Google’s Helpful Content Update: SEO for People, Not Bots

A lot has changed on the internet over the years. Google, one of the biggest search engine players in search and content, has been working hard to improve its user experience while removing unhelpful content. Recently, Google confirmed that it was rolling out a new algorithm update that affects how websites are ranked based on their content.

This update is called “Helpful Content Update”. Its main goal is to ensure that users are able to find the most helpful content when they search for something on Google. The update will look at a number of factors when determining whether or not a piece of content is S.E.R.P.S.ul.

In this blog post, we will discuss what this change means for your website and how you can adapt to ensure that your site ranks high in search engine results pages (SERPS).

What is Google’s helpful content?

Google’s algorithm update is all about giving users the best possible experience when they search for something online. Google looks at a number of factors to determine whether or not a piece of content is helpful in the search results, some of which may be:

1. How well the content answers the user’s question
2. The quality of the writing
3. The uniqueness of the content
4. Whether or not the content is easy to read and understand

If your website’s content meets all of these criteria, then it is likely that you will see a boost in your SERP ranking. The Search Engine Journal does a great job at expanding on this topic. However, if your site’s content does not meet these standards, then you may see a drop in your ranking and search traffic.

How To Ensure Your Site’s Content is Google-friendly

Google is constantly changing and refining their broad core updates. As a result, it can be difficult to keep up with all of the latest changes. However, there are some things you can do to ensure that your site’s content always stays relevant regardless of the algorithm updates that come from Google.

Write For Your Audience First and Google second

It’s important to remember that you are writing for your audience first and foremost. Google wants to make sure that its users are getting the best and most relevant content possible. While it’s important to consider SEO when creating content, your ultimate goal should be to produce something that is helpful and informative for your readers.

Ensure Your Content Is Written by Subject-Matter Experts

If you want your content to be considered helpful by Google, then it’s important to make sure that it is written by subject-matter experts. This means that the person writing the piece should have a deep understanding of the topic at hand. This will allow them to produce content that is both accurate and informative. Google advises bloggers not to write about something they haven’t personally experienced as this could lead to the production of inaccurate and low-quality content.

Keep Your Content Updated

Google also favours content that is fresh and up-to-date. This means that you should regularly update your website’s content in order to ensure that it is relevant and accurate. If you have a blog, consider writing new posts on a regular basis. You can use Google Analytics to see which pieces of content are performing well and focus on creating similar content. This will help to ensure that your site’s content is always relevant and engaging for your audience.

Don’t Combine Multiple Topics Into One Site

It’s important to ensure that your website has a subject and primary focus. Having a niche is important as it allows you to produce content that is laser-focused and relevant to your target audience. Trying to cover multiple topics on one site will only serve to dilute your content and make it less helpful for users.

Provide Sufficient Answers to User’s Search Queries

Creating content for search engines can often involve writing a lot without saying anything of value. This is because many site owners tend to create content centred around search engines while ignoring the needs of their existing or intended audience. Getting concerned over a particular word count won’t provide much value in the search rankings. Google’s broad core update is designed to tackle this issue by rewarding sites that provide sufficient answers to user questions

Use Natural Language and Transitional Phrases

When writing content, it’s important to use natural language and transitional phrases. This will make your content easier to read and understand for both humans and search engines. Remember, the Google algorithm wants its users to have the best possible experience when searching for something online. If your content is difficult to read or understand, then it is likely that you will see a drop in your search results

Consider Your User’s Intent

When creating content, it’s important to consider the user’s intent behind their search query. What are they trying to achieve? What do they need to know? Answering these questions will help you create content that is truly helpful and relevant to your audience. Creating content that doesn’t cater to the user’s intent may be considered unhelpful content by Google.

Why do search engines constantly update their algorithms?

Simply put, Google is in the business of delivering relevant and helpful results to its users, and they are always looking for ways to improve the user experience. The “helpful content” update is just one of many broad core algorithm update that Google has released over the years, all with the same goal in mind: to provide users with the most relevant and helpful results possible.

As more users get what they are looking for, they are more likely to continue using the search engine, which is good for business. So, if you want your website to rank well on Google, it’s important to create helpful and relevant content.

Its unclear whether this algorithm update will also impact other languages, however, given that the update is designed to reward websites that provide helpful content, it’s likely that other languages will also be impacted.

If you’re a website owner or content creator, there’s no need to panic. Just remember to focus on creating helpful and relevant content and you should see your website’s search results improve over time.

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