AI & SEO Trends Update – 2nd October 2026

Since our last AI and SEO trends update, Google has started rolling out another global spam update.

This is Google’s fourth spam update of 2026 and comes just over a month after the August rollout. Google has also strengthened its guidance for websites using AI-generated content and increased external links within some AI Overviews.

Here is what businesses need to know.

Recap: What We Covered Last Time

Our previous update explored the unconfirmed ranking volatility recorded during September, including significant changes around 4th September. Some affected websites recovered around 13th September, suggesting that the initial movement had begun to settle.

However, this did not lead to a lasting return to stability. Ranking trackers recorded another increase in volatility around 23rd–24th September, followed by further movement around 30th September.

Google confirmed its new spam update on 24th September, so it is currently difficult to separate the remaining volatility from the effects of that rollout. Rankings therefore appear to be less volatile than at their most extreme point earlier in September, but they have not fully settled.

We also covered the shift towards longer, more detailed searches, OpenAI’s Sponsored Agents and Google’s pilot scheme for paying selected publishers whose content contributes to its AI-generated answers.

Google Begins Its September 2026 Spam Update

Google started rolling out its September 2026 spam update on 24th September.

The update applies globally and across all languages. Google says it may take up to two weeks to complete, making it considerably longer than the August spam update, which finished after approximately two days and 16 hours.

The September rollout is Google’s fourth confirmed spam update this year, following updates in March, June and August.

Google has not said which particular forms of spam this update targets. Its existing policies cover practices including:

• Scaled content abuse
• Scraping and republishing content without adding value
• Doorway pages
• Keyword stuffing
• Hidden text and links
• Cloaking
• Sneaky redirects
• Thin affiliate content
• Site reputation abuse
• Expired domain abuse
• Hacked content
• User-generated spam

It would therefore be premature to attribute every ranking change to one particular practice or assume Google has introduced a new policy.

What This Means For You

The update is still rolling out, so avoid drawing firm conclusions from a few days of movement.

Make a note of the 24th September in your analytics and ranking reports. If your performance changes, assess whether the movement affects:

• The whole website or particular sections
• Individual pages or shared templates
• Branded or non-branded searches
• Commercial or informational content
• Rankings alone or clicks, enquiries and conversions too

Wait for Google to confirm that the rollout is complete before making significant changes. Rankings can fluctuate while an update is in progress, and reacting too quickly can make it harder to understand what actually happened.

If a decline remains after the rollout, review the affected content against Google’s search spam policies. Focus on the underlying issue rather than making superficial edits designed to produce a quick recovery.

Google Strengthens Its Guidance on AI-Generated Content

On 1st October, Google updated its guidance for websites using generative AI.

Google still states that generative AI can be useful for researching topics and adding structure to original content. The issue is not the use of AI itself, but publishing large volumes of content without adding sufficient value.

The updated guidance now warns that generative AI outputs may contain inaccuracies and says it is critical to manually fact-check and review AI-generated content before publishing.

Importantly, this applies beyond the main page copy. Google also recommends checking AI-generated:

• Page titles
• Meta descriptions
• Structured data
• Image alt text

The timing is notable because the guidance was strengthened while the September spam update was still rolling out. Google has not said the two are directly connected, but both reinforce the importance of accuracy, originality and human oversight.

What This Means For You

AI can still support an effective content process, but it should not be treated as a substitute for subject knowledge or editorial review.

Check that finished content is accurate, relevant to the intended audience and supported by genuine expertise. A hybrid AI content approach can combine the efficiency of AI with research, fact-checking and human judgement.

External Links Increase Within Google AI Overviews

Data shared by Malte Landwehr of Peec AI suggests Google has significantly increased the number of external links shown within AI Overview answers.

According to a summary from Masters of Search, the proportion of tracked AI Overviews containing an external link within the answer text increased from close to zero to more than 25%.

The sharp increase appeared to begin around 11th September, reaching 26.2% by 20th September.

This could create more opportunities for websites to receive prominent links from within AI-generated answers. However, the data comes from one provider’s tracked queries. The published chart does not specify the sample size, markets or devices covered.

More links also do not automatically mean more visits. Separate testing has found that some link-like elements within AI Overviews lead to another AI Mode search rather than an external website.

What This Means For You

Treat this as an encouraging development, but measure what happens within your own market.

Monitor AI Overview citations alongside Search Console clicks, landing-page traffic and conversions. Content with original evidence, first-hand expertise and useful detail may have a stronger chance of giving Google a reason to link to the source rather than simply summarising it.

Conclusion

The September spam update is the most important development to monitor over the coming days.

Google has not announced a new spam policy or identified a specific target. The right response is to monitor performance throughout the rollout, avoid reactive changes and investigate any sustained movement at page and query level once the update is complete.

Google’s revised AI-content guidance also makes its expectations increasingly clear. AI-assisted content is not automatically a problem, but accuracy, originality and meaningful human review remain essential.

Meanwhile, the increase in external AI Overview links could give businesses more opportunities to strengthen their visibility beyond traditional search results.

If you would like help assessing the September spam update or understanding how your business appears across organic and AI-generated search, Angelfish Marketing can review your current position and identify the most valuable opportunities to strengthen your rankings, citations and qualified visibility.

Let’s talk.