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The Google Helpful Content update focuses on what content that is more relevant and helpful to users rather than content that is designed for search engines.
Written By Shane Cousins
Mar 2023 / Reading Length: 6 minutes
Understanding Google’s Helpful Content Update, Google’s Helpful Content update, introduced in August 2022, focuses on prioritising content that is genuinely useful to users rather than content designed primarily for search engines. As Google explained, their goal is to “better reward content that properly satisfies users’ searches.”
This update is a significant change to Google’s ranking algorithm, designed to deliver more relevant and valuable content to searchers. It shifts the focus from SEO-driven content to content that meets the needs of users. Google aims to reduce the visibility of content that’s created just for search engine traffic—especially when it doesn’t actually satisfy user intent.
Google’s rationale behind this update stems from their finding that content designed for search engines often leads to lower user satisfaction. So, Google wants to emphasise content that prioritises the audience over search rankings.
The Helpful Content update introduces a people-first approach to ranking.
This means content will be evaluated not just on how well it fits SEO keywords, but on how well it actually answers users’ queries.
A key feature of this update is a site-wide signalling system that looks at the amount of helpful content across your entire website. The more helpful content you have, the better your website will rank. On the flip side, removing unhelpful content can also improve your ranking.
Google uses machine learning to evaluate content, with algorithms like BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) and the Helpful Content system working together to assess whether your content meets user needs.
The biggest change is that relevance and usefulness are now more important than ever. Websites need to focus on creating content that genuinely helps visitors, rather than simply optimising for search engine rankings. While the effects of the update might not be immediate, over time, websites that offer useful content will see improvements, while sites with low-quality or irrelevant content may experience a drop in rankings.
Google updates its ranking system frequently to improve the search experience. The Helpful Content update is a response to the growing need for content that better aligns with user expectations. Google processes billions of searches daily, and these updates help refine the search results so that users get the most trustworthy, relevant, and high-quality information available.
So how can you optimise your website for this new algorithm? Here are a few key points to consider:
Provide Original, Unique Content: Google can now better identify content that’s repetitive or copied. Offering fresh insights or perspectives on a topic will help your content stand out.
Ensure Content is Comprehensive: Provide well-rounded, detailed information on topics, instead of just scratching the surface.
Engage Your Audience: Present information in a way that captivates users and encourages them to stay on your page. Engaging content is more likely to be shared and bookmarked.
Avoid Clickbait: Misleading or exaggerated headlines can hurt your rankings, as Google now prioritizes content that truly delivers on its promises.
Provide Reliable Information: Make sure your content is accurate, well-researched, and cites trustworthy sources. This boosts credibility.
Improve Readability: Google values content that is easy to read and well-organized. Avoid clutter, excessive ads, or poor formatting.
Mobile-Friendly Design: Since a significant portion of searches come from mobile devices, ensure your site is optimised for both mobile and desktop users.
Know Your Audience: Content that speaks to a clearly defined audience will perform better. Make sure your content addresses the needs and interests of your target readers.
Google’s Helpful Content update is a step toward ensuring that the search engine returns results that are genuinely helpful to users. As a website owner, focusing on delivering high-quality, user-centric content will not only help improve your search rankings but also provide value to your visitors. By aligning with this update, you’ll increase your chances of success in an evolving SEO landscape.
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