Gone are the days when you stuff keywords in your content and get to the top of Search Engine Result Pages (SERP). Ever since the 2011 Panda update, Google has been rigorously working to identify (and remove) webpages that are purely made to improve search engine rankings and not add value for users.
This is why the latest Google Helpful Content Update has once again taken digital marketers and SEO specialists by surprise. This time, Google has introduced a fully-automated ML-based algorithm to judge the content quality of websites.
The update has been launched to ensure people see original, helpful content written by people, for people, say Google. And while good SEO content writers were already working hard to offer readers original and value-added content, this has rung an alarm bell for those who weren’t doing the same.
In this blog below, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about Google’s Helpful Content Update and ways to sustain your search engine ranking once it fully rolls out.
What is Google Helpful Content Update?
Google has been launching numerous Core Updates in previous years to improve search engine users’ experiences. Most of these updates mainly targeted technical or off-page SEO, but the latest Helpful Content Update purely targets on-page SEO and content development.
The aim of Google Helpful Content Update is to identify websites that may have SEO-friendly content but not necessarily user-friendly content. As a result, websites that currently rank high on Google’s search engine may not be able to enjoy the same visibility in the coming days.
Why Does it Matter?
Earlier, Google has been working with crawlers and algorithms to strictly monitor the backend SEO and off-site tactics. But now, with the Google Helpful Content Update in place, here’s how the dynamics will change.
Improved User Experience
As opposed to clicking a Google search page and not finding answers, Google Helpful Content Update will ensure that users get genuine help. This will make a great difference to the overall user experience.
Cater to Search Intent
Some SEO writing services were able to strategically fluff keywords and appear at the top of the SERP. This was a frustrating experience for users whose search intent was not catered to by top webpages on Google.
Discourage Black Hat Tactics
While Google still approves of SEO-friendly content writing, it discourages black hat tactics of getting to the top of SERP. By rolling out the latest update, Google has taken a significant leap against black hatters deploying wrongful means to gain visibility.
Promote Natural Keyword Placement
In recent years, AI-based SEO-friendly content writing has garnered a lot of attention. This is because AI is smart enough to place keywords in a way that attracts a search engine algorithm. But Google is not interested in webpages looking to attract the search engine. It’s now encouraging natural keyword use to attract readers.
Quality Content is SEO-Friendly Content
Gone are the days when SEO writing services just needed to churn out trending topics, keyword-stuffed content, and generic material. Now SEO-friendly content is one that’s quality content and is helpful to the user’s search intent.
How Google Helpful Content Update Works
Here are some questions Google asks when checking a webpage against Helpful Content Update.
- Is your content original?
- Is your content value-based?
- Is your content relevant to your website’s niche?
- Is your content merely on your website because it’s trending?
- Is your content human-focused and caters to the readers’ needs?
- Is your content written by real writers and not AI tools?
- Is your content meant to inform or educate readers?
- Is your content only meant for clicks and doesn’t have real answers?
Based on the answers to these questions, you can understand whether your website is safe or may lose its ranking after the new update fully rolls out.
What Should You Do?
If you have constantly been working towards offering value-based, original, and quality SEO-friendly content, then you don’t have to worry. Still, to make sure, here are some things you can do.
Conduct an SEO Audit
The first step to do is to conduct an SEO audit to analyze the quality of content across all your web pages. Make sure to thoroughly vet all the pages, as the new content update is applicable across all website pages.
Get Rid of the Clutter
If you have old pages, outdated information, or poor content that was successful according to previous metrics, it’s time to declutter. Get rid of poor-quality content from all your web pages, as it may end up impacting your website’s ranking once the Google Helpful Content Update starts to fully implement.
Engage SEO Writing Services
If you have been using AI tools to generate SEO-friendly content, it has to end now. Hire Affordable seo content writing services that offer original and quality content to keep your website safe after the latest update.
Focus on Humans, Not Bots
You’re not writing content for Google’s algorithms and bots. Your primary focus should be the readers who are coming to your website to look for answers. Satisfy the search intent by offering value-added content to your website visitors.
Toughen Up Editorial Control
If your website has user-generated content, it’s time to take charge of the editorial control. Don’t let anything slip through the cracks and mess up your years of seo friendly content writing strategy.
The Lookout and Future Trends
Moving forward, Google Helpful Content Update may be a game changer for websites across all niches. While the update is currently only applicable to English language pages, it may soon start working on other languages.
If you see a dip in your ranking suddenly, it’s time to conduct an SEO audit to vet your website’s content quality. Another way to offer human-focused yet SEO-friendly content is to hire expert seo content writing services. It may take some time for the new update to fully show its impact, till then sit tight, and do your best.
Author Bio
The author is a senior content marketing specialist at Search Berg. The author has decades of experience in providing SEO-friendly content writing, copywriting, and digital marketing services for businesses in the U.S.
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