01What the Google Spam Update June 2026 Is and How It Works

The Google Spam Update June 2026 is a new update Google released on June 24, 2026, to improve its spam detection systems. It uses an AI engine called SpamBrain, which automatically scans websites and compares them to Google’s spam policies. The goal is to remove low-quality and manipulative content from search results.

This update is algorithmic, meaning it happens automatically, not manually. Google’s spam systems run 24/7, but once in a while they ship a big upgrade. That is what this update does.

During the rollout, rankings can go up and down for a few days or weeks. The last spam update in March 2025 took only 19 hours, but some past updates lasted 26 days.

02Main Targets of This Spam Update

Google’s spam policies spell out what they go after in this update. Here are the main things they target:

  • Scaled content: Creating massive numbers of low-quality pages.
  • Site reputation abuse: Also called parasite SEO, where low-quality content is posted on trusted sites.
  • Expired domain abuse: Buying old domains and repurposing them just to rank.
  • Spammy links: Dodgy backlinks from directories or link schemes.
  • Thin content: Pages with very little useful information.

Google checks each site against these policies. But the update is not perfect. Julian Goldie notes that many good websites have been wiped out in past updates, like Backlinko (owned by Brian Dean, later sold to Semrush) during earlier spam updates.

03How to Check If Your Site Is Affected

If you think your traffic dropped because of this update, follow these steps:

  1. Check Google Search Console. Go to the Performance report and look at impressions and clicks around June 24. The data may take a few days to appear.
  2. Confirm the drop happened during the update. If the decline started exactly around June 24, it is likely related to this spam update.
  3. Read Google’s spam policies. Honestly go through them and ask if any part of your site crosses the line.
  4. Wait for the update to finish rolling out. Do not make any changes for at least two weeks. Rankings can fluctuate while the update is active.
  5. After the rollout ends, prune or improve your content. Remove pages that violate policies, or rewrite them to add real value.
  6. Be patient. Recovery can take months, not days. Sometimes the drop is not even your fault.

04How to Use AI Content Safely During This Update

Using AI to write content is not the problem. Google has said plainly: how content is made does not matter, whether it is helpful matters. AI that helps you publish genuinely useful, original pages is fine.

Julian demonstrates this with his own site, GoldieBench.

GoldieBench is a website that Julian created entirely with AI. It documents experiments and first-party data from his SEO work. He never logged into the site himself.

The content is useful and unique, so it performs well. The site went from 0 to 68 clicks per day in its first week. That is partly because people search for the brand, but it also shows that AI content can rank if it adds information gain.

05Results and Examples Shown in This Episode

Julian shows two example websites that use his AI automation systems. The first, GoldieBench, got 68 clicks per day just one week after creation. The second website (not named in the episode) is performing very well with the same systems.

These results prove that AI-generated content can succeed when it is based on real data and experiments.

He also mentions how Backlinko, a well-known SEO site, got crushed by a previous spam update. Even sites with high-quality content can get wiped out. That is why Julian recommends diversifying traffic across multiple websites.

His agency uses an agent operating system that posts content to many sites at once. If one site takes a hit, the others keep ranking.

06Tips, Limits and Mistakes to Avoid

Do not make drastic changes during the update. Emotional decisions can hurt your site more. Wait at least two weeks after the rollout ends.

Many people panic and delete pages, but that often makes things worse.

If your site did not drop, do not change anything. You are fine. Using AI is allowed, as long as your content is helpful and unique.

The update takes months to recover from, so be patient. Also remember that Google sometimes makes mistakes. The helpful content update in 2023 crushed many good websites.

Diversify your traffic by using multiple sites and social media platforms so you are not dependent on one source.

07Who This Update Matters For and Why It Matters

This update matters for anyone doing SEO, especially if you use AI content, buy expired domains, or build spammy links. It also matters for site owners who rely on a single website for traffic. If your site gets penalized by mistake, you could lose months of income.

The takeaway is to focus on helpful, original content with real information gain. Julian’s advice: use AI to document your own data and experiments, not to copy others. And always have a backup plan—publish on multiple websites and social platforms.

That way, one update cannot take you out.