Google keeps its spam policy updated. This time, the goal is to target websites hosting content intended to take advantage of site ranking, especially after earlier this year it launched a method to combat site reputation abuse.

That's where third-party content is published on a host site in an attempt to take advantage of the host's already established ranking signals. The goal of this strategy is for content to rank better than it would otherwise on a different site. Since launching the policy, these instances have been reviewed and failed. 

The use of artificial intelligence may only make this situation more complex with greater frequency.

Policies with varying degrees of first-party involvement include cooperation with white-label services, licensing agreements, partial ownership agreements, and other complex business arrangements.

Google's evaluation of these types of situations has shown that "no amount of first-party involvement alters the fundamental third-party nature of the content or the unfair, exploitative nature of attempting to take advantage of the host's sites ranking signals," Chris Nelson of Google’s search quality team wrote in a blog post. 

“We’re making it clear that using third-party content on a site in an attempt to exploit the site’s ranking signals is a violation of this policy -- regardless of whether there is first-party involvement or oversight of the content,” he wrote.

The policy enforcement requires manual action. It has not yet been automated using AI, Nelson explained.

Violators will be notified through their registered Search Console and can submit a reconsideration request.