It’s been a rollercoaster few months for web content creators. Not only are we getting to grips with how AI content tools might impact how we fill our websites with shiny new written content, we’re also trying to get our heads round Google’s recent Helpful Content update.
Released in December 2022 (following the launch in August 2022 of the helpful content system), this update is intended, so Google says, to ‘improve our classifier … across content globally in all languages’. But what does this really mean? What impact could it have on your website? And should you change your copywriting and content marketing strategy?
What is Helpful Content?
The Google Helpful Content update is a real win for professional copywriters and their clients. It essentially rewards quality content written by real people, for real people. Which means those sad keyword-stuffed pages produced purely for ranking’s sake are pushed further down the page. You know those articles. The ones that are written solely with SERPs (search engine results pages) in mind.
The Google Helpful Content update is a real win for professional copywriters and their clients. It essentially rewards quality content written by real people, for real people.
In the past, stuffing a page or four with juicy keywords had the desired effect of pushing a page up Google’s rankings. Requiring little skill to produce, keyword-heavy SEO articles were a quick and dirty way to boost your search engine ranking without spending valuable money on professional, experienced content producers. But now? Not so much.
We already know that these kinds of pages, free from content that’s valuable to a human reader, may not drive sales or keep a viewer on your page for long[i]. And now Google’s Helpful Content algorithm isn’t going to look favourably on them either. Instead publishing content that’s interesting, informative and well written – the sort of thing that people really want to read – will be rewarded with a place on the search engine’s higher podium places.
Will the Helpful Content Update affect existing content?
It’s too soon to get our hands on good data related to the effects of the Helpful Content, however a Twitter poll conducted soon after roll out saw around 12% of respondents report a drop in their Google rankings. Meanwhile, just under 9% had seen an improvement. Additionally, although some of the hardest hit were those websites that use notoriously ropey SEO-only content, there were also some surprise casualties, including some credible news sites[ii].
Why has this happened? The issue appears to be one of old and out of date content. A particular problem for those who work in fast moving industries where trends and events change often, the Helpful Content update has been penalising websites that host articles that are no longer relevant to today’s readers. So it’s not just new content that’s judged by Google but old pages too, underlining the importance of staying on trend in order to be helpful, especially if you’re working in an ever-changing industry.
Does this mean human content is better than AI content?
With so many headlines given over to AI copywriting in recent months, the question has to be asked: is this Google’s way of doing writers a favour? If only. The Helpful Content update is entirely user-focused, rolled out in response to the increasing problem of content created only to service SERPs.
We know that AI content producers like ChatGPT and Google’s own Bard can produce astonishingly well-written articles informed by existing human-produced content. Helpful Content isn’t about running the robots out of town (provided the robots are creating something we humans want to read) and it’s possible that the Helpful Content algorithm could actually support AI, providing it with improved inputs already approved as useful to living, breathing humans.
That said, the fact that Google Search Central described Helpful Content as seeking out ‘original, helpful content made by people, for people’ speaks volumes. Even Google, the world’s number one search engine, with 80% market share and its very biggest eggs in the content basket, understands that even with new and exciting technology at our fingertips, humans are best placed to create something that other humans want to read.
How can I make sure my website offers ‘Helpful’ Content?
So the big question is, how do you make sure that the content on your website is helpful to Google’s human users? There are a number of things you can do to make sure that every page is useful to your potential customers and to your search engine ranking:
Know your audience
Google wants you to create helpful content and the only way to do that is to know who your customer is, inside and out. Once you’re familiar with your target audience, you can tailor content to meet their needs, answer the questions you know they have and direct them towards products that will be relevant to them.
Be the expert
A large part of SEO is producing unique and relevant content. Simply regurgitating something written by someone else won’t cut it, especially now that Google penalises content that users don’t find to be worthwhile. Providing your readers with personal insight, expert knowledge and a sprinkling of personality is key to creating expert-led content that visitors will trust and find helpful.
Get up close and personal with Google
Before you pick up your quill it’s important to familiarise yourself with what Google themselves say about the Helpful Content algorithm. You should also be well versed in Google’s other policies and guidance. Creating fantastic articles full of useful information is a must, however if you fall foul of Google’s rules related to affiliate links and sponsored content all that hard work could go to waste.
Stay up to date
We now know that Google is able to sniff out old content that’s no longer relevant and could even be fining you a few ranking places for it. The smartest and simplest thing you can do to protect your website right now? Refresh old content. Remove anything that’s no longer relevant and tidy up the good stuff to make it new and shiny. The perfect recipe going forward? Regular updating of older branding content alongside a good feed of new articles which closely match search intent.
Use keywords, but make it natural
Knowing what we now know about Helpful Content, it’s little surprise that some content creators and their employers are nervous about the use of keywords. However, keywords are still vital to your Google ranking and ensure that your target consumer can find you. The trick? Using keywords in a smarter way. Just shoving them in there is no good. Instead you’ll be rewarded by Google for using keywords in a natural way so they don’t stick out like sore, cheaply made content thumbs.
You’ll be rewarded by Google for using keywords in a natural way so they don’t stick out like sore, cheaply made content thumbs.
Employ an expert
Creating web marketing content that users love just as much as our friend Google does takes real skill. Not only do you need to know what makes search engines tick, you also need to know how to reach potential customers with readable content. Content that keeps them on your site beyond the ten seconds it takes the average internet browser to know whether it’s worth reading on. Creating that engaging, SEO friendly content is more complex than it seems. That’s why The Content Marketing Team exists. Our experienced content experts can help you to create a content strategy that not only tickles Google’s toes but that delights human readers too, helping you to convert clicks into customers.
That’s why The Content Marketing Team exists. Our experienced content experts can help you to create a content strategy that not only tickles Google’s toes but that delights human readers too, helping you to convert clicks into customers.
To find out more about how we can help you to create search engine friendly Helpful Content, get in touch with The Content Marketing Team today.
[i] https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-long-do-users-stay-on-web-pages/
[ii] https://www.searchenginejournal.com/helpful-content-update-news-seo-trisolute-spa/472067/
References
https://www.webfx.com/blog/seo/google-helpful-content-update/
https://neilpatel.com/blog/googles-helpful-content-update/
https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2022/08/helpful-content-update
