Google is launching a new update that has many online content creators turning their heads. The Helpful Content Update is sure to have a huge impact on the engine’s searches. Your content might end up ranking much differently in the search results than it has before.
The Helpful Content Update is targeting spammy search engine optimized (SEO) content. It can be difficult enough to keep up with Google’s current best practices - and they’re about the change again.
At Walden, we specialize in creating high-quality online content that search engines love. We reviewed the impacts this update will have, and tailor our strategy in response. Read on to discover how the update will impact you.
What is Google Panda and the Helpful Content Update?
Google Panda is a core search engine update named after its primary engineer. Google launched the update in 2011 in response to the growing issue of content farms. These farms used black hat SEO strategies to flood results with their pages. These underhanded tactics violate the search engine’s terms of service. Their spam content was usually low in quality and entirely unhelpful to searchers.
Thousands of new pieces of content were being spammed to searchers every day for clicks and ad revenue. Google Panda addressed the issue with a new search engine algorithm. Human quality raters helped develop the algorithm. They tested the sites’ quality, expertise, authenticity, and trustworthiness. These principles became the new standard for marketers creating content online.
From there, machine learning took over to mass-identify sites with destructive content. These sites lacked real research, used repetitive writing, and were full of ads.
Many content publishers are again prioritizing a high search rank and click, instead of content quality. The new helpful content update will keep SEO content that provides no real value from the top results.
This update is being implemented site-wide, meaning that a site’s overall ranking will suffer from bad content. Unlike the Google Panda update, it isn’t part of the core algorithm. Still, if the update affects your site negatively, it could take months to recover. This would require deleting or updating old content, and changing your writing strategy.
During this time, Google will carefully consider if they should validate your site. They want to ensure you’re dedicated to creating content that puts people first long-term. This content displays sources with unique information that has a specific purpose and doesn’t use extensive AI.
Google launched the helpful content update on August 25th and will continue to roll it out over several weeks. So far it is only affecting English Google searches. It could potentially expand to Google Discover, Google Shopping, and other services.
How Blog Writing Services Will Be Affected by the Google Panda Update
Blogs are the lifeblood of the Internet. They offer a fresh perspective on all kinds of niche topics people enjoy. According to Google, the helpful content update will heavily impact topics with spam history
These include:
Arts and Entertainment
Educational materials, such as tutorials
Shopping
Technology
Many blog writing services write tons of content on a huge range of trending topics. Blogs that use AI to automate some of the processes are also sure to suffer. The helpful content update naturally gives them a lower ranking.
There are a host of writing services that use SEO hacks to boost their low-quality content. Invisible text, overusing keywords, and using unrelated keywords bait searchers into clicking. This, combined with summarizing or copying content from other sources, will surely be punished by the algorithm.
How to Create High-Quality Content
Creating high-quality content that Google loves takes an experienced human writer. As a blog writer, consider the following questions from a reader's perspective before creating content:
Am I going to leave this page feeling satisfied and well-informed?
Did this content have new or well-researched information on a specific topic?
Is the site focused on this topic and related ones?
Do the writers have the expertise and first-hand knowledge on this subject?
Is the language relatable and enjoyable to read through?
Will I need to search for other blog posts on the topic after reading this one?
Consider this example: You search for the meaning of a phrase in a movie that recently premiered.
One of the first results has keywords mentioning the exact phrase and movie title. You click on it, excited to find a solid answer. Annoyingly, the blog post only parrots reviews of the movie from other sources. You quickly scroll through to see the movie quote, and it is indirectly mentioned in a paragraph. Nowhere is the actual meaning of the phrase explained!
This kind of content suffers with the new update. It leaves the searcher frustrated and without an answer. Content that prioritizes searching intent will rank much higher. With the update’s impact solidifying in the new few weeks, it is crucial to take action now.
Where to Find High-Quality Blog Writing Services
With the right strategy, your site can benefit from helpful content update changes. Content written with a depth of knowledge and a human touch can rise to the front page, while spam sinks. Walden provides high-quality blog writing services that build a connection with readers. With our expertise and effective SEO strategy, we can work together to reach your marketing goals.
Our team puts people first - that’s why we’re so good at turning "reads into leads." We can get your blog or website on track to efficiently drive traffic from search engine results pages (SERPS). Replace repetitive keywords and uninspired text with a strong voice and informative content.