The primary purpose of the March 2024 spam algorithm update was to refine the core ranking systems and contribute to the boosting of valuable information in the SERPs. The focus of the algorithmic changes was placed on expired domain utilization, abuse of authority, and excessive use of AI-generated content. How much did the process take? Close to fifteen days. Google announced that it would roll out its latest update on the 5th of March, which was then followed by a core algorithm modification, the implementation process of which is expected to be extended to April.
On March 20th, Google announced the end of the rolling out process of its latest spam update. And the effects could be noticeable immediately. Moz analytics volatility was at an increased level for hours after the update ended, and early data suggests that a good portion of sites that used AI generation for their content generation strategy were hit heavily by the latest update. A recent survey, for example, shows that almost 100% of sites deindexed after the last algorithm modification were using AI content, with half of these sites reporting AI-generated text on more than 90% of indexed pages.
Contents:
The March 2024 update is the first official stance made by Google against AI-generated content. Therefore, the impact on the SEO market has been more significant than what most industry experts predicted. Until the March spam update, Google did not have an express policy against AI content, with text written by Artificial Intelligence being treated, for the most part, like content written by human writers. However, given that AI texts violate the guidelines recommendations for original content, and with the increasing prevalence of low-quality AI scripts, action was expected.
With the introduction of the latest spam update, Google has boosted the capability of its SpamBrain AI system and also introduced three new spam policies that target Scaled Content, Expired Domains, and Site Reputation Domain Abuse. The first two policies came into use on the 20th of March, but the third one will only be applied until May. What is important to note is that the effects of the Spam updates are usually more noticeable than in the case of other algorithm modifications, as eliminating the spammy links does, in most cases, not generate immediate SERP improvements.
Even if the spammy links used in the website’s content strategy are removed, the previous ranking benefits will disappear. So, the effect will be a lower ranking, regardless of the immediate measures taken to remedy the problem. Given that just two days following the update, notable alterations in the indexing of analyzed websites were observed, particularly for the ones that use AI-related content, it’s reasonable to conclude that the widespread utilization of Artificial Intelligence in indexed websites is now nearly beyond stopping. So, it’s expected that the Google Index will suffer significant changes after the completion of the March core update.
Got New SEO Project?
Call us for fast support to this number.
Google’s overall expectation after this update is that the share of low-quality, unoriginal content in the SERPs will decrease by more than 40%. The March 2024 Spam update builds upon the foundation of the helpful content algorithm modification introduced in September 2023, whose impact on the SEO sphere has been immense. This latest update improves the algorithms that Google uses to understand if the content of pages is helpful and whether it was explicitly created to please the crawlers of the search engines.
The latest update works by preventing the SERP increases of websites that overly rely on automated-generated content in their SEO creation strategy. Moreover, it delists expired domains that now act as spam repositories. What could be observed in the days after the update, however, is an increase in manual actions taken against sites, which could be visible in the Google Search Console. Manual actions are different from automated SERP rank penalties, as the former does not appear in the Search Console. Plus, automated SERP penalties, if they happen concurrently with several updates rolling out at the same time, can be more challenging to analyze.
Like always, it’s all about the content available on your pages. The most effective way to ensure your business’s SERP growth is to create articles or product descriptions relevant to your field of activity that match the subjective interests of your target audience. Google’s algorithms are designed to boost legitimate sites that avoid keyword stuffing or the publishing of duplicate content. So, your best bet is to play by the rules and create quality articles or product and service descriptions that respect the E-A-T rules. Moreover, your site should benefit from quality backlinks from sites deemed domain authorities.
In addition, your site will need to be technically optimized and respect the Core Web Vitals ranking criteria introduced by Google in 2020. The on-page elements of your site will need to be optimized; you will need to address as soon as possible fluctuations in your web traffic, and not least, you will need to use a comprehensive search engine optimization strategy that addresses the core needs of your site. Are you active in a competitive field where websites are fighting for a limited market share? Then, to avoid making mistakes that will delist your site, you need to call in our white-hat SEO specialists.
Why should you use our services? Expertise. Our staff is experienced in the use of professional SEO software, and we can create a comprehensive strategy to recover your lost SERP rankings. Thanks to our expertise, we can anticipate the impact of SEO algorithm changes from the very first days of the roll-out, and we will create a technical and content optimization plan for your website that will make your services resilient to future algorithm modifications. We can be the best help for your organization and significantly enhance your profits, market share, and reputation.
About Author
Mihai C. Tudorache
I am the president and co-founder of GAMIT. My business administration background is important in understanding our client’s necessities, so my expertise includes building comprehensive and all-inclusive SEO strategies for lead results. Our advanced SEO solutions are developed through extensive analysis and complete SEO improvement audits.
