Google Helpful Content Update: In Depth Analysis
As part of its ongoing efforts to improve its search experience, Google regularly updates its algorithms and makes improvements. After 11 years of panda updates in 2011, on 5th December 2022, Google rolled out another critical update on content with the name of Google helpful content update.
Whether you are a professional content writer, run a digital marketing agency or SEO agency, or offer design services, you will find this blog extremely useful.
Here we will give you an in-depth analysis and preliminary information about this update.
This is a helpful content update, as the name implies, which means Google focuses its attention on content.
In this update, Google asked six questions and said that if the answer is positive, you will be good to go ahead.
Let’s take a closer look at all six questions Google posed in this update and find out what they are.
Q#1- Do you have an existing or intended audience for your business or site that would find valuable content if they came directly to you?
Explanation: In this question, google asked you about direct traffic on your website and how many returning visitors you have. It means a user comes to your website and finds valuable content then the user will come again. Here google means the existing or intended audience. In this question, google means less than 100% existing audience.
Q#2- Does your content demonstrate first-hand expertise and a depth of knowledge (for example, expertise from having used a product or service or visiting a place)?
Explanation: Google asks about your expertise in the content you are writing. For example, you have written content on digital marketing services without knowledge and experience in digital marketing. In that case, google can read your entire content with this AI-based update and analyze your intentions behind the content. So your content should be visible with expertise.
Q#3- Does your site have a primary purpose or focus?
Explanation: You will be asked about niche-specific content in this question. If you write content on multiple topics, your website should have a structure for that particular niche. For example, if you crafted a post related to SEO consultancy, then make sure there is a separate category or page.
Q#4- After reading your content, will someone leave feeling they’ve learned enough about a topic to help achieve their goal?
Explanation: If users visit your website and read the content, do they feel satisfied with it or do they get the answer to the query for which they have visited the website? Means, are they satisfied or not with your content? And for that, visitors’ stay time and bounce rate can also be considered.
Q#5- Will someone reading your content leave feeling like they’ve had a satisfying experience?
Explanation: Using this question, Google reminds you to provide visitors with all the necessary information. You can provide a great user experience and keep them from searching further by using images and videos on your web pages.
Q#6- Are you keeping in mind our guidance for Google Helpful Content core updates?
Explanation: According to Google’s guidance, the best way to come up with great content is to keep in mind whatever Google’s algorithms have come up with during the course of the past few years.
So if you are positive with all the above six questions, then you don’t have to worry about your website; if not, then we have some critical suggestions for you.
Create and craft valuable content
This update considers an eye-opening factor for SEO consultants and digital marketing agencies. Google aims to honour valuable content with AI-based helpful content updates where users feel a satisfying experience. In contrast, content that doesn’t meet users’ expectations will perform differently than desired intentions.
Apply SEO strategies as per Google’s instructions:
Due to spammy and low-quality content, many websites were blacklisted in 2021 and 2022, which was an alarming situation for digital marketers and SEO experts. However, Google wants your actions regarding SEO strategies as per its instructions because it focuses on satisfying its audience and giving them a flawless search experience.
This means if you take care of the audience, then google will take care of your website.
This is site wide signal, and there is no space for even minor mistakes.
About this update, one thing that should not be ignored by digital marketing and SEO agencies is that this update will be a site-wide signal, in other meaning if this update affects 30% of the website content, the remaining 70% of the content can also be effect by this update, and it impacts whole of your website.
Which kind of websites can effect by this update
The most important thing is that this update not only affects content-based websites and blogging websites, but it can affect every single website, whether it is an eCommerce website, service website or business website. According to Google, This update will apply to every website.
Make “People-first” content, So avoid creating content just for SEO intentions.
Content writers, SEO consultants and digital marketing services providers must focus on people-first content, make content that meets the searcher’s expectations, and avoid making content just for the SEO intentions. Although SEO is a result-driven activity, it is nothing without user-friendly content.
