Melbourne Marketing Brief / #012 / NEWS & ANALYSIS
Google’s spam update begins: what local businesses should check
Published by Ajay Dabhi · · AI-assisted research and writing
25 September 2026 · News and analysis · Announcements dated 24 September
A confirmed Google spam update is now rolling out. There is also a new way to see image-led search traffic and a shorter path from some Google image ads to your website. The useful response is to check evidence and customer journeys before making broad changes.
The primary announcements are dated 24 September. We checked them on 25 September, Melbourne time. The spam update started at 09:15 PDT on 24 September: 02:15 AEST on 25 September in Melbourne. Google says the rollout may take up to two weeks.
The reporting below separates platform announcements from our analysis. No individual website impact, Australian advertising-account eligibility or client results have been tested for this edition. Existing guidance is labelled separately from new announcements.
MONITOR AND REVIEW
1. A global spam update calls for evidence, not a rushed rebuild
Confirmed · Rollout in progress · Global, all languages
What changed
Google’s status dashboard confirms that the September 2026 spam update began on 24 September US/Pacific time. It applies globally and to all languages. At our check, it was active, with an estimated rollout of up to two weeks. This is a Search ranking announcement; it does not establish that any particular business has been affected.
Google’s established guidance says sites seeing changes after a spam update should review its spam policies. Those policies include producing large amounts of unoriginal, low-value content primarily to manipulate rankings, regardless of how it is created. This guidance is background, not a newly announced ban on all AI-assisted writing.
Published 24 September 2026. Source checked 25 September 2026.
Publication date not provided by the source. Source checked 25 September 2026.
Publication date not provided by the source. Source checked 25 September 2026.
Who this affects
Australian businesses that rely on organic Google Search for enquiries, and the people managing their websites. Owners with no website or organic-search activity can leave this with their website adviser. This announcement alone is not a reason to change a Google Ads bid.
Our analysis: what it means for your business
A movement in traffic during the rollout is a signal to investigate, not a diagnosis. Separate website faults, seasonal demand and changes to important pages from a possible ranking effect. Review the pages that bring suitable enquiries rather than treating a site-wide average as the whole business.
Hypothetical example: a maintenance business has dozens of near-identical suburb pages that add no useful local detail. An editorial review could identify pages that need genuinely helpful service information or consolidation. That is a proposed review, not evidence that this update targets that business or that removing pages will restore rankings.
What to do next
- Record the rollout start and preserve a before-change export of relevant Australian queries, landing pages, clicks and impressions. Keep booking or qualified-enquiry evidence alongside it.
- Ask the website maintainer to check indexing, availability and recent changes before attributing a drop to the update. Review any real policy concerns now.
- Avoid mass deletion, an immediate redesign or a guaranteed-recovery offer based on one day of data. Monitor the official rollout status and document the reason for each substantive change.
CHECK YOUR REPORTS
2. Search Console adds a view of image-led discovery
Confirmed · Global rollout starting 24 September · Data depends on qualifying traffic
What changed
Google announced a multimodal search-type filter in Search Console’s Search results and Generative AI performance reports. It covers searches using Lens, Circle to Search on Android, image uploads and Chrome’s image-search feature.
Google says the integration is rolling out globally and that metrics will appear when a site receives traffic from these queries. The announcement describes export support. It does not establish that the filter or meaningful data is already present in every Australian property.
Published 24 September 2026. Source checked 25 September 2026.
Who this affects
Website owners with visual services or useful image content, such as landscaping, renovations, detailing or design. Businesses without relevant data can note the rollout and revisit it; an empty report is not evidence of a penalty.
Our analysis: what it means for your business
This can help answer a narrower question than “is SEO working?”: are people finding a useful service page through a visual search? It still needs to be connected with what visitors do after arriving. Search visibility and clicks do not, by themselves, establish bookings.
Hypothetical example: a landscaper’s genuine project photo leads visitors to a portfolio page. If the new report surfaces that page, the next check is whether it explains the work, service area and enquiry process. This is a possible investigation, not a measured result or a promise that uploading photos creates leads.
What to do next
- Check for the new filter and export the available data with its date range. Record when the feature becomes visible in the property.
- Review the landing pages receiving relevant traffic. Give real project images accurate context and make the next step clear on a phone.
- Keep multimodal reporting distinct from overall Search totals when presenting results. Do not describe the reporting release as a ranking improvement.
TEST THE EXISTING JOURNEY
3. Some image ads now take people to the page in one tap
Confirmed announcement · Format conditions apply · Account eligibility unverified
What changed
Google’s September Demand Gen announcement says users can reach a landing page with a single tap on image ads in YouTube Shorts and Gmail. For Shorts, it specifies 9:16 full-bleed image assets.
The same post separately describes a Business Agent alongside YouTube video ads with product feeds, with a signup link, and affiliate-location promoted pins in Maps for retail networks and dealerships. Those descriptions do not establish general eligibility for an Australian service-only business.
Published 24 September 2026. Source checked 25 September 2026.
Who this affects
Businesses already running eligible Demand Gen image campaigns. An accountant or emergency trade relying on Search ads does not need to adopt Demand Gen simply because the interaction has changed. Product-feed and retail-network features need separate eligibility checks.
Our analysis: what it means for your business
A shorter click path is only useful if the destination helps someone decide. The first screen should make the advertised service, relevant location and next action easy to understand. My recommendation is to test that journey before changing the budget.
Hypothetical example: a detailing business advertises an interior service with a vertical image, but the destination opens on a generic gallery. A controlled test could compare a clearly matched service page while keeping the offer and other campaign settings steady. That is a proposed experiment, not evidence of a conversion lift.
What to do next
- Confirm which placements and formats are available in the account. Preview suitable vertical assets and test the destination on a phone.
- Choose one change at a time and decide in advance what counts as a qualified enquiry. Compare lead quality and cost over a useful period, not just taps.
- Keep a working Search campaign separate from this decision. Do not assume product-feed AI or Maps affiliate features are enabled for your business.
ANALYSIS / BUSINESS CONTEXT
Where to spend your attention today
Start with a record of what is happening. The spam update needs observation and a policy review where warranted; the new Search Console filter may improve that observation. Neither announcement explains every change in enquiries.
For advertising, fix a clear mismatch between the promise and destination before expanding a test. A new format or report is useful only when it helps answer a business question.
Practical checks
- Save the current search and enquiry baseline, with dates and any recent website changes.
- Check whether the multimodal report is available, then review any relevant landing pages.
- If Demand Gen is already part of the mix, test one eligible image-to-page journey and record qualified outcomes.
These checks are recommendations, not additional requirements announced by the platform. The appropriate work depends on your actual configuration.
Publisher and editorial information
Ajay Dabhi publishes this report and also sells marketing and automation services. The commercial invitation above is separate from the sourced reporting. No client account test or direct interview is claimed in this report.
Research and writing use AI assistance. Original documents are linked so readers can check the facts. Read our ownership, sourcing and corrections policy or report a correction to Ajay.
All Melbourne Marketing Brief editions →