Google's August 2025 Algorithm Update Targets Spam, Leaves Webmasters Assessing Impact
Google has recently concluded its August 2025 algorithm update, leaving webmasters eager to assess the impact on their sites. The update, aimed at combating spam, has been felt across various sectors of the web.
To evaluate the update's effect, Google recommends checking the 'Clicks' metric in the 'Performance' report of Search Console. This will provide a clear indication of any changes in traffic.
The update targeted several spam practices, including cloaking, doorway abuse, and keyword stuffing, as outlined in Google's spam policies on the Search Central portal. Websites that relied heavily on manipulative tactics, such as affiliate sites with numerous recommendation links and little substance, content farms, and doorway pages, experienced significant declines in traffic. This was due to Google's enhanced SpamBrain AI system, which has been more effective in identifying and penalizing spammy content and low-value pages.
The update also coincided with Google's cancellation of the '&num=100' query parameter, which may have initially made it confusing to assess the update's impact in Search Console.
Google's spam updates, including the recent August 2025 update, target spammy web pages and are automated, with no penalty message in Search Console. While recovery is possible after addressing the root cause, it may take several months and is not tied to a core update.
