Google Search is changing, in a big way - TechRadar

(Image credit: Google)

Google is readying a wide-reaching search engine update that it says will improve the quality and authenticity of results.

In a new blog post, the company describes a series of changes set to roll out in the coming months, the broad objective of which is to crack down on “SEO-first” content designed to perform well in search rankings instead of directly addressing the needs of human readers.

Similarly, Google will attempt to deprioritize unoriginal content and reporting, including information aggregators that do not themselves add value to the conversation, and promote product reviews that demonstrate clear first-hand expertise.

Quality over quantity

Google releases many thousands of updates for its search engine ranking system each year. Although most bring with them incremental improvements (and probably sometimes a dip in the quality of the results), the latest is expected to have a significant effect on the user experience.

In response to questions from TechRadar Pro, Google’s Danny Sullivan, whose job is to help the public better understand Search, explained that queries relating to shopping, entertainment and technology, as well as “how-to”-style searches, stand to benefit most.

“We typically announce ranking updates that will be noticeable, or we expect to be particularly felt by publishers,” he said.

“This is a meaningful ranking update to Search, and we’ll continue this work with more updates in this vein in the months ahead. Users should...

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