What SEOs are actually reporting

Marie Haynes said on X that she has seen a big increase in requests for help with manual actions, going from essentially none to several per week. She added that it is nowhere near the pre-Penguin era, and that the sites she sees are mostly legitimate, long-standing businesses. SEO Daniel Foley Carter said manual actions are appearing in many places and linked the trend to scaled content abuse, shortcuts, and businesses cutting SEO spend. The Search Engine Roundtable post also reviewed Google Search Central help threads and found a cluster of recent cases about major spam problems, thin content, pure spam, scaled content abuse, and a transparency action.

Keep the limits in mind. Neither Google nor Search Engine Roundtable has published a total, and two AI tools that were asked to review the same forums said complaints were higher but not a huge spike. Treat this as an early warning, not a confirmed trend. It also lands right after the September 2026 spam update finished rolling out, so many sites are already looking closely at their data.

A manual action is different from an algorithm hit

An algorithm update like the spam update changes rankings automatically and there is no message waiting for you. A manual action is a human reviewer applying a penalty, and Google tells you about it in Search Console. That difference matters for your diagnosis. If you see a traffic drop and no notice, you are dealing with an algorithm change and the recovery work is about quality over time. If there is a notice, the fix is specific, and you have to prove it to Google with a reconsideration request.

Foley Carter claims some sites lose 90 percent or more of their traffic overnight after a manual action. That is his claim, not a Google figure, but it shows why checking early is worth the five minutes.

Why the causes overlap with what Google already warned about

The action types being discussed, such as scaled content abuse, thin content, and pure spam, are not new rules. They are the same trust problems we have covered in recent posts. Google called fabricated bylines deception in our fake author warning post, and it expects a human to check AI drafts, covered in the AI content fact-check rule. Publishing unreviewed AI pages in bulk is the fastest way to land in one of these buckets.

Where SEO, AEO, and GEO meet

A manual action does not only hurt classic rankings. Answer engines and AI Overviews draw from pages Google trusts, so a flagged site is a weaker source everywhere. Cleaning up thin and scaled pages is one job that protects your rankings, your answer box chances, and your AI citations together. That is why we run SEO, AEO, and GEO as one framework instead of three separate tasks.

Your manual action check, in order

1. Open the report. In Search Console, go to Security and Manual Actions, then Manual Actions. Check every property you own, including the domain property and any subfolders.
2. Read the exact wording. Note whether the action is site-wide or partial, and which spam policy it names.
3. Find the pattern, not just the example. Google’s sample URLs are illustrations. Search your site for the same template, topic, or content type and fix all of it. Two forum cases show that removing thousands of URLs was not enough when the underlying problem remained.
4. Remove or rewrite, then document it. Keep a dated list of what you deleted, merged, noindexed, or rewritten, with real author names and facts a human has verified.
5. Submit one honest reconsideration request. Explain what was wrong, what you changed, and how you will prevent it. Avoid filing repeat requests before you have fixed more.
6. Set a monthly check. Add Manual Actions to your regular reporting so a notice never sits unseen.

The bottom line

The reports of more manual actions are early and unconfirmed, but the downside of ignoring them is large and the check is quick. Look in Search Console now, fix the whole pattern if you find a notice, and keep your content human-reviewed and honestly attributed so you stay out of the penalty buckets in the first place.

If you want a second pair of eyes, our SEO services include a Search Console and spam-policy review. You can also see how we connect SEO, AEO, and GEO on our homepage, or browse more articles by topic.

The update is over, so the guessing can stop

For two weeks, every ranking swing came with the same question: is this the update, or is this noise? That question gets easier to answer this week. The rollout started on September 24, hit a heavy weekend on September 28, a second phase on September 30, and a third burst between October 4 and 6. Search Engine Roundtable reported it finished on October 8. If you missed the build-up, our posts on the September 2026 spam update and the final phase of the rollout cover the timeline.

What Google has said, and what it has not

Google called this a normal spam update. It applies to all languages and locations and targets sites that violate its spam policies, and Google did not announce any policy changes alongside it. It is the fourth spam update of 2026, after March, June, and August. Google also would not say what share of queries were affected.

The part that matters most is the recovery guidance. Google says that if you were hit, reviewing the spam policies and fixing issues can help, but its systems may need months to learn that your site now complies. That means a finished rollout is the start of your recovery clock, not the end of the story.

