Google strives to connect users with the most helpful and applicable content to their search queries. Google’s “helpful content system” and their automated ranking systems work together to sift through websites and pull the most pertinent and original content. Content created by people, for people.
To keep up with the advances in Search, updates are necessary to ensure that algorithms are advancing with the technology. Let’s breakdown these updates and see what has changed.
Update Alert:
August 2022: Release of helpful content update. The rollout was complete as of September 9, 2022.
Content for People, Not for Search Engines
The goal of the recent content update is to ensure that users have positive experiences with content. This means that content that doesn’t meet expectations will not be as successful as the content that does. Content creators who prioritize a people first focus when creating material, and who also follow SEO guidelines to bring even more value to searchers, will be rewarded.
To gauge whether or not your content is created for people and not search engines, keep these tips in mind:
- Create content for a specific audience.
- Content should be useful and helpful. Users need to be able to gather the right information to complete goals. Additionally, they shouldn’t need to continue searching for more information.
- Don’t just summarize, add value.
- Refrain from using AI to completely create your content.
If you need more guidance, check out Google’s tips for self-evaluating your content.
What to Expect from the Update
The introduction of a new signal allows Google’s systems to detect content that is not beneficial to those using search engines. Now, content with little value is automatically identified by Google’s systems.
Basically, when sites are identified as having an abundance of unhelpful content, it is likely that the other content on these websites will also not perform as well in Search. So, if there is another website with more relevant information, users will be directed there instead.
Keep in mind that this new signal is only one of many that Google uses to Rank your website and content for Search Engines. Therefore, sites with unhelpful content could still rank well if there are other signals identifying that people-first content is available, helpful, and relevant to a search query. However, the removal of any unhelpful material could improve the rankings of your remaining content.
Stay Up-to-Date, Stay in the Search
Competition is fierce out there. Advancing AI technology in Search will continue to push for content that is most beneficial to users. So, keep your SEO campaigns on point, and your content strategy fierce. Lastly, keep your eyes peeled for updates and make sure you are following any guidelines!