Following much speculation about the latest Google algorithm update, Dave Colgate of Vertical Leap tells us what we know so far, and what it means for SEO best practices.
Google’s helpful content update was expected to make a big impact, with many comparing it to the notorious 2011 Panda update before it even started rolling out. It’s fair to say reality hasn’t lived up to the hype and the helpful content update didn’t have the impact many were predicting.
Now, many people in the community are questioning the importance of the update, so let’s look at the initial impact and Google’s response to early feedback.
What is the helpful content update?
The helpful content update is designed to reward content created primarily for the purpose of helping users. Google says the update will demote pages and content that prioritize search engines over users.
Google’s official announcement says the update is about meeting users’ expectations. In the same statement, it reiterates the need to follow standard SEO good practices (these are still important) but places emphasis on creating content for people, not search engines.
Google uses the phrase ‘people-first content’ throughout the statement, giving a clear indication of how the update is meant to affect rankings.
How important is the helpful content update?
Google announced the helpful content update on August 18. The update started rolling out on August 25, until completion on September 9. This gave us a week’s notice ahead of...
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