Google Spam update hit hard

[bill_musk]

Google's August 2026 spam update is done rolling out (Aug 18 → Aug 21).

Anyone here got hit?


From what I'm seeing, one pattern stands out:
the sites that dropped hardest are the ones with almost no branded queries in Search Console.

Which kind of makes sense.
Zero brand searches = nobody is actually looking for you.
The site only exists because it ranks. Nothing else holds it up.

Sites with real brand demand seem to have moved much less, even with similar content.
Small sample. I could be completely wrong.

So I'm curious:

- did you lose traffic?
- how big was the drop?
- do you have branded searches in GSC?

Drop your numbers

[DemonitizedPorn]

Google's August 2026 spam update is done rolling out (Aug 18 → Aug 21).

Anyone here got hit?


From what I'm seeing, one pattern stands out:
the sites that dropped hardest are the ones with almost no branded queries in Search Console.

Which kind of makes sense.
Zero brand searches = nobody is actually looking for you.
The site only exists because it ranks. Nothing else holds it up.

Sites with real brand demand seem to have moved much less, even with similar content.
Small sample. I could be completely wrong.

So I'm curious:

- did you lose traffic?
- how big was the drop?
- do you have branded searches in GSC?

Drop your numbers

Fuck google!

It's been +20 years of people moaning about what google did and does.

Let me ask these question : '' Did Google Contribute a dollar to your startup capital for your business? '' Or, '' Did Google do any of the producing, coding or somehow help you with the labor? '' Or, '' Do you think Google gives a damn if your business fails and you end working for Amazon delivery? ''

So, if Google contributed nothing financially; nothing in labor and doesn't give a damn what happens to your business. ... They why do you continue to treat Google like it's some sort of business partner?

Seriously, maybe it's time everyone eat their words about '' adapt or die '' and start brainstorming some work arounds to Google.

[WiredGuy]

This update was brutal, normally when an update happens some of my sites go up, others down with a typical net zero sum. This update was all across the board a substantial drop. Sites that were new all the way to sites that were 20+ years old. Eugh.
WG

[Spicy Wraith]

You guys didn't build enough links.... this was a scaled content update

Only ones of mine that got hit are the ones I was lazy building links to

[cordoba]

So, if Google contributed nothing financially; nothing in labor and doesn't give a damn what happens to your business. ... They why do you continue to treat Google like it's some sort of business partner?

Seriously, maybe it's time everyone eat their words about '' adapt or die '' and start brainstorming some work arounds to Google.

Well, there is an issue of Google monopolizing search and allegedly engaging in questionable practices to preserve its monopoly.

I don't see anybody complaining about Google here, just recognizing that most affiliates depend on Google as it's the gatekeeper of the Internet and can arbitarily ruin people's livelihoods at the drop of a hat with each algorithm change.

Judging from the surprising lack of threads on Google updates here, I suspect many of the "why do you care about Google so much, adapt or die" posters never adapted to Google in the first place, or discovered that being on the first page of Google generates 1:10 conversion ratios as opposed to 1:1000 on a typical free tube site clone that relies on spamming social media or traffic trades. This is also why you get so many threads asking stuff like "my conversion ratio is 1:500, is this good?" and other posters replying yes I'd kill for that ratio.

[mopek1]

Google's August 2026 spam update is done rolling out (Aug 18 → Aug 21).


From what I'm seeing, one pattern stands out:
the sites that dropped hardest are the ones with almost no branded queries in Search Console.

For both adult and mainstream? I have found that google treats adult like it's a different being than the rest of search. Tucking it away at the kids table as an afterthought with each update giving it a bit more or a lot less. That it didn't follow the mainstream seo trends.

[mopek1]

Double Post

[mopek1]

You guys didn't build enough links.... this was a scaled content update

Only ones of mine that got hit are the ones I was lazy building links to

So we're back to that again. Now is it similar niche links or any links as long as it's in the general, overall niche?

[korshoidotcom]

intrested

[Spicy Wraith]

So we're back to that again. Now is it similar niche links or any links as long as it's in the general, overall niche?

Why would you ever build a non-relevant backlink?

[mopek1]

Why would you ever build a non-relevant backlink?

Meaning if I had a site with bdsm content, would it be valuable to buy a link from a high authority, general adult site?

[Spicy Wraith]

Meaning if I had a site with bdsm content, would it be valuable to buy a link from a high authority, general adult site?

If the site also has bdsm content then yes, but would be better if it were a bdsm or related type site as well. More relevant has more value.

I wouldn't link a site with nothing but something like asians to a site with nothing but bdsm though, it's not really relevant in that case... unless it's asian doing bdsm... do you see what I mean? Relevance makes the difference. Google builds a whole profile of your site now.

[The Porn Nerd]

If the site also has bdsm content then yes, but would be better if it were a bdsm or related type site as well. More relevant has more value.

I wouldn't link a site with nothing but something like asians to a site with nothing but bdsm though, it's not really relevant in that case... unless it's asian doing bdsm... do you see what I mean? Relevance makes the difference. Google builds a whole profile of your site now.

