Ranking top on google is not an easy thing. We have to understand googles algorithms, take the proper decision to rank through this algorithm, and apply them to our website. It is important to know how to stay ahead of these google updates.  So clearly it’s a very difficult task in 2023. Today I  am gonna write about Google’s December 2022   Link Spam Update. Now, this update was just announced, and it started rolling out in two weeks from December  14th, 2022. And the official statement on the Google Webmasters Blog says that they are using the power of SpamBrain to neutralize the effect of unnatural links on search results.

Link Spam Update

Now, Google has been trying to neutralize the effect of link schemes and unnatural links for a long time. Beginning in 2014, they started cracking down on Private Blog Networks (PBNs), which are basically big link wheels–big intricate networks of sites that are interconnected to one another, and passing link equity to target sites, and client sites where they sell links. This latest December 2022 update is meant to target the same type of activity–where sites that are selling links–networks of sites that are selling links,  link farms–all kinds of things of this nature, are being targeted with this update. And they (Google) really want to reward the sites that are earning links through superior content and great resources that are helpful to people and reward those sites naturally.

What is new in this link spam update?

As they have been doing these for several years, trying to neutralize these link schemes, these places that are buying links, these places that are selling links, with articles that are basically “link deployment objects”, there are articles written just for the sake of having a link. These sites basically exist to sell links, they build up incoming links to that site (target site) to build up the so-called “Domain Authority” and then pass that link equity out to sites that are buying links from them. Obviously, this is a big link wheel. It’s a link scheme. It’s been against Google’s guidelines for years and years and years. This is nothing new.

Now, I have seen a few SEOs on social media saying the same thing that they always do, which is, “This is going to affect people’s jobs. You’re doing this right before Christmas. This is when 30 percent of the revenue is going to come in for these companies.  You’re hurting people’s livelihoods.” And yes, while I do agree with that the google algorithm updates to  Google that happen all the way throughout the rest of the year, as well. If you are from an SEO agency that has built up a lot of client sites by buying links and relying heavily on this tactic, or if you are a client that has been buying links or unknowingly hired an SEO agency that is doing this for you, you might at some point in the near or the short-term future see this reflected in search results. It’s not like this is coming without warning. This has been happening for a long time  (Google warning against link schemes).

How google is going to make it?

Since link manipulation has been a thing, there are always search engines, like Google and Bing, trying to stay one step ahead of this. But this one Link Spam Update is specifically from Google, obviously, they’re using machine learning. They’re calling this algorithm “SpamBrain“. So, they must have enough information on how to detect a link scheme. And let’s be honest, a lot of these SEO agencies, don’t try and hide it. A lot of these SEO companies that sell links to clients in bulk, don’t really try and hide it. And it’s difficult to earn links, even when you do have good content, so guaranteeing a client that you’re going to get 25, 50, or 100 links a month is just it’s ludicrous.

The good side of this update

Now, I think that this will surface a lot of the good sites, that are doing the work honestly, and they’re putting in the effort to create great content and design a great site. I think it will make those websites go up, and hopefully, everything will balance out really well. Now, this comes on the heels of another update, which happened earlier this year, the Google Helpful Content Update, in which,  algorithmically they’re trying to reward pieces of content, sites, and resources that users naturally find helpful. And I would guess that they’re using user signals in some way,  and maybe a mix of different other signals, to try and determine which is the most helpful.

But I think this is a good thing. I think there are always black hat and gray hat SEO tactics that are being used out there, and this is just one way for Google to stay one step ahead of this and keep people using their search engine the most. They have the largest market share in the US and in  Europe. But I think this is a way to keep another competitor from gaining any type of momentum.

How to stay ahead of this update?

Have you ever noticed that Google is constantly making algorithm changes? The worst part is that, when
they finally roll one out, they don’t always give you a ton of notice. It might be frustrating, but Google’s desktop market share is roughly 85.55% worldwide. 87% of American search engine users prefer Google over other searches like Bing or Yahoo or Baidu. The bottom line is you simply can’t afford to ignore Google or the many many algorithm updates that are to come in the future. It’s important to understand that Google’s ranking system actually consists of multiple algorithms. It’s not just one easy to understand the system.

I have already researched this. Just check it out-

What do users think about this link spam update?

But let me know what you think about this. Is it good for Google to go after people who are manipulating links? Or participating in link schemes? Or selling or buying links? Or do you think that this is a practice, this update that will hurt businesses? Do you think that is unfair to punish businesses, that perhaps they didn’t know that they were being sold this bill of goods by an SEO company? Or maybe they were just buying links directly from a link reseller?  Do you think that is unfair to punish them?

Conclusion

Well, let me know. I want to know what you think. Leave it down in the comments below. If you are getting value from this website and these articles, please give appreciate us by showing your response in the comment section. Because that definitely helps other people find this useful content and this content will get pushed up in google’s algorithm. That’s how it works–engagement!

That’s all I have for now. Check them, they are very helpful-