Facts: The December 2024 Google spam update incident began on December 19, 2024 at 09:00 US/Pacific with the global release at 09:01 PST, and it concluded on December 26, 2024 at 11:00 US/Pacific, with the rollout fully completed by 11:03 PST on the final day. The December 2024 Google Spam update followed in the wake of the October 2023 and March 2024 Google Spam updates.
Hypothesis – Google’s spam updates target “disconnected entities” as in the “Disconnected Entity Hypothesis“.
From analysis on almost 200 Search Console accounts I have had access to, this too looks to have targeted somewhat unknown or disconnected entities in Google Search.
This would indicate you have transparency issues, at least, on the entity responsible for your domain.
Here’s an example of why I think that.
December 2024 Google Spam update
Exhibit 19 is a portfolio of hundreds of sites. There’s nothing that much wrong with the sites (sure, they are affiliate sites) although they are helpful enough to pick up independent high-quality links.
In this new paradigm, how the web vouches for you is no longer king. IF Google vouches for you, it is.
Exhibit 19A
This entire portfolio of would be classed as “disconnected entities” at best in this scenario.
At worst, some, like 19A are actually indeed handed manual actions for pure spam due to the nature of their disconnectedness.
They are unknown.
That’s spam to Google now.
Exhibit 19B
This domain was one of the last in the portfolio to be hit. It was predicted to be hit and was hit in the December 2024 Google Spam Update.
On the surface, this is a real head-scratcher for the business because all the sites were built the same way, so how could a % of them be classed as spam? Some do ok, and some actually improve?
I predicted its demise last year using the Disconnected Entity Hypothesis.
There is the odd anomalous reading across the portfolio, which I will have the chance to look further into as I now work with them to see if the hypothesis can help even sites classed as pure spam.
Why not? I think, what is spam if it is not “unknown status” to Google? Moving to a known status, or being effectively a connected-up entity, could be enough to trigger a reevaluation at the least, and a hope to resurrect the site, perhaps even in a modified form.
Perhaps I am too optimistic.
I don’t think so if you are going by the documentation.
We are about to find out.
I will add more analysis to this post as I pick out the most interesting exhibits.
Contact me if the December 2024 Spam update negatively impacted you, or you can read how I think this is connected to Entity Health problems, which might have shown signs on your site in the October 2023 Google Spam Update.
Exhibit 22
I have a couple of investigations underway, including Exhibit 22, hit hard by the December 2024 Google Spam Update and December 2024 Google Core Update.
This looks a little different:
December 2024 Google Core Update victim
This domain was hit harshly by the November 2023 Core Update and then impacted again by the December 2024 Core Update. Whatever those are about, these seem to be the levers.
More information will be published as new SEO case studies become available.
