Google confirms an update to its spam detection system, called the December 2022 link spam update, is rolling out now and will take up to two weeks to complete.
The December 2022 link spam update utilises Google’s AI-based spam-prevention system, SpamBrain, to nullify unnatural links.
In addition to detecting spam directly, Google says SpamBrain can now identify sites buying links and sites used for building outgoing links. Google advises that rankings may change as the December 2022 link spam update neutralizes unnatural links, removing any signals passed to the linking domain.
This update affects search results in all languages, potentially creating a widespread impact.
Whether your site is affected by this update comes down to how you acquire links and how you link out to other pages.
Google has strict guidelines against obtaining links primarily to boost search rankings. Additionally, Google has guidelines about qualifying links passed to other websites.
If you’re following Google’s best practices regarding incoming and outgoing links, it’s unlikely the December 2022 link spam update will negatively impact you.
