News · March 14, 2024
Google March 2024 Core Update: Spam Policies Explained
The Google March 2024 core update is a big change to how Google Search ranks pages, and it came with three new spam policies. Google announced both on March 5, 2024. The goal is simple: show fewer pages made only to rank, and more pages that people find useful.
What Google announced
On March 5, 2024, Google said it was changing several of its core ranking systems. It also said it was updating its spam policies. The two moves were announced together.
Google said it expects the work to cut low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 40 percent. That figure comes from Google, not from outside tests. Nobody outside Google can check it yet.
Google also warned that the rollout may take up to a month. During that time, rankings can move more than usual. A site that drops on day three may not be at its final position yet.
The three new spam policies
Google's written spam policies now name three more practices. Each one has a plain meaning.
Scaled content abuse means making many pages mainly to rank, with little value for readers. Google says it does not matter how the pages are made. Automation, people, or a mix of both can all break the rule. The test is why the pages exist.
Expired domain abuse means buying a domain whose old owner let it lapse, then using it to host thin content. The buyer hopes to borrow the old site's good name in search.
Site reputation abuse means putting third-party pages on a well-known site mainly to benefit from that site's ranking strength. The host site usually has little or no real oversight of those pages. Google said this policy takes effect on May 5, 2024, which gives site owners about seven weeks to act.
Who should worry
Most honest small sites are not the target. If you write for your readers, you are in the group Google wants to reward. Google said that a site making people-first content does not need to take special action for a core update.
You should look more closely if any of these fit you:
- You publish many near-identical pages, such as one template repeated for every city or product.
- You bought a domain that had another owner before you, and its old pages do not match your new content.
- You let outside writers, advertisers or partners post pages on your site without checking them.
- Most of your pages exist to catch a search phrase, not to answer a real question.
A drop in traffic after a core update does not always mean a penalty. Core updates change how pages are compared with each other. A page can fall because other pages got better, not because yours did anything wrong.
What honest sites can check now
Start with a short audit. It takes an afternoon for a small site.
First, read the spam policies once, start to finish. Compare each one with what your site really does. Be strict with yourself.
Second, list pages that say almost the same thing. Merge them, or rewrite each one so it has its own facts, examples and purpose. One strong page beats five weak ones.
Third, check every page on your site that someone else wrote. Ask who reviewed it, who is accountable for it, and whether it fits your main topic. If a section is mostly there to borrow your reputation, remove it or block it from search before May 5, 2024.
Fourth, check the history of your domain if you bought it second-hand. If the old content has nothing to do with your business, do not try to lean on it.
Fifth, add real detail. Name the author. Say how you know what you claim. Link to the primary source, such as a law, a statistics release or the official guidance. Readers and search systems both prefer pages that show where facts come from.
What to do if rankings move
Do not make big changes in the first days. The rollout can take weeks, and early swings may settle. Note your traffic and positions each week so you can see a real trend.
If you get a manual action, Google says it will tell you in Search Console. You can fix the problem and send a reconsideration request there. An algorithm change, by contrast, sends no notice. In that case, compare your pages with the people-first guidance and improve them one at a time.
Keep a simple log of what you change and on which date. When rankings shift later, you will know what you did and when.
Finally, remember that Google's own numbers are targets, not results. Wait for the rollout to finish before you judge what the update did to the web, or to you.