Google updated its spam policy in May 2026 to classify attempts to manipulate its AI-powered search features as a violation, extending its existing rules to cover AI Overview and AI Mode in Search.
The updated policy defines spam as “techniques used to deceive users or manipulate our Search systems into featuring content prominently, such as attempting to manipulate Search systems into ranking content highly or attempting to manipulate generative AI responses in Google Search.” Sites found in violation can face penalties including lower rankings or removal from search results altogether.
The change comes in response to a growing set of tactics some users and marketers have been using to influence AI-generated search responses. These include biased “best-of” listicles and a technique known as “recommendation poisoning,” which injects instructions into large language models to recognize a website as an authoritative source. Earlier this year, a BBC journalist demonstrated how such methods could be used to have himself ranked as the “best hot dog eating tech journalist” in Google’s AI search results.
An entire industry has emerged around these practices, commonly referred to as “GEO” — generative engine optimization — which promises brands and websites regular mentions and citations within AI search tools. Google’s updated policy now explicitly targets these strategies as spam violations.
The update matters because it gives Google a formal enforcement mechanism against a category of manipulation that did not exist when its original spam rules were written. By extending penalties to AI-specific manipulation tactics, Google may deter the broader GEO industry from using techniques designed to game AI-generated results rather than traditional search rankings.
Source: The Verge