September 22, 2025 — today Google officially closed the rollout of the August Spam Update. I chose this date to write these lines because it marks the end of a summer that, in my view, will be remembered as one of the most impactful in the past fifteen years.
I have watched many updates come and go over the years. Some passed unnoticed; others left lasting marks. But there have been pivotal moments that permanently changed how SEO is practiced and how one exists online. I remember the arrival of the Mobile First Index, which rendered non-mobile-optimized sites invisible. I remember Penguin, which turned the concept of link building on its head.
What we are experiencing today — with the latest updates and the ongoing revolution in Discover — belongs squarely in that category.
This is a watershed moment. I say this not as a detached observer, but from the vantage point of someone who, like me, works every day in close contact with publishers, newsrooms, and companies, translating these signals into concrete strategies.
Google no longer decides alone
One point emerges clearly from this summer: Google cannot — and no longer wants to — surgically distinguish quality from the speculative sites that have flooded the web and grown exponentially in recent years, eroding the traffic and audience of those striving to produce quality work every day. Its resources are focused on AI, as official reports confirm and as we see, for example, from Search Console and the massive deindexing process for low-value pages that I covered in a recent article.
The consequence is that Google is transferring responsibility to users: each of us will determine what we want to see in our own feed. This is a key shift that brings us increasingly closer to the dynamics of social networks. I find myself occasionally having to “re-educate” the Instagram or TikTok algorithm when it starts serving me repetitive content that drifts from my interests.
The same will happen in Discover. With the Follow button and deeper creator integration, Google is signaling clearly that the future of the feed will depend on our active choices, not just on its algorithm.
And this opens a new paradigm: being “present” on Google is no longer enough. You have to become a reference point that people choose to follow.
A word of caution, however: this is far from straightforward. I had already discussed this in a previous article, and the most recent data confirms it: globally, News Avoidance is growing — the conscious decision by users to steer clear of news. This means the challenge is not only to become a reference point, but to rebuild an authentic relationship with readers.
Link to: Stop blaming Google: here is the real enemy of journalism
We need to break the short-circuit that has conditioned the industry for years:
fewer readers = less revenue = less investment in quality = more shortcuts = more distrust = fewer readers.
That vicious cycle must be broken today. The answer lies in better understanding your audience, truly knowing who they are, adopting new communication languages, and creating a more direct and lasting channel of contact.
We said it all along
Those who follow us know: for years we have been urging publishers to brand their platforms — to dress them in a digital suit and tie to project solidity, identity, and authority.
We said it when it seemed like excessive caution; we repeat it now that events have proven us right. Google rewards stability, consistency, and trust signals. And with Discover it returns to a logic similar to the old Google News, where a publication’s followers were simultaneously a quality indicator and a visibility accelerator.
A turning point that opens up opportunities
The old playbook of hacks, technical tricks, and shortcuts is behind us. Google is returning to its roots: an ecosystem where content and community are what truly matter.
For serious brands and publishers, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity: to return to center stage, reclaim space, and be “followed” — not just metaphorically, but literally inside Discover. This is precisely what will bridge the gap that has allowed speculative sites to erode traffic and audiences in recent years. Today, finally, only those who are genuinely a brand and have built authentic bonds with their users will be able to convert that trust into a real following — no longer an abstract concept, but an actual “Follow” button.
This is not just a technical update: it is a change of direction. The hard, solid work has to be done again: become a brand, or confirm that you already are one. I raised this point in a recent article, “From Brand to Source,” because generative AI had already begun to make its impact felt, showing everyone the urgency of evolving from simple sites to brands — and from brands to genuine sources.
And what makes this credible is that it rests not only on words, but on actions, metrics, and KPIs. This is an approach we are already applying in many leading Italian newsrooms through our S.M.A.R.T. Newsroom method, which places measurability at its core. We believe that every strategy — even in the editorial world — must be built on clear indicators that allow you to determine whether you are moving in the right direction. It is thanks to this approach that the newsrooms we work with are able to turn editorial instincts into measurable, sustainable results.
Those who understand this now will hold an enormous competitive advantage tomorrow. This is no surprise: it is the path we are already building with those who have placed their trust in us.
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