Google August Spam Update Explained: SEO Volatility & Early Insights
Aug 28, 2025
The recent Google Spam Update is creating unprecedented SEO volatility, likened to a "Google Quake." With a staggering volatility rating of 9.3/10, many sites, like AInvest, are experiencing explosive traffic spikes. SEO experts are urged to monitor key metrics closely, as this rollout lasts three weeks—far longer than the typical week. The discussion includes insights on how to adapt strategies amidst this chaos and what implications it holds for future updates.
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insights INSIGHT
Massive Volatility From August Update
The August spam update launched Aug 26 and is already causing major volatility across sites worldwide.
SEMrush rates volatility 9.3/10 and calls it a "Google quake," indicating unusually large SERP movement.
insights INSIGHT
Three-Week Rollout Signals Bigger Shift
This rollout is expected to last about three weeks, longer than the typical seven-day spam update.
Longer duration may reflect growing frequency and complexity of updates driven by generative AI changes in search.
question_answer ANECDOTE
AI Invest's Explosive Traffic Example
Edward describes AI Invest's explosive growth from 275k to a peak near 9.5M monthly clicks, later settling around 6M.
He contrasts that dramatic AI-driven rise with expectations from the spam update targeting content.
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E785: Google’s August Spam Update is underway - and it’s already causing massive SEO volatility across sites worldwide.
I break down what’s happening, how Semrush is calling it a “Google Quake,” and what early insights we can pull from the data.
We’ll cover: - What Google says this update is targeting - How volatility is at record highs (9.3/10!) - How sites like AInvest are seeing explosive traffic growth - What SEOs should monitor right now - Why this rollout is lasting 3 weeks instead of the usual 7 days
If you want to understand how this update could impact your rankings - and how to stay stable through future updates - this episode is for you.
💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/
00:00 Introduction and Update Overview 00:14 Community Reactions and Volatility 00:49 Volatility and Duration of the Update 01:12 Speculations on Future Updates 01:30 Understanding the Impact 01:44 Historical Context of Updates 02:25 Target of the August Spam Update 02:42 Case Study 03:10 AI Traffic Surge 04:13 Content Quality and Compliance 05:17 Global Impact of the Update 05:31 Recommendations for SEO Practitioners
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