021)
- Started on Monday July 26
- It was expected to take two weeks to implement
- It is a global and multilingual algorithm update
- It overrides spam links, but does not penalize them (it just ignores them instead of penalizing the website)
- Although the fact of ignoring the links will affect as a penalty.
- The use of the nofollow tag is correct and it is not necessary to use the rel sponsored tag
- Google will not report when these changes will affect search results
A two-week update that took four weeks
The truth is that the implementation of the Link Spam Update has taken Google a little longer. And the planned two weeks have turned into almost a month. On August 24, the end of its start-up was announced.
We do not know the reasons for this delay. Google may have encountered some unexpected problems during its implementation.
Effects of the Link Spam Update
It is very difficult to assess the impact of this four week update. During this time, there have been at least four possible search algorithm updates. Updates that have affected the positioning of websites in different ways. And the Link Spam Update is a very specific update difficult to assess.