Update on Google’s Helpful Content for Digital Marketers

Since its inception in 1998, Google Search has grown to be the most-visited website in the world, handling more than 8.5 billion searches per day1. Every day, millions of people turn to Google for helpful information on various topics. And as a result, Google keeps updating its algorithms and features to reward high-quality content that provides value to its users. 

In this article, we will focus on one major update – Google’s Helpful Content Update! We’ll discuss what it is and how it affects digital marketers. We’ll also provide tips and strategies for creating helpful content that aligns with this important update.

Let’s dive right in!

What is Google’s Helpful Content Update? 

In 2022, Google rolled out its new “Helpful Content Update,” which focuses on rewarding websites that provide helpful or informative content that is written by people, for people. 

The update prioritizes content that is of the highest quality, is well-researched, and provides real value to readers, as opposed to content that is focused solely on rankings and search engine optimization (SEO). 

How the Update Works 

The Helpful Content Update is a site-wide signal that helps Google’s algorithm to automatically identify content that has little to no value or is not particularly helpful to the reader. And since this signal is weighted, sites determined to have plenty of helpful content are given more weight in the SERPs (therefore ranked higher), while those with high amounts of unhelpful content are given less weight (therefore ranked lower). 

How to Write Better Content for Google’s Helpful Content Update

• Focus on People-First Content 

Google is looking for content that is written by people, for people. Your goal should be to create helpful content with the reader in mind – not search engine optimization. 

Also, avoid creating clickbait-y content that tricks people into clicking on your content but provides them with little to no useful information. 

When creating content, ask yourself these questions: 

• Does this content provide valuable information that can help people solve their problems? 
• Is this content demonstrating my authority in the industry? 
• Does this content align with my site’s main focus? 

If you can answer “yes” to all of these questions, then your content is likely to align with Google’s Helpful Content Update.

• Provide a Great User Experience (UX) 

Google also looks for websites that provide a great user experience (UX). Providing helpful content is not enough; you must also ensure that your readers have a great experience interacting with your content. 

You can optimize your content for a great user experience by: 

• Keeping your content organized and easy to read. 
• Including visuals (such as images and infographics) to break up the text and make it more engaging. 
• Utilizing a table of contents to help readers quickly navigate your content. 

• Focus on Quality, not Quantity 

While publishing content regularly is important for staying relevant and improving your rankings, it is also important to remember the importance of quality over quantity. 

Google’s algorithm is smarter than ever before (especially with the Helpful Content Update) and can detect low-quality content. 

So, it’s better to focus on creating fewer, higher-quality pieces of content rather than writing multiple articles with little substance. 

Final Thoughts 

Google’s Helpful Content Update is a great way to reward sites that provide helpful and informative content. By following the tips discussed above, you can ensure that your content is up-to-date with the latest algorithm changes, providing readers with the most valuable and helpful content possible. 

However, if you don’t have the time or expertise to create content that will provide value and align with Google’s algorithm updates, WSI can help! We are experts in content marketing strategy and can help you create, publish and promote content that not only provides value but also improves your rankings in the SERPs. 

Contact us today for the best internet marketing in Phoenix, AZ!