That's actually the key to the whole thing, and therefore some of the hardest things to do/find: sites that are a good match for your content.

[money biz]

Yes I lost 50% traffic. I removed popups for now. I noticed web 2.0s and parasite pages are deindexed. I used those for brand recognition not spam. I work in dating niche.

[mopek1]

If the site also has bdsm content then yes, but would be better if it were a bdsm or related type site as well. More relevant has more value.

I wouldn't link a site with nothing but something like asians to a site with nothing but bdsm though, it's not really relevant in that case... unless it's asian doing bdsm... do you see what I mean? Relevance makes the difference. Google builds a whole profile of your site now.

Yeah I get it. What about a site about Asians but it has one page on bdsm, and that page links to your bdsm site? I guess I'm wondering if that's what people are doing when they buy sponsored blog posts and create an article on another person's site about their website, creating a page that is niche specific, so that a relevant page from a high DA site for a backlink. Or high DA link list sites that have categories and then your site is linked from the appropriate category for your niche.

[Forsaken]

Yes I lost 50% traffic. I removed popups for now. I noticed web 2.0s and parasite pages are deindexed. I used those for brand recognition not spam. I work in dating niche.

Lost like 40%, but after 1/2 week the traffic recovered back, but is still big fluctuations these days, like I didn't see this before ... weird the last update

[V_RocKs]

I have found that Google is getting strict on a lot of different fronts.

Sites that don't have any policies or links to them getting hit. But then bouncing back when it is added and Google can see who owns the site.
Sites that have way too much fluff content instead of sticking to core fundamentals. De-indexed, blocked by robots.txt and the site comes back.
Sites with shit content that was okay to use 2 years ago, but now Google wants Pulitzer Prize level content for a page talking for water fountains. Rewrites and it comes back.

I do have some that get hit randomly and no manual actions to speak of... Do all of the above and more... they come back.

[Retiree]

I noticed I am getting more traffic from AI chats...so I guess AI recommending your web will be the new SEO. Wish it was bigger, though.

[bill_musk]

I noticed I am getting more traffic from AI chats...so I guess AI recommending your web will be the new SEO. Wish it was bigger, though.

same here. All my local lead webiste (non adult) receive tons of trafic from chatgpt. They all god killed yb google so its a hail marry

[Spicy Wraith]

Too bad there isn't a place where real webmaster can talk without all the losers trying to troll this place.. I'd be happy to share how I'm getting mass Ai citations. But I'm not sharing shit with many of the people that read this board, even though several of them are all the same gimp.

[Killswitch]

I haven't paid attention to a Google update since 2009. It's great not relying solely on Google traffic.

[TheLegacy]

This just goes to show diversity in SEO helps you break free from traditional methods and attract traffic from other sources maybe not considered due to inexperience or lack of knowledge. Getting a good SEO person who keeps up to date on these things will be aware of these updates and already has prepared their clients to reach out to new sources.

[2MuchMark]

I'll just leave this right here.



It's important.

[Retiree]

Too bad there isn't a place where real webmaster can talk without all the losers trying to troll this place.. I'd be happy to share how I'm getting mass Ai citations. But I'm not sharing shit with many of the people that read this board, even though several of them are all the same gimp.

Reddit is great for AI "visibility", chatgpt basically recommends everything that is popular on reddit. Non-adult, obviously.

[Spicy Wraith]

Reddit is great for AI "visibility", chatgpt basically recommends everything that is popular on reddit. Non-adult, obviously.

I don't operate on Reddit, though. I've made maybe 5 posts there in my life.

[WiredGuy]

Too bad there isn't a place where real webmaster can talk without all the losers trying to troll this place.. I'd be happy to share how I'm getting mass Ai citations. But I'm not sharing shit with many of the people that read this board, even though several of them are all the same gimp.

+1 for a private message board or group chat somewhere
WG

[Spicy Wraith]

+1 for a private message board or group chat somewhere
WG

Set it up, I'll be there.

[stepsisterstubedotcom]

Hey, I have kind of a brand new site, but seems after the update all impressions/clicks are vanished (GSC) but on analytics seems still users coming from google (no clicks even in case of web/images/videos panel on GSC). I am not even sure GSC is correct right now, have you faced similar?

[V_RocKs]

Too bad there isn't a place where real webmaster can talk without all the losers trying to troll this place.. I'd be happy to share how I'm getting mass Ai citations. But I'm not sharing shit with many of the people that read this board, even though several of them are all the same gimp.

I have given away so much information on this forum on how I have managed to make a very nice income. But it is like the old adage, "You can lead a horse to water..."

There are people like you, Wired Guy, Rabbits, etc that do well and there are those that smoke pot religiously, drink too much, dream too much and get nothing done.

That seems to be a rule with the world. There is a discord forum for GFY. But even there, lots of riff-raff. I remember when that dude that was super bisexual created an alternate GFY. It did something for a time... but it let "bros" into the upper forum who weren't actually doing anything worthy of being there. And it didn't allow people who weren't popular, but were the equivalent of, "when EF Hutton talks..."

It even had a catchy name because it was the anti-GFY. But I cannot remember it because it also was a failure. Destined from the start.