How to read your data now

Use a clean before-and-after window. Compare the two weeks before September 23 against September 24 through October 8, and look at clicks and impressions by page and by query group. A site-wide drop usually points to a policy problem, while a drop on a handful of pages points to page-level quality. Check two or three direct competitors as well, because a move that shows up across your whole niche is the SERP shifting, not a verdict on your site.

Do not stop at Google rankings. AI Overviews and answer engines pull from the pages Google trusts, so a spam hit tends to show up in citations too. Open the Search Console AI report next to your normal Performance report to see whether visibility moved in both places.

Where SEO, AEO, and GEO meet

Spam signals are shared signals. The same trust problems that cost a page its ranking, such as fabricated bylines or unreviewed AI drafts, also reduce its odds of being cited in an AI answer. That is why we treat the three as one framework, not three services. Google has already called fake author profiles deception in our fake author warning post, and expects a human to check AI output, covered in the AI content fact-check rule. Fixing those once helps rankings, answer boxes, and AI citations together.

Your first 7 days after the rollout

1. Day 1: Export your comparison. Pull Search Console data for September 9 to 22 and September 24 to October 8, for your top 20 pages and top 50 queries.
2. Day 2: Segment the change. Sort pages into gained, flat, and lost. Note whether losses cluster by template, topic, or content type.
3. Day 3: Check the SERP, not just your site. Search your five biggest queries and see which competitors moved up or down, and whether AI Overviews changed what is shown.
4. Day 4: Audit against the spam policies. Look for hidden text, cloaking, scaled auto-generated filler, doorway pages, expired-domain tricks, and manipulative user-generated content. Rewrite or remove what fails.
5. Day 5: Fix trust signals. Replace any invented author names, add real bylines and credentials, and make sure a human has fact-checked every AI-assisted page.
6. Day 6: Log every change with a date. A simple change log lets you connect later movement to a specific fix.
7. Day 7: Set a review rhythm. Re-check your data every two weeks, not daily, and do not undo good fixes because of a short dip.

The bottom line

The rollout is done, so this is the moment to replace guesswork with a clean comparison. Fix what breaks the spam policies, strengthen the trust signals that AI answers also reward, and give recovery the months Google says it can take. Sites with real, reviewed content have the least to worry about before the next update.

If you lost traffic and want to know whether this update caused it, our SEO services include a post-update diagnosis alongside rankings and AI visibility work. You can also see how we run SEO, AEO, and GEO as one strategy on our homepage, or browse more articles by topic.

What changed in Google’s local results

Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google now shows WhatsApp buttons in local panel results, either in place of the chat button or alongside the usual call, directions, and website actions. A searcher can message a business on WhatsApp straight from the panel, with no form and no phone call.

The second change went the other way. Search Engine Roundtable also reported that Google seems to no longer show review rich results for healthcare web pages, even when those pages carry review schema or other structured data. Google had not published a full explanation in the sources we reviewed, so treat this as an observed change, not a confirmed policy.

Why the WhatsApp button matters for local businesses

A messaging button shortens the path from search to conversation. For service businesses that win customers through quick questions, quotes, and bookings, a message is often an easier first step than a call. WhatsApp is also widely used for business chats in markets we serve, including Singapore, Australia, and the Philippines.

The button is a listing feature, not a ranking factor, so it will not lift you in the map pack by itself. What it can do is raise the share of searchers who contact you once they find you, which makes a complete, accurate business profile worth more than before.

What the review snippet change means for healthcare sites

If you publish healthcare pages with review markup, the stars under your listing may be gone. That does not mean the markup is wrong or that your rankings dropped. It means the result looks plainer, so your title, description, and real reputation on your Google Business Profile carry more weight in the click decision. Google also keeps tightening its stance on deceptive content, as we covered in our post on the fake author warning.

Where SEO, AEO, and GEO meet

Local visibility is no longer only the map pack. AI Overviews and answer engines pull from the same business information that feeds your local listing, so inconsistent details hurt you in both places. That is why we treat the three as one framework, not three services.

If your traffic looks off this week, remember the September spam update only just finished its last phase. Separate listing changes from update noise before you react, and use the Search Console AI report to see how much of your visibility now sits inside AI results.

