Website owners are hit hard by Google’s actions Websites in poor condition I just got some tough love from the search giant. John Mueller, Google’s top search advocate, dropped a bombshell on Reddit: Websites in poor condition The situation after being flooded with pages of robot content could be better if you scrap everything and start again. Forget laborious rewrites: Mueller says they rarely restore trust or rankings. This advice is shocking SEO strategiesand urges creators to reconsider the soul of their website before clicking publish.
As AI tools Making it easier than ever to produce cheap content, Mueller’s words remind us: Google prioritizes real value over quick fixes. With millions of websites struggling with “crawled, not currently indexed” errors, this could trigger a wave of domain redesigns in 2026.
Mueller’s blunt stance: Treat restoring sites in poor condition like a fresh start
Mueller was responding to a distressed Reddit user who asked whether swapping AI English pages for human-written Portuguese pages could revitalize their site. He flipped the script and focused on purpose rather than authorship.
Here’s what Mueller emphasized in his response:
- Rewriting AI slop with human hands doesn’t magically increase the authenticity or value of the web
- Think of a full content cleanup as a complete reboot – first decide your site’s true mission
- Websites in poor condition face steeper climbs than new domains and often take much longer to recover
- Always ask: Does this website really help users, demonstrate expertise, and fill a real need?
He compared it bluntly: starting on a clean domain is better than restoring an infected domain. Mueller reiterated Google’s rules for helpful content updates: show originality, target audiences intelligently, and leave spam vibes behind.
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Scarred domains AI floods Carry luggage that algorithms remember. A website that publishes thin, copied posts forever signals “low effort.” Mueller’s impetus? Review your strategy now. If your website is just a content mill, focus on high-quality topics that shine.
SEO pros are already raving: This could kill lazy AI farms and promote real developers. Are you facing indexing problems? Ditch the hassle of rewriting, think of a great purpose, and reboot smarter. Your ranking (and your sanity) will thank you.
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