Final Phase Of Google September 2026 Spam Update Rollout Oct 4-6?

I believe we are seeing the final phase of the Google September 2026 spam update rolling out between October 4th and October 6th, today. The update should be done any day now, so there may be another spike in volatility, but I suspect this is it - we are pretty much done with this spam update.

As a reminder, the Google September 2026 spam update on Thursday, September 24th. We most likely saw the first wave of sites getting hit on September 25th, 26th and into the 27th. Then things cooled a bit, but it heated back up on September 30th. Now we are seeing it heat back up around October 4th, through today, October 6th.

Google told us this spam update is different from the previous three spam updates in that the rollout will be around two weeks, versus the typical two-day rollout. So we expect multiple cycles for this spam update, with impacts on a day or two or three during the two weeks, and then another impact on a different set of days. So I think we are seeing the third spike in volatility now.

Google Tracking Tools

Here are what the tools are showing in aggregate:

Here are the individual tools - some didn't update but most did:

SEMRush:

AWR:

Mozcast:

Wincher:

Serpstat:

Wireboard - this report shows the aggregate of the tools above and plots them on one chart:

Zutrix Tension:

AccuRanker Grump:

DataForSEO SERP Volatility:

Mangools SERPWatcher:

CognitiveSEO:

SimilarWeb:

Algoroo:

Sistrix:

SEO Chatter

There is some limited chatter here and on WebmasterWorld, here are some quotes:

Total garbage today, seems like it's either coming to an end or maybe in some new phase.

My traffic from search and Google Discover has plummeted day ago, and instead of users from my own country, the website is getting readers from China—where they don't speak my language! Awesome.

Discover traffic is picking up again.

As expected, this update is a joke. Spam is increasing, and quality results are becoming harder to find. Discover keeps giving these brief and teasing spikes. Google News is just filled with absolute garbage, especially those cheap AI translations that you spot instantly because the grammar is totally broken. I really hope this rollout wraps up soon so this nonsense finally settles down. At this point, I am hearing the exact same complaints from every corner: traffic is very bad and revenue is tanking. I am seeing it firsthand too since my news site’s earnings are currently down 80%. While the shop is bringing in acceptable revenue, it is still nowhere near its actual potential.

What are you all seeing?

Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld.