Google has updated its spam detection systems again. The September 2026 Spam Update, which started on 24 September, is the fourth update of its kind the search engine has released in 2026, and it applies worldwide.
Google has not named any specific tactic as the target of this update. Even so, the move matters to anyone who works with link building, bought articles and sponsored posts, because it puts the spotlight back on a basic question: what a link strategy has to look like to stay in line with Google's policies.
The first data published after the launch also show changes in the SERPs. iSocialWeb analysed 24 projects and 698 keywords in Google Spain and recorded 4.2% of keywords dropping out of the Top 10 on the first full day of the update, against a daily median of 1.9% in its history.
But what does this mean for link building?
Google has not announced a specific attack on links
The first point to clear up matters: Google has not presented the September 2026 Spam Update as a Link Spam Update.
The search engine has said it is an improvement to its spam detection systems, but it has not publicly identified which practices are at the centre of this update.
So there is no basis for claiming that Google is now penalising bought articles, links from media outlets or link building in general.
What does exist is a specific Google policy on link spam that has been in force for a long time. The practices it lists include buying or selling links to manipulate rankings, excessive link exchanges, automatically generated links and creating low-value content whose main purpose is to manipulate links and rankings.
That is the context in which any link acquisition strategy should be analysed.
The problem is not buying a post: it is how it is used
One of the most relevant questions for the industry is telling apart a sponsored post and a practice aimed solely at manipulating search results.
Google accepts links used in advertising and recommends qualifying them properly with attributes such as nofollow or sponsored where appropriate.
So a commercial relationship between a brand and an outlet does not automatically turn a post into spam.
What matters is the strategy as a whole: which outlets are chosen, what content is published, how the links are placed in context and what the actions are for.
For link building, this shifts part of the focus from "how many links do I get" to "what kind of link profile am I building".
Choosing outlets matters even more
If the only goal of a campaign is to pile up links, there is a risk of ending up with a profile built on repetitive patterns: the same kinds of outlets, similar content, very specific anchors or posts that add hardly any editorial value.
A link building strategy, on the other hand, needs every opportunity to be analysed in the context of the project.
Before buying a post, it is worth looking at:
- The outlet's topic and how it relates to the advertiser's industry.
- The quality of the content it usually publishes.
- The audience it speaks to.
- How much third-party content it carries and how it is integrated.
- The variety of domains used in the strategy.
- The distribution of anchors and URLs.
- The domain's history and overall quality.
SEO metrics are still useful for comparing outlets, but they should not be the only decision criterion.
Content is part of link building too
The article published on an outlet should not be seen only as the vehicle needed to place a link.
Google's spam policies include creating low-value content mainly to manipulate links and rankings.
That has a direct consequence for sponsored post campaigns: the more sense the content makes on its own, the easier it is to read the post as a communication action and not only as an operation to generate an SEO signal.
A good article has to fit the outlet, answer an informational intent and mention the brand in a natural context.
For the advertiser, this means the content brief is also part of the link building strategy.
How to prepare a link strategy for Google updates
No formula guarantees that a website will keep its rankings after an update. But you can adopt criteria that reduce your dependence on specific patterns (we go deeper in how to respond to Google updates with link building).
- Diversify outlets. Do not concentrate the strategy on a small group of domains or on a single type of post.
- Prioritise relevance. Look for outlets and content related to the brand's topic, audience or market.
- Work on the content. Avoid articles written only to slip in a URL and go for pieces that offer real information.
- Review your backlink profile. Regularly analyse the domains, anchors and URLs that are linking to the project, for example with our free backlink audit.
- Avoid artificial patterns. A link acquisition strategy should evolve consistently and not depend on repetitive formulas.
- Analyse before reacting. If an update coincides with a drop in rankings, study which pages, queries and links are affected before changing the strategy.
Link building is not going away: the way to do it is changing
iSocialWeb's data show that SERP movement can increase around Google updates. But they also show that there can be significant volatility outside them, so it is not right to automatically blame every ranking change on the Spam Update.
For anyone working in link building, the main takeaway lies elsewhere.
Google keeps developing its spam detection systems and maintains specific policies on link manipulation. That makes the quality of the strategy increasingly more important than the number of links gained.
Bought articles and posts on media outlets are still part of the digital marketing ecosystem. But choosing well where to publish, working on relevant content, diversifying the link profile and respecting Google's guidelines are essential to building a solid link building strategy.
The September 2026 Spam Update does not allow anyone to claim that Google has decided to put an end to link building. What it does show is that link acquisition strategies need to be planned with more and more judgement, context and quality.
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