Part of Google’s long term focus on people-first content, this update will ‘better ensure people see more original, helpful content written by people, for people, rather than content made primarily for search engine traffic’. But what does this mean for businesses?

In Google’s eyes content is king and we’ve seen this direction unfurl for years, but content for sake of content won’t suffice, which is why we’re seeing algorithm changes such as the helpful content update. Customer centricity is a fundamental component to search, and is an indispensable contributor to the long-standing success of Google. As such, we’re seeing consumers being put at the center of everything as Google cracks down on their user experience – making it increasingly harder for brands to draw quick wins, and (to echo Incubeta’s search principle) forcing them to cater to users, not bots.

Ultimately it boils down to the fact that Google is getting smarter at understanding the concept and context behind search content. Recognizing, and reprimanding unoriginal, plagiarized or unsatisfactory content efforts. The rollout of the new algorithm will make it harder for advertisers to rank, especially if competitors are producing well constructed, original and backlinked content.

Best Content Practices 

• Demonstrate your expertise and knowledge in every piece of content
• Avoid recycling information readily available on other sites
• Try include opinions and sentiments that are unique to your business
• Continually monitor your positioning on the SERP in comparison to your competitors (using insights to make data driven decisions)
• Consider the actionable insights and takeaways that your content offers users
• Avoid ‘hopping’ on trends for the sake of relatability; ensure it’s both relevant and useful to your audience
• Bolster your content with authoritative and recognizable backlinks that will ultimately add value to your outputs and ensure you’re answering a specific question or need of a user

Remember that what you get is only as good as what you put in – so invest time in building out an optimized content strategy that complements Google’s search algorithm and demonstrates your brand value. For more information on what Google’s latest update means for your SEO strategy get in touch with our experts today.