Google launches spam update, AI Mode impacts publisher traffic

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Google launched a global spam update on September 24, 2026, alongside new Search Console features and mounting evidence its AI Mode is reducing organic traffic to publishers.

The update, which applies to all languages and is expected to roll out over two weeks, coincides with a significant year-over-year decline in Google Search traffic for publishers and new data indicating AI integration negatively impacts website click-through rates.

Chartbeat’s 2026 Publisher Playbook reported a 40.2 percent year-over-year decrease in Google Search traffic to publishers from July 2025 to July 2026. The report also indicated a 34.3 percent decline in traffic from Google Discover during the same period.

Separately, a field experiment conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Northeastern University found that forcing Google searches into AI Mode reduced clicks to other websites by 18.8 percentage points. The experiment also noted a decrease in user satisfaction and trust when AI Mode was mandatory.

Google also introduced new functionalities within Search Console, including a multimodal filter in the Performance report. This feature allows publishers to analyze traffic from image-based searches such as Google Lens, Circle to Search, image uploads and Chrome’s ‘Search this image,’ although query data remains unavailable, according to Google.

John Mueller, a Google Search Advocate, addressed a specific de-indexing issue where a casino site was incorrectly treated as canonical. Mueller advised webmasters to proactively test and monitor their pages to prevent similar problems.

Liz Reid, Google’s head of Search, has previously highlighted the company’s focus on improving search quality and combating spam.

Source: Search Engine Journal