Google ran three spam updates between June and October 2026, on top of core updates in March and May. Spam updates target websites that break Google’s spam policies. For contractors, the most common risks are mass-produced city pages, scaled AI-written content, bought links, keyword stuffing and fake reviews. If your site relies on any of those, the safest move is to fix it before the next update, not after your traffic drops.
Below is the 2026 update timeline, the specific contractor SEO tactics Google’s policies target, how to check whether your site was hit, and what to do instead.
Google’s 2026 updates so far
From Google’s Search Status Dashboard:
| Update | Started | Rollout length |
|---|---|---|
| March 2026 spam update | March 24 | About 1 day |
| March 2026 core update | March 27 | About 12 days |
| May 2026 core update | May 21 | About 12 days |
| June 2026 spam update | June 24 | About 2 days |
| August 2026 spam update | August 18 | About 3 days |
| September 2026 spam update | September 24 | About 14 days |
Core updates reassess how helpful and relevant pages are overall. Spam updates target sites that violate Google’s spam policies. If you lost traffic right after a spam update, that’s a signal to review your site against the policies below.
The contractor SEO tactics Google’s spam policies target
These come straight from Google’s spam policies, with what they usually look like on a contractor website.
1. Doorway city pages
Google’s doorway abuse examples include “having multiple domain names or pages targeted at specific regions or cities that funnel users to one page” and “creating substantially similar pages that are closer to search results than a clearly defined, browseable hierarchy.”
On a contractor site: 50 pages like “Roofing in [City]” with identical text and only the city name swapped. This is the most common risky tactic we see in the trades.
2. Scaled content abuse
Google defines this as mass-producing pages, “however created,” mainly to manipulate rankings with little value to users. That covers AI-written content, templates and outsourced writing alike.
On a contractor site: hundreds of AI-generated blog posts or service-city combinations that say nothing specific about your work, your area or your customers.
3. Link spam
Buying links, link exchanges and link schemes created mainly to manipulate rankings.
On a contractor site: “guaranteed backlink packages,” paid guest posts on unrelated sites, or networks of low-quality blogs linking to you.
4. Keyword stuffing and hidden text
On a contractor site: footers stuffed with long lists of cities and keywords, or text hidden to target searches.
5. Expired domain abuse
On a contractor site: buying an old domain with existing links and filling it with thin content or redirecting it to your site to borrow rankings.
6. Hacked content
Unauthorized pages or redirects added through security flaws. Outdated WordPress plugins are a common entry point. You may not even know it happened.
On your Google Business Profile: fake engagement
Website spam updates and Google Maps policies are separate, but they’re worth reviewing together. Google’s Maps content policy prohibits:
- Paying for reviews, directly or in kind
- Offering incentives (discounts, free services) in exchange for reviews
- Selectively asking only happy customers for reviews, or discouraging negative ones
- Setting review quotas for staff, or asking staff to get reviews with specific content
- Reviews from people with a conflict of interest, such as employees
Keyword-stuffed business names and fake or virtual addresses also break Google’s Business Profile guidelines and can lead to suspension.
How to tell if your site was affected
- Check Search Console for manual actions. In Search Console, open Security & Manual Actions → Manual actions. If there’s a notice, it explains the issue.
- Compare traffic drops with update dates. In Search Console’s Performance report, look for sharp drops that line up with the dates in the table above.
- Check which pages dropped. If your city pages or a batch of blog posts fell together, look at whether they’re substantially similar or thin.
- Check indexing. In the Pages report, look at how many pages are “crawled – currently not indexed.” A large number can mean Google sees them as low value.
- Look for hacked content. Search Google for site:yourdomain.com and scan for pages you didn’t create.
What we learned from our own site
Before rebuilding Altura’s website in October 2026, our sitemap listed 371 pages, but only about 249 were indexed. Many of the pages Google ignored were near-duplicate location pages. Rather than keep producing more of them, we kept the pages Google had indexed, 301-redirected about 144 weaker pages to the closest relevant page, and focused new content on topics our Search Console data showed real demand for. That’s the approach we recommend to contractors too: fewer, better pages.
What to do instead: spam-safe SEO for contractors
- City pages only where you have real substance: projects completed in that area, local photos, reviews from customers there, and details specific to that market.
- A dedicated, detailed page for each service, which is the top organic ranking factor in Whitespark’s 2026 survey.
- AI as a drafting tool, not a content factory. Every page should include your real process, pricing approach, photos and answers to customer questions.
- Links you earn from suppliers, manufacturers, trade associations, local sponsorships and your chamber of commerce.
- Reviews from every customer, asked for honestly with no incentives or filtering.
- Keep WordPress, themes and plugins updated to prevent hacked content.
More on this in our guides to on-page SEO, technical SEO and SEO audits for contractors.
If you were hit, what to do
- Identify which policies your site likely violated using the list above.
- Remove, merge or rewrite thin and duplicate pages. Redirect removed pages to the closest relevant page.
- Stop any paid link schemes.
- Clean up hacked content and secure the site.
- If you have a manual action, fix the issues and request a review in Search Console.
- Be patient. Recovery happens as Google recrawls and reassesses your site, often over months.
Frequently asked questions
When were Google’s 2026 spam updates?
Google’s Search Status Dashboard lists spam updates starting March 24, June 24, August 18 and September 24, 2026, plus core updates starting March 27 and May 21, 2026.
Are city pages against Google’s rules?
Not by themselves. Pages that are substantially similar and exist mainly to rank for each city are what Google’s doorway policy targets. City pages with genuinely useful, specific content are fine.
Is AI-written content considered spam?
Google’s scaled content policy applies to mass-produced, low-value pages “however created.” The issue is low value at scale, not the tool. Content that’s genuinely helpful and specific to your business is the safe path.
How do I know if I have a manual action?
Check Security & Manual Actions → Manual actions in Google Search Console.
Want your site checked?
Altura’s SEO for contractors starts with a review of your site against Google’s policies, then builds the pages and links that last through updates. Send us a message or call 253-579-3230.
Cole Mello is the founder of Altura Marketing Group. He studied marketing at Washington State University and manages Google Ads, Local Services Ads and Meta campaigns for local service businesses. About Altura