A busy week for content rules and tracking. Here’s what matters for your business, minus the jargon.
1. Google’s September spam update hit a second wave
Google announced the September 2026 spam update on 24 September. Rankings moved on 25–27 September, then things cooled, then heated up again on 30 September. That looks like a second phase of the same update. (Search Engine Roundtable, 1 Oct)
What this means for you: If your enquiries or rankings wobbled in the last fortnight, this is the likely cause. Wait for the update to finish before making changes, and avoid shortcuts like thin pages or paid link schemes.
2. Google says: fact-check your AI content, and don’t fake your authors
Google updated its guidance on AI-generated content. It now says to manually fact-check and review AI-written content for accuracy before publishing (Search Engine Roundtable, 1 Oct). Its helpful content guidance also now warns against fabricated author profiles (Search Engine Journal, 2 Oct).
What this means for you: AI can speed up your blog writing, but a real person needs to check every claim. Make sure any author bio on your site belongs to a real person who actually wrote or reviewed the page.
3. Google is testing tracking tags on AI Overview links
Google appears to be testing tracking parameters on links inside AI Overviews. If it rolls out, you’ll be able to tell clicks from AI Overviews apart from normal results clicks (Search Engine Roundtable, 2 Oct). Separately, Gemini has added UTM parameters for referral attribution (Search Engine Journal, 1 Oct).
What this means for you: Reporting on AI-driven visitors should get clearer. It’s a test for now, so no action yet, but check your Google Analytics sources regularly.
4. Local Service Ads now hide the phone number until you hover
A Search Engine Roundtable writer noticed Local Service Ads showing a “Get phone number” button, with the number appearing when you move your mouse over the ad. They weren’t sure if this is new (Search Engine Roundtable, 2 Oct).
What this means for you: If you run Local Service Ads, keep an eye on call volumes and call tracking. Tell us if you see a change.
5. How long does recovery really take?
Google’s Gary Illyes shared timing ranges for crawling, indexing, site moves and core update recovery at Search Central Live in Barcelona (Search Engine Journal, 4 Oct).
What this means for you: SEO changes take time. After a site update, redesign or ranking drop, expect weeks, not days, and don’t panic-change things.
The short version
- A second wave of the spam update landed on 30 September. Hold steady and keep your content honest.
- Use AI to help, but fact-check everything and use real authors.
- AI Overview tracking is coming, so your reports may get clearer.
- Check your Local Service Ads call numbers.
- Recovery takes time. Be patient.
Need help checking how your site is tracking? [Get in touch with the SEO Simplicity team.]