What to do this week

1. Check your Google Business Profile for the WhatsApp button. Search your business name on a phone and update your messaging details if the button is missing or wrong.
2. Assign an owner for WhatsApp replies. Set a reply-time target so new leads do not go cold.
3. Audit review markup on healthcare or service pages. Only mark up reviews visible on the page, and do not expect the star display to return on a schedule.
4. Rewrite titles and meta descriptions on your top local pages. Lead with the service, the location, and one concrete reason to choose you.
5. Compare Search Console clicks before and after October 7. Filter to local landing pages, check click-through rate, and note the date next to any change you make.
6. Match your business details everywhere. Name, address, phone, hours, and services should read the same on your site, profile, and directories.

The bottom line

Google keeps reshaping what a local result looks like, adding a message button in one place and removing review stars in another. The businesses that hold up have accurate profiles, fast replies, and pages that earn the click on their own merit.

If you want a second pair of eyes on your listing and snippets, our SEO services cover local profile optimization alongside rankings and AI visibility work. You can also see how we run SEO, AEO, and GEO as one strategy on our homepage, or browse more articles by topic.

Where the update stands on October 7

The update was released on September 24 and applies worldwide, in all languages. It is the fourth spam update of 2026. Google said it could take up to two weeks, and John Mueller noted it would likely take longer than some previous ones. Search Engine Roundtable tracked the pattern: heavy volatility over the weekend of September 28, a second phase on September 30, and a third phase between October 4 and 6. Multiple ranking tools, including Semrush and AWR, showed a third spike in that last window.

Google has not officially said the rollout is finished. Barry Schwartz wrote that it should be done any day now, so treat today as the late stage of the update, not the end. If you want the background and the first-week checklist, start with our earlier post on the September 2026 spam update.

Why this one is harder to read than past spam updates

Earlier spam updates in 2026 were short. The March update ran about 19 hours, and the June and August updates each ran two to three days. A rollout of up to two weeks gives you a much wider window that overlaps with normal ranking noise, seasonal swings, and competitor changes. Semrush points out that this makes it harder to isolate what the update itself did to your site.

The practical fix is to stop looking at a single day. Compare clicks and impressions from the week before September 23 against the full rollout, check whether competitors in your space moved in the same window, and look at visibility beyond Google alone. Google says sites that fix problems may recover, but its automated systems can take months to learn that a site now complies. A quick bounce back is not guaranteed, and a drop does not always mean a penalty.

Where SEO, AEO, and GEO meet

A spam update is not only a ranking event. AI Overviews and answer engines draw from the same pool of pages Google trusts, so a site flagged for deceptive or auto-generated content tends to lose both rankings and citations. That is why we treat the three as one framework, not three services. Check the Search Console AI report alongside your normal performance report, because a gap between the two can show where trust is slipping.

The same quality signals keep showing up. Google recently called fabricated bylines deception, which we covered in our post on the fake author warning, and it now expects a human to review AI drafts, as explained in the AI content fact-check rule. Both sit close to the top of the ranking factors experts rate highest.

What to do this week

1. Wait for Google’s official completion note. Do not make big changes while the rollout is still moving. Check the Search Status Dashboard for the end date.
2. Export a before and after comparison. In Search Console, compare the period before September 23 with the full rollout window for your top 20 pages and top queries.
3. Segment the drop. Look at which pages and query types fell. A site-wide drop points to a policy issue, while a drop on a few pages points to page-level quality.
4. Check competitors and the wider SERP. If every site in your niche moved, the cause may be the SERP itself and not your pages.
5. Audit against Google’s spam policies. Look for hidden text, cloaked pages, auto-generated filler, thin doorway pages, and link schemes. Remove or rewrite what fails.
6. Document your fixes with dates. Because recovery can take months, a clear log of what changed and when helps you tie any later movement to a cause.

The bottom line

This update is stretching over two weeks, so the right move is patience and clean measurement, not panic edits. Read your traffic across the full window, separate site-wide problems from page-level ones, and fix anything that breaks Google’s spam policies. Sites built on real, reviewed, human-backed content are the ones least exposed to the next update.

If you saw a drop and want a clear read on whether it is spam-related, our SEO services include a post-update diagnosis alongside rankings and AI visibility work. You can also see how we approach SEO, AEO, and GEO as one strategy on our homepage, or browse more articles by topic.