What’s the Background of the Helpful Content Update?

The helpful content update builds on some previous benchmark changes, including one known as Penguin 3.0. Fundamentally, these changes are meant to make any web content relevant to potential readers and to offer them as much value as possible. As with some previous updates, Google has been rolling this one out gradually during the last quarter of 2022.

You may already be aware of the importance associated with content. Gone are the days when a developer could create a website with some rudimentary content but stuffed with short and long-tail keywords designed to game the system. In those days, the mere presence of keywords in any number would automatically move the web page up the rankings to the potential benefit of its owner.

Avoid Manipulated Content

These days, Google’s algorithms can spot manipulated content a mile away. The system can read web page content and determine whether it is well-written and potentially valuable to the reader based on the target master keyword. In other words, if a website tells Google that it intends to provide certain products or services and is a good resource, the content must back this up.

A website will not automatically be affected by the new helpful content update. In other words, the update itself does not mean your site will move up or down based on its current content. However, if you’re struggling with viewer retention and people are leaving your site without spending too much time, this is a red flag. If users report low-quality content, this is also a bad sign.

Keep Ads in Check

Google may not be happy if your website has too many ads in relation to the volume of content. Those algorithms may conclude that you’re more focused on making money than providing value in the form of content, which may lead to a penalty.

Possible Advantages of the Helpful Content Update

The helpful content update should represent a win for both visitors and website owners. It should help create a better experience for those visitors and make them more confident in the nature of the results they receive. In turn, this could translate into higher conversions for well-placed sites, leading to a better bottom line.

After all, a site that appears in the first two results for a given keyword should also provide good value to the searcher. Google aims to convince web users that the search engine is providing details about a valuable site rather than simply a link to a page.

Potential Disadvantages of the Update

Still, a website owner must qualify for inclusion in those high rankings and ensure that they conform to the helpful content update. This can challenge business owners and publishers, as they may need to adjust their content strategy. They certainly need to move further away from generic and weak content and avoid keyword stuffing like the plague. It’s also important to note that Google seems to place additional emphasis on volume and quality.

So, it may no longer be good enough to create some short-form content for a page and expect to rank highly. This means that business owners may need to spend more time on content creation or hire more writers and editors. They must also have a clear marketing and content plan, know how to create awareness around particular articles, and be ready to update their web pages accordingly.

Extra Work Required

Google has said that its helpful content update aims to find original and valuable content that people make for people. This is clearly the opposite of content specifically made to gain search traffic. And by “made to gain search traffic,” they mean content that is written with a specific set of keywords, provided in such a number that would theoretically rank. Google understands that people are often disappointed by lackluster results, and the search engine clearly wants to change that.

What You Should Do Next

Rather than getting upset about more changes to those algorithms and a bar that seems to be getting higher and higher, it’s best to be realistic. After all, the more helpful a piece of content is and relevant to a problem your product or service can solve, the more likely a reader will be happy. They’ll trust your site as a valuable resource and are far more likely to give you the business than otherwise. Google’s algorithms will notice if your visitor navigates to read even more of your content, download some of your resources, or click to get more information.

It’s also helpful to work with a content expert—like In Context SEO. We are building a series of blogs to help business owners like you and to provide valuable information. We’d love to let you know when this content will be available and invite you to sign up for our mailing list.