...

Google’s 2022 Helpful Content Update – How It Impacts SEO

Google’s Helpful Content Update - All You Need To Know

Ever since the inception of Google Search, the search engine giant has been continuously striving to improve the user experience by making search results more accurate and relevant.

With Google constantly updating its search engine algorithms, we must stay ahead of the curve and adapt swiftly to these changes. In this blog post, we shall delve deep into the intricacies of Google’s latest “Helpful Content Update,” unravel its impact on search results and discuss how to stay competitive in the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization.

Table of Contents

A Little Background

Many website owners experienced a dip in their search engine rankings in August 2022, which created a stir in the SEO industry.

The game of content update started on 25 August 2022 causing many negative effects on websites all over the internet.

As this was not enough, Google introduced another big content update in December 2022 which further complicated the matter.

This update’s algorithm made it clear that content created for people would enjoy the benefits of higher rankings, whereas content created solely to appeal to search engines was negatively affected.

Understanding Google's Helpful Content Update

Google helpful content update

Every year, Google rolls out hundreds of updates to its search algorithms. While most of them are minor and barely cause any noticeable disturbance in the search engine rankings, some updates – like the recent “Helpful Content Update” –  has made a significant impact on search results.

This update significantly improves Google’s understanding of web content, which will allow the search engine to deliver more relevant and accurate search results.

The update makes Google smarter by improving the ability to identify helpful and trustworthy content.

Analyzing the Impact of the Update on Search Results

With each update, Google Search aims to rank the most valuable, accurate, and helpful content possible.

SEO professionals need to pay keen attention to the fact that Google’s prime focus is content quality. Consequently, the update emphasizes various factors such as expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) to rank content higher in search results.

This means that websites with high-quality, valuable content that demonstrates a deep understanding of the subject matter stand a better chance of ranking higher in the organic search results.

How to Adapt Your SEO Strategies

Crafting professional content that establishes trustworthiness should be a top priority.  Google’s latest algorithm update places a strong emphasis on E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. 

These criteria are used to evaluate the quality of content and websites that appear in the organic search results.

Focus on People-first Content

Focus on creating content that is created for people, not search engines.

By doing so, Google will be able to better understand what a website is about and rank it accordingly in its search engine results pages (SERPs).

Content should always strive to provide valuable information that is easy to understand and actionable.

How To Evaluate Content

Evaluating the ‘people-first’ approach to content creation can be a challenge. To ensure you’re meeting those important criteria, consider asking yourself these important key questions:

  • What is my intended audience?
  • What is my goal in creating the content?
  • How this content will help my readers?
  • Is the content providing useful insights?
How to Adapt Your SEO Strategies

Avoid Creating Search Engine-first Content

Avoid creating content that is created solely for search engines. This type of “keyword-stuffed” content often lacks quality and relevance and can lead to a website being penalized by Google’s algorithm.

Therefore, instead of focusing on optimizing content with keywords, look at what people are searching for, and tailor your content around that.

How To Evaluate Content

Let’s face it! We all want traffic to our websites and that is why we create quality content. But one thing you need to keep in mind is that this should not be your sole purpose.

To ensure that your content does not fall under the category of search engine-first content, the following are some of the thoughts you should never have when creating content.

  • Focusing on word count for search engines.
  • Creating content on different topics to attract SERPs.
  • Writing summaries of what others are saying.
  • Creating content about the latest trends, just because they are gaining popularity.
  • Creating content that is wrong, invaluable, or lacking information; written just to attract web traffic.
  • Creating AI-driven content.
  • Writing about a niche without any expertise about it.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

It’s crucial to develop a proactive approach and stay updated about the latest algorithm updates like the Helpful Content Update.

Engage with online forums, SEO communities, or Google Webmaster Conferences to exchange insights and learn about the industry’s best practices.

Keep a keen eye on websites that might emerge as deserving winners due to these updates and monitor the changes they implement to rise up in the search engine rankings.

This way, you can derive valuable insights and adapt their strategies accordingly.

Still not sure about the content update? Maybe a video explanation would help you. Click on the link below to learn more.

How Can You Prepare Your Site for the Change With Google's Content Guidelines?

Know Your Audience

Crafting successful content means first becoming acquainted with the people who will consume it. 

To ensure that your audience is satisfied and abides by Google’s rigorous standards, take time to properly understand their interests before creating any new content. 

Doing so allows you to tailor material specifically for them and establish a lasting connection – one based on trustworthiness, relevance, accuracy, and helpfulness!

Create Exclusive Quality Content

Quality content is the cornerstone of any website’s success in today’s digital environment, particularly given Google’s recent algorithm changes. 

To create a successful site and stay ahead of trends, it’s essential to provide comprehensive yet up-to-date information that remains engaging for readers. 

Writing quality webpages requires research and attention to detail – providing organized material with well-reasoned facts will guide both visitors searching your domain as well as search engines indexing them!

Unlock the power of exclusive content on your website and stand out from competitors. 

This can be achieved with unique research reports, interviews with industry professionals, or invaluable insights into specific topics that are both relevant and helpful to your target audience. 

Crafting original material allows you to exceed Google’s standards for quality search engine results – so make sure it meets this criterion!

Measure and Optimize

When preparing content for your website by Google’s Content Guidelines, it is important to measure and optimize the effectiveness of your efforts.

This involves using analytics tools to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as page views, time on page, bounce rates, and click-through rates.

By analyzing these metrics, you can identify areas where your content can be improved and make the necessary adjustments.

Be Patient

Being patient when preparing a website in compliance with Google’s content guidelines is incredibly important.

Changes to a website, such as modifications to content or structure, won’t show up immediately in search engine rankings. It could take some time for the algorithms to recognize and process the changes.

Additionally, competitors may also be making changes in order to increase their rankings, which could slow down your website’s progress.

Conclusion

As the search engine giant continues to refine its algorithms and methods of delivering accurate search results, SEO professionals must adapt to Google’s changing ways.

The Helpful Content Update is a classic example of Google’s emphasis on prioritizing user needs and delivering an exceptional search experience.

As you navigate through these updates, the evergreen rule – to focus on providing high-quality, relevant, and valuable content to users – remains the same.

By staying on top of industry trends and learning from winners in the SEO game, you can continue to ensure your website maintains or gains better rankings.

Stay In Touch

Call/Whatsapp us at (65) 9385-8095 or you may request for a callback.

Our Office Hours:
Monday – Friday: 9am to 6pm
We are closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.