What Google’s August Spam Update Means for Your Business

Google has just rolled out its latest Spam Update (August 2025), and unlike many previous algorithm changes, the effects have been felt almost instantly. Within 24 hours, businesses and marketers around the world were reporting sharp shifts in search performance — some positive, some not so much.

So, what’s going on? And more importantly, what should you be doing next?

Brands with useful, people-first, and locally relevant content are seeing stronger visibility in search results, with some even reporting significant gains in impressions and rankings.
Websites that rely heavily on automation, repetitive content, or doorway-style pages are experiencing steep declines in visibility, in some cases losing 25–300% of their traffic almost overnight.
Rankings across many industries are fluctuating day by day, which is common during spam update rollouts, making this a particularly unstable period for tracking performance.
In short, Google is doubling down on rewarding genuine quality and user experience, while cutting back on anything that feels manipulative or “spammy.”

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What can you do as best practice?

• Focus on quality: Review your content to ensure it genuinely helps your audience and meets Google’s “helpful content” criteria. If you need support, our team can run a full SEO & Content Audit.
• Be consistent: Make sure your brand messaging is aligned across your website, paid search, and social channels. We help businesses create joined-up digital strategies that improve both visibility and trust. 
• Think local: For businesses with a physical presence, clear, accurate, and locally relevant content matters more than ever.
• Review weak spots: If you’ve been hit, check for thin, duplicate or overly-automated pages and improve or remove them. 

The update will continue to roll out over the coming weeks, so expect some ongoing shifts in performance. Looking further ahead, it’s also important to think about how your content is discovered beyond traditional search. Our Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) services are designed to help your brand appear in AI-driven results and voice search, ensuring you stay visible as user behaviour evolves. You can also read our post explaining the difference between SEO, AEO, and GEO.

If you’d like to understand how this update could affect your business — and how to future-proof your visibility, get in touch with the Palm team via web@palm-pr.com. We’ll guide you through the changes and keep your brand discoverable where it matters most.