Google Helpful Content Update- Everything You Need to Know
Google has announced a new update to its search algorithm which it says will reward ‘helpful and informative’ content with higher rankings. The update, which has been christened the ‘helpful content update’, is designed to surface content that is ‘useful and informative’ to users, regardless of whether it is from a large publisher or a small blog.
In a blog post announcing the update, Google’s vice president of engineering, Ben Gomes, said that the company had been working on the update for several months. “This update is designed to improve our systems’ ability to identify and surface content that is most useful and informative for a given query,” he said.
Gomes also said that the update would be rolled out gradually over the coming weeks and that it would be ‘fully rolled out’ by the end of the year. He added that the update would be ‘language agnostic’, meaning that it will impact all languages that Google supports.
What Creators Should Know about Google’s helpful Content Update
Check out the article summary in a few lines-
Google is launching a “helpful content update” that will better reward content that visitors find satisfying, and penalize content that doesn’t meet visitor’s expectations
To create successful content under the new update, creators should focus on creating content for people, not for search engines
Content should be people-first, meaning it is useful if the reader came directly to the creator, and should demonstrate first-hand expertise
Content should aim to answer the reader’s question, and leave them feeling like they have learned enough about the topic to help them achieve their goal
Automated content, content written for search engines, or content that is summarizing what others have said without adding much value is not as likely to perform well under the new update.
The update is rolling out next week, and will be applied to sites over a period of months
The update will impact English searches globally to begin with, and will expand to other languages in the future
Read the comple article on Google Search Central.
More about Helpful Content Update from Google
The helpful content update is the latest in a series of algorithm updates that Google has rolled out over the past week, all of which have been aimed at surfacing more high-quality content to users. Other recent updates include the ‘mobile-friendly’ update, which rewarded pages that were optimized for mobile devices, and the ‘ RankBrain ’ update, which used machine learning to surface the best results for complex queries.
The helpful content update is going to be welcomed by publishers who produce quality content, and it will be a challenge for those who rely on lower-quality content or AI tools to generate traffic. As always, it will be important to keep an eye on your traffic and engagement metrics to see how your site is affected by the update.
Top 10 Hypothesis about Google Helpful Content Update
- The ‘helpful content update’ is designed to improve the quality of content on the web. This will also-
- Help Google to better understand the intent of searchers and provide more relevant and helpful results.
- Focus on improving the quality of content on websites, rather than the quantity.
- Help Google to identify and penalize sites with thin or low-quality content.
- Encourage website owners to create more helpful and informative content.
- Make it easier for Google to find and index helpful content on the web.
- Improve the visibility of helpful and informative content in Google search results.
- Help Google to surface more helpful and relevant content in search results.
- Promote the use of helpful and informative content on the web.
- Make it easier for users to find helpful and informative content on the web.
Here is What You Need to Check to Ensure Content Quality and Helpfulness Required by Google
| Google’s Content Quality & Helpfulness Questions | Question Type |
| Is the content written primarily for humans, rather than to attract search engine traffic? | Helpfulness and People Satisfaction |
| Has the content been written primarily by a human, rather than using extensive automation? | Helpfulness and People Satisfaction |
| Is the content topic aligned with the site’s primary purpose or focus? | Helpfulness and People Satisfaction |
| Does the content actually answer the question that it promised to answer? | Helpfulness and People Satisfaction |
| After reading the content, will someone leave feeling like they’ve learned enough about a topic to help them achieve their goal? | Helpfulness and People Satisfaction |
| Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis? | Quality |
| Does the content provide a substantial, complete, or comprehensive description of the topic? | Quality |
| Does the content provide insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond obvious? | Quality |
| If the content draws on other sources, does it avoid simply copying or rewriting those sources, and instead provide substantial additional value and originality? | Quality |
| Does the headline and/or page title provide a descriptive, helpful summary of the content? | Quality |
| Does the headline and/or page title avoid being exaggerated or shocking in nature? | Quality |
| Is this the sort of page you’d want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend? | Quality |
| Would you expect to see this content in or referenced by a printed magazine, encyclopedia, or book? | Quality |
| Does the content present information in a way that makes you want to trust it, such as clear sourcing, evidence of the expertise involved, and background about the author or the site that publishes it, such as through links to an author page or a site’s About page? | Expertise |
| If you researched the site producing the content, would you come away with the impression that it is well-trusted or widely recognized as an authority on its topic? | Expertise |
| Is this content written by an expert or enthusiast who demonstrably knows the topic well? | Expertise |
| Is the content free from easily-verified factual errors? | Expertise |
| Would you feel comfortable trusting this content for issues relating to your money or your life? | Expertise |
| Is the content free from spelling or stylistic issues? | Presentation and production |
| Was the content produced well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced? | Presentation and production |
| Is the content mass-produced by or outsourced to a large number of creators, or spread across a large network of sites, so that individual pages or sites don’t get as much attention or care? | Presentation and production |
| Does the content have an excessive amount of ads that distract from or interfere with the main content? | Presentation and production |
| Does content display well for mobile devices when viewed on them? | Presentation and production |
| Does the content provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results? | Context |
| Does the content seem to be serving the genuine interests of visitors to the site or does it seem to exist solely by someone attempting to guess what might rank well in search engines? | Context |
10 FAQs on Google Helpful Content Update
What is the ‘helpful content update’?
The ‘helpful content update’ is a new algorithm update from Google that is designed to reward content that is seen as helpful by users.
What are the goals of the ‘helpful content update’?
The goals of the ‘helpful content update’ are to improve the quality of search results and to make sure that users are finding the most helpful content possible.
What types of content will be rewarded with this update?
Content that is seen as helpful by users, as well as content that is well-researched and well-written, will be rewarded with this update.
How can I make sure my content is seen as helpful by Google?
To make sure your content is seen as helpful by Google, make sure to focus on creating content that is useful and informative. Additionally, your content should be well-researched and well-written.
What are some things to avoid if I don’t want my content penalized?
Some things to avoid if you don’t want your content penalized include keyword stuffing, thin content, and duplicate content.
How often will this update be rolled out?
This update will be rolled out on a regular basis.
Will all content be judged on the same criteria?
All content will be judged on the same criteria.
How will I know if my content is being penalized?
You will know if your content is being penalized if it is not appearing in search results or if it is receiving fewer clicks than it used to.
What can I do to improve my content if it’s not seen as helpful?
If your content is not seen as helpful, you can improve it by making sure it is useful and informative. Additionally, you can improve your content by making sure it is well-researched and well-written.
Will this update impact all sites equally?
This update will impact all sites equally.
Key Takeaways for Content Creators and Marketers from Google Helpful Content Update
For now, while the update is rolling out, just wait and keep a watchful eye on what happened. But this is what you need to do in the long run to ensure desired outcomes.
Keep your content updated regularly.
Make use of Google’s new content update to keep your audience engaged.
Plan and execute a content marketing strategy that aligns with your business goals.
Pay attention to the metrics that matter most to your business and track your progress.
Always be testing and experimenting with new content ideas and strategies.
Stay ahead of the curve by keeping up with the latest Google algorithm updates.
Keep a close eye on your competition and learn from their successes and failures.
