Google's new spam rate threshold significantly impacts email deliverability, particularly for B2B senders. Non-compliance leads to emails being treated as unwanted, potentially rejected or sent to spam, with diminished chances of mitigation if blocked. Responses to spam issues are expected to be incremental, starting with rate limiting and progressing to blocking. A spam vote rate near 0.3% can already cause deliverability problems, and B2B mail complaint rates are often unknown due to limitations in Google Postmaster Tools, which doesn't fully account for Google Workspace data. Addressing B2B spam requires scrutiny of email address sources and a halt to improper acquisition practices. While the spam rate is assessed over time to minimize the impact of a single bad day, it is recommended to target a complaint rate of <0.1%, especially for high-volume senders. Adapting to new spam thresholds necessitates focusing on authentication, list hygiene, and delivering valuable, solicited content. B2B senders must prioritize list quality and opt-in practices, as complaint rates directly affect inbox placement. Proper email authentication is key to establishing credibility, while engagement metrics like opens and clicks influence deliverability. Sender reputation significantly impacts deliverability, and maintaining clean, engaged subscriber lists is essential. Personalized, targeted cold email strategies are crucial; generic mass emails are more likely to be marked as spam. Prompt and effective handling of complaints is vital, and encouraging subscriber engagement through relevant content, personalization, and A/B testing improves deliverability. Furthermore, updated deliverability changes will impact B2B senders relying on older or less compliant tactics, requiring them to authenticate correctly, manage lists effectively, and ensure their content is wanted. New authentication requirements benefit those already adhering to best practices, but cold emailers must adapt their strategies to avoid being filtered as spam.
11 marketer opinions
Google's new spam rate threshold significantly impacts email deliverability, particularly for B2B senders. Senders must meet Google's new requirements to ensure their emails reach inboxes. Failure to meet these thresholds can result in emails being marked as spam or blocked. B2B senders need to pay close attention to list quality, engagement metrics, authentication, and cold emailing strategies. Maintaining a low spam vote rate is important for resilience against occasional spikes. Adaptations include focusing on authentication, list hygiene, and relevant, valuable content.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Litmus Blog says that engagement metrics (opens, clicks) influence deliverability. Senders with low engagement and high complaint rates are more likely to be filtered. B2B senders should focus on providing value to recipients.
9 Dec 2021 - Litmus Blog
Marketer view
Email marketer from Validity Blog answers that list hygiene impacts deliverability. Clean lists with engaged subscribers lead to higher deliverability rates. B2B senders should regularly remove inactive or unengaged contacts.
3 Feb 2023 - Validity Blog
7 expert opinions
Google's new spam rate threshold will significantly impact email deliverability, particularly for B2B senders. Non-compliance results in unwanted email treatment, potential rejection or spam placement, and reduced mitigation chances when blocked. Responses to spam issues will likely be incremental, including rate limiting and eventual blocking. B2B mail complaint rates are often unknown as Google Postmaster Tools excludes Google Workspace data, lacking benchmarks. Addressing B2B spam involves questioning address sources and stopping improper acquisition. The spam rate is measured as a trend, targeting <0.1% for senders of 5,000+ emails daily. Updated deliverability changes impact B2B senders using older tactics, requiring proper authentication and effective list management. New authentication requirements benefit compliant businesses but necessitate cold emailers to update practices to avoid filtering.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks responds to the question about Google's new spam rate threshold, explaining that non-compliance will likely cause emails to be treated as unwanted, impacting deliverability. Violating some requirements may lead to outright rejection, while others might result in spam folder placement, depending on sender history and reputation. Non-compliance also diminishes chances of mitigation when blocked.
21 Nov 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that the updated deliverability changes from Google and Yahoo will impact B2B senders, especially those relying on older or less compliant tactics. Senders need to authenticate correctly, manage lists effectively, and ensure their content is wanted to maintain good deliverability.
27 Apr 2024 - Word to the Wise
3 technical articles
Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all emphasize the importance of maintaining low spam complaint rates and a good sender reputation for email deliverability. Low spam rates improve resilience to user feedback spikes, while high spam rates result in increased spam classification, filtering, and reduced inbox placement. Improving complaint rates takes time to reflect positively on spam classification. Recipient engagement is crucial, and spam complaints directly affect sender reputation.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Sender Guidelines explains that senders who keep their spam rates low are more resilient to occasional spikes in user feedback. High spam rates will lead to increased spam classification. Improving your spam complaint rate can take some time to positively influence spam classification.
20 May 2022 - Google Sender Guidelines
Technical article
Documentation from Yahoo Mail Sender Best Practices explains that senders must maintain low complaint rates to ensure delivery, emphasizing the importance of recipient engagement. Senders with high complaint rates may experience filtering and reduced inbox placement.
14 Jul 2022 - Yahoo Mail Sender Best Practices
Do Yahoo and Gmail require DMARC authentication for senders?
How are Gmail and Yahoo enforcing unsubscribe requests, and what factors do they consider for compliance?
How do Gmail and Yahoo's new one-click unsubscribe requirements work?
How do the Yahoo and Google updates impact B2B email senders?
How does Gmail's new spam rate calculation impact email list management and engagement?
How will Google & Yahoo's new spam rate threshold affect subdomain and domain reputation and inbox placement?