Google’s new update, Helpful Content Update, will be available on August 18, 2022. This reform aims to prioritize the most relevant content, which corresponds perfectly to the search intent of internet users.

This new reform is part of Google’s ongoing improvement strategy to provide better positioning for high-quality, human-oriented content.

It is therefore crucial that you educate yourself on this new update and understand what criteria to follow and optimizations to make in order to adapt to it.

Find out more in the following section. 

Google’s “Helpful Content Update”: Everything you need to know 

In Google’s ongoing effort to improve the search experience, the search engine recently launched a new update called “Helpful Content Update,” with the goal of satisfying users with useful content and responding appropriately to their search queries.

Google relies on a user-centric approach (centered on the user) to maximize the effectiveness of its organic research results. In this regard, it incorporated this new reform into its algorithm to reward sites that provide user-oriented content over sites that provide content solely for search engines.

This new update will be implemented on all English-language sites beginning August 22, 2022, and will be followed by French-language sites. 

How does the Helpful Content Update function? 

Following the creation of the Helpful Content Update, the entire set of signals used in web analytics audits is enriched by this new signal, allowing for better ranking of web sites in SERPs.

Using this signal, Google can easily identify the most effective content that provides added value to visitors. In addition, it easily identifies those that are unnecessary and should be removed from the SERP.

As a result, sites with flawed content will be penalized for several months, until the robot of exploration (or SEO spider) returns to assess their relevance. Please keep in mind that the penalty will be applied to the entire site and not to individual pages.

Similarly, sites that provide a large amount of information but are unsuitable for search purposes should not aspire for a high ranking, which should be earned by the most relevant content.

Helpful Content Update is based on a fully automated machine learning process that continuously explores all existing or recently added sites in Google’s index and facilitates content evaluation.

Therefore, to get a more compelling result, optimize your website and purge any content that may have a negative impact on the new signal related to helpful content update.  

How do you create high-quality content for Helpful Content Update? 

Google’s “helpful content update” puts the user at the center of the intended goals, providing a personalized experience based on his or her needs.

In this context, the web’s behemoth invites all parties involved to adopt a “people-first content” or user-oriented content approach. As a result, they can align themselves with the prospects of this new update and hope to achieve a higher ranking in the SRP.

This being said, the emphasis must be placed on the creation of content that is primarily geared toward humans and provides original and unique content. Here are some good questions to ask to ensure you’re on the right track:

• Do you have a well-defined target who can find your product by going directly to your website?
• Is your content providing the expertise and knowledge that you are looking for? 
• What is the primary goal of your website?
• Is it possible for the reader to achieve his or her goal after reading your content?
• Is it possible for a visitor to be completely satisfied after reading your content?
• Is your content in accordance with the search engine’s recommendations and guidelines? 

Google’s primary criteria for categorizing websites Updated Content that is Beneficial 

It is impossible to define all of the criteria used by Google to rank websites in the SERP. However, in general, we can mention:

• The bounce rates.
• The average amount of time a visitor spends on a website.
• The pogo-sticking rate measures the number of visitors who visit a website and then leave immediately to find a more useful website on the SERP.
• The number of visitors who conducted a first search but did not find a result that met their expectations, prompting them to conduct a second search in order to achieve their goal.

Rektic: for better quality content writing 

Rektic is a SaaS content writing tool. It is intended for web editors, writing agencies, and writing teams in various businesses to assist them in producing high-quality, SEO-optimized content in a timely manner.
Interesting sources of inspiration from trustworthy websites. These resources help SEO editors unlock their creativity and break free from the blank page syndrome.
Secondary keyword suggestions and queries related to the primary keyword are provided.
Text generation that is automatic.
Automatic correction and plagiarism detection.
In addition to other useful features for a better editing experience. 

Final thought 

Google has announced a new update called “Helpful Content Update” to prioritize high-quality content and rid the SERP of low-quality, automated content.

Such content does nothing more than skew organic search results and provides no additional value to visitors.
Google’s “Helpful Content Update” relies on machine learning to improve the detection of ineffective content and to favor the ranking of the most effective sites.

At this point, it is critical to modernize the tools used to create high-quality content. Notably, Rektic: the new French SEO writing tool offers an intriguing solution for optimizing both the editor’s and the reader’s experience.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for a demonstration.

Photo credit: Updated World by Roqueid