Google’s Helpful Content Update – A Guide for Businesses in 2023

Google launched the “helpful content update” in December 2022 to ensure that search results include more original, helpful content written by people for people. The update aims to reward better content that provides a satisfying experience for visitors, while content that does not meet visitor expectations will not perform as well. To create successful content with the update, it is essential to focus on creating content for people and not just for search engines and to utilize SEO best practices. Content primarily created for search engine traffic is often correlated with content that needs to be more satisfying to searchers. The update will begin rolling out next week and will take up to two weeks to be fully implemented. It will introduce a new site-wide signal that will be considered alongside other signals for ranking web pages. Websites with higher amounts of unhelpful content may see their content perform poorly in search results unless there is additional content on the site that is deemed helpful. It is essential for content creators to focus on providing value to their audience and to avoid creating content solely for the purpose of ranking well in search results.

Google Helpful Content frequently asked questions

When will the helpful content update be implemented?

The update will begin rolling out next week and will take up to two weeks to be fully implemented.

How does the update work?

The update introduces a new site-wide signal that will be considered alongside other signals for ranking web pages. Websites with relatively high amounts of unhelpful content may see their content perform poorly in search results unless there is additional content on the site that is deemed helpful.

How can I ensure my content is successful with the update?

To create successful content with the update, it is essential to focus on creating content for people and not just for search engines and to utilize SEO best practices. Focus on providing value to your audience and avoid creating content solely for the purpose of ranking well in search results.

What is considered “unhelpful content” in the update?

“Unhelpful content” refers to content that seems to have little value to website users, has low-added value, or is otherwise not particularly helpful to those doing searches.

What is the Google Helpful Content Update?

The Google Helpful Content Update is a change to Google’s ranking algorithms that aims to ensure that search results include more original, helpful content written by people for people. The update will reward content that provides a satisfying experience for visitors, while content that does not meet visitor expectations will not perform as well.

When will the update be implemented?

Google has not announced a specific date for when the update will be implemented, but they have stated that it will begin rolling out next week and may take up to two weeks to be fully rolled out.

How will the update affect my website’s search rankings?

The impact of the update on your website’s search rankings will depend on the quality and helpfulness of your content. If your content is deemed helpful and provides a satisfying experience for visitors, your website will see an improvement in its search rankings. On the other hand, if your content is not helpful or does not meet visitor expectations, your website may see a decline in its search rankings.

How can I ensure my content is successful with the update?

To create successful content with the update, it is essential to focus on creating content for people and not just for search engines and to utilize SEO best practices. Focus on providing value to your audience and avoid creating content solely for the purpose of ranking well in search results.

What is considered “unhelpful content” in the update?

“Unhelpful content” refers to website content that appears to have little value, low-added value, or is otherwise not particularly helpful to those performing searches.

Will the update only affect unhelpful content?

The update will not only affect unhelpful content, but it will also impact all content on a site that has relatively high amounts of unhelpful content overall. This means that even content that is deemed helpful may see a decline in its search rankings if it is on a site with a high amount of unhelpful content.

How will the update identify unhelpful content?

Google’s systems will automatically identify content that seems to have little value, low-added value, or is otherwise not particularly helpful to those doing searches. This process will be done automatically by Google’s algorithms and will not require manual review.

Can I use automation to create content for my website?

While it is okay to use automation to generate content for your website, it is vital to ensure that the content is still helpful and valuable to your audience. Extensive automation to produce content on many topics may be a warning sign that you are taking a search engine-first approach, which could negatively impact your search rankings with the update.

Will the update only affect my website’s search rankings, or will it also affect my AdWords performance?

The update will only affect your website’s search rankings and will not directly impact your AdWords performance. However, if your website’s search rankings are negatively impacted by the update, this could indirectly affect your AdWords performance.

Is the update permanent, or will it be temporary?

It is not uncommon for Google to make temporary changes to its ranking algorithms, but it is not clear if the helpful content update will be temporary or permanent. The update may be refined or modified over time, but it is not uncommon for Google to make permanent changes to its algorithms.