Google Tightens Its Grip on Deceptive Content with Major Update to Search Quality Guidelines

By Saurabh Anand | May 2025

Google has once again updated its Search Quality Raters Guidelines (QRG), this time zeroing in on deceptive practices that websites use to mislead users or artificially boost their search rankings. While the update doesn’t necessarily introduce entirely new policies, it greatly expands and clarifies what Google considers to be deceptive and what raters should look out for.

TL;DR: Be Authentic, Or Be Penalized

At the heart of this update is one core message: Authenticity wins. If your content is misleading in any way—whether it’s fake author bios, deceptive product reviews, or sneaky button designs—expect to lose trust, traffic, or both.

What Changed in the Guidelines?

The spotlight of this update falls on Section 4.5.3, which previously covered "Deceptive Page Purpose and Deceptive MC Design". It now carries a broader, more detailed title:

➡️ From: Deceptive Page, Purpose, and Deceptive MC Design

➡️ To: Deceptive Page Purpose, Deceptive Information about the Website, Deceptive Design

This change reflects the expanded focus on multiple layers of user deception—why the page exists, what it claims about the business, and how it presents itself visually.

Deceptive Page Purpose

Google now explicitly defines deceptive purpose as more than just fake facts. It includes misleading intent—like pretending a celebrity endorsed a product or faking personal product testing.

Example: A site claiming to be a celebrity’s blog recommends a product just to make affiliate money—when in reality, the celebrity has nothing to do with the site.

💡 Takeaway: If your page pretends to be something it's not, even subtly, it's skating on thin ice.

Deceptive EEAT: Faking Authority

EEAT—short for Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness—is a big deal in SEO. But now, Google’s guidelines include a new subsection targeting fake EEAT.

Here’s what counts as deceptive EEAT:

• Fake business info: Claiming to have a physical store when you’re only online.
• AI-generated author profiles: Using fake names, bios, or stock photos to look more credible.
• False credentials: Saying your writer is a doctor or expert when they aren’t.

Google isn't just penalizing bad content anymore—it’s going after fake identities and phony business claims too.

Deceptive Design & Misleading UI

This might not concern the average blogger, but some shady websites use UI tricks to manipulate users. The updated guidelines call out:

• Fake close buttons: Buttons that look like they close popups but trigger downloads instead.
• Clickbait titles: Headlines that don’t match the content inside the page.

Example: A page titled “How to Lose Weight Naturally” redirects you to a download page for an unrelated product.

Takeaway: Clean, honest design matters. If users feel tricked, raters will mark your site down—and so might Google's algorithm.

Why This Matters to You

While quality raters don’t directly affect rankings, their evaluations help train Google’s algorithms. That means this update is likely a preview of what Google’s ranking systems will crack down on next.

If you’re in SEO, content writing, or digital marketing, the message is crystal clear:

✅ Be transparent.

✅ Avoid fake personas.

✅ Use real expertise.

✅ Design honestly.

Final Thoughts

This update isn’t just about penalizing shady actors—it’s about raising the standard for everyone. Google wants users to trust the results they find, and this guideline evolution makes it clear: trust and authenticity are non-negotiable.

So if you’ve been trying to “game the system” with puffed-up bios or misleading content… it’s time to rethink your strategy.