Google is at it again! The digital giant never stops evolving, and the September 2023 Helpful Content Update has brought with it a set of changes that will change things yet again for digital marketers and agencies. Here’s what you should know about the September 2023 Helpful Content Update.
The Helpful Content Guidelines emphasize the importance of genuine, original, and beneficial content. The aim is to prioritize content that truly offers value to the readers. Beyond SEO, it’s about creating content that’s meant for real people, addressing their questions, concerns, and interests. It’s Google’s way of keeping the internet a valuable resource for information seekers.
For agencies and digital marketers, this update sends a clear message: quality over quantity. Gone are the days when stuffing an article with keywords could guarantee a top spot on the search results. Agencies and marketers have to focus on creating content that provides real value. The article should be well-researched with the analysis clear and concise. Google wants to reward content for aligning more closely with the interests of the audience and not just empty search terms.
Many websites, especially news media ones, have been hosting third-party content, often on subdomains. The common belief was that the ranking power of the main site would uplift the subdomain content. However, Google’s new update throws a curveball at this strategy. The updated guidance suggests that if a main website or its subdomain hosts third-party content that doesn’t align with its primary purpose, it should be blocked from Google’s index. This could lead to some significant reshuffling for many businesses.
Another major change is Google’s softened stance on machine-generated content. Previously, the emphasis was clearly on human-generated content. The recent change is a little more accommodating of AI-generated content. This doesn’t mean that Google is giving machine-generated content a free pass, because it still has to be “original” and “created for people.” But it does show that Google recognizes the advancements in AI and its potential in content generation.
If all this sounds a bit overwhelming, don’t worry! Contact ALM Corp, and we’ll help you navigate through these changes. We are here to assist you in aligning your digital marketing strategies with Google’s Helpful Content Guidelines. With the right approach, you can turn these updates to your advantage, improving content and making sure it ranks well while resonating with the right audience.
