Google is beginning to roll out the December 2022 link spam update on December 14. Google said in a blog that it takes about two weeks to complete the rollout. This update will affect all languages.
Google December 2022 Link Spam Update
Google is improving its spam detection algorithm to detect purchased links and domains used primarily to pass links to other sites. The December 2022 link spam update eliminates unnatural links by utilizing Google’s AI-based spam-prevention algorithm, SpamBrain. SpamBrain can now identify websites that buy links and sites that build outgoing links, in addition to immediately detecting spam.
SpamBrain For Links
It relies on what Google refers to as SpamBrain, Google referenced it in 2018 in its spam report, notably the spam trends section, where Google discusses its “machine learning algorithms” to enhance search spam detection. Google said that SpamBrain can now detect “both sites buying links and sites used to relay outgoing links” in addition to “directly detecting spam.”
Can This Update Impact My Website?
Google says that results may change as the link spam update in December 2022 neutralizes unnatural links, erasing any signals transmitted to the connecting domain. This update impacts search results in all languages, which could have a wide-ranging impact.
The path you use to acquire links and links to other pages decides whether your site will be affected by this update. Google has strict policies against gaining links primarily to increase your site search rankings. Also, Google has procedures about qualifying links passed to other websites. If you are embedding an affiliate link within a body of text, you need to allow that link with a rel=sponsored tag.
Failure to correctly tag affiliate links may result in your website being affected by the link spam update. Also, you need to tag links in guest articles with rel=nofollow, or you may encounter problems with Google. If you follow Google’s recommended practices for incoming and outgoing links, the December 2022 link spam update is unlikely to hurt your site.
Source: Google