We have another Algorithm Update! The giant Google recently modified its guidelines.
This one focuses on higher ranking in its search engine via suitable content.
Google is still the search engine market leader, with over 80% of the market share.
If you care about your site's traffic, you cannot ignore these guidelines!
These updates, nonetheless, have their share of negative impacts.
This edge hits especially those focused on optimization beyond value.
Further, the update can affect website rankings that rely on AI tools to create text.
There are two major updates: EETA and Helpful Content.
This article will talk about the essential SEO aspects to consider for both of them.
Buckle up to take the most advantage of Google's new features!
Google Helpful Content Algorithm
In Aug 2022, Google published a new update impacting its quality raters' guidelines.
In case you don't know, these guides explain how Google evaluates a page's quality.
For instance, some pages focus on optimization via high-volume keywords.
While it may sound good, this approach can adds little to no value for real users!
And, of course, that creates an awful user experience!
In sum, Helpful Content will prioritize pages that give users a pleasant experience.
How To Create Helpful Content?
In the update, Google gives several tips to upgrade your helpful game.
It focuses on a people-first approach. You are likely on the right track if:
- The site has a purpose.
- Your audience finds it valuable.
- It reflects your expertise on the topic.
- Its insights give its visitors a pleasant experience.
- Visitors leave your site feeling they've learned enough.
Google specifies that you should avoid a search traffic focus.
It instead encourages user-focuses sites and pages.
The less experience you have on a topic, the more unhelpful content you'll have.
Yet, this encloses technical elements like ensuring indexability and good HTTP responses.
Other factors include not blocking Googlebots and following best SEO practices.
How To Master Google Helpful Content?
There are some great tips based on Google feedback for Helpful Content.
- Update your content whenever it's pertinent.
- Ensure it's actionable and executable.
- Focus on a specific niche to present yourself as an expert.
- Add some personal input based on both research and expertise.
- Keep it fresh and relevant in weeks and months-terms!
All pages should lead to tangible actions.
Avoid users leave with a feeling of not knowing what to do!
Likewise, if you only recap what others say, your product has no value.
Focus on your core value proposition to make helpful content for your audiences.
Also, prioritize tackling your users questions and needs while speaking their language.
This scope applies from slang to common expressions!
While this process may take extended research, it'll be worth it for more insightful perspectives.
Why is Search Intent Important for Helpful Content?
Search intent is one of Google's ultimate goal drivers!
It's the among the top reasons users search with particular keywords.
An easy way to ensure you're on the right path is to Google the concept yourself!
You'll see SERPs and competitors' insights and ranking orders and get a better idea of what's out there.
Paying close attention to content type, format and angle is essential!
Let's say someone learning about software development googles TypeScript vs. JavaScript.
If they want to know which works best, they'd include edges like convenience and requirements in their search.
The type of content would be a blog post and the format is a comparison.
Further, the angle would be understanding the differences between languages.
The angle, at all stages, should provide straight answers to user questions.
Google EETA Newest Update
EETA's Core Update involves how often you update your site with fresh and helpful content.
It's about more than adding new blog posts or lots of content.
It's also about making sure your site's existing content is up to date!
It includes updating info, fixing typos and ensuring all relevant links are valid.
Yet, it also extends to efforts to improve readability and usability.
In the beginning, Google created an acronym for its three central values for site quality.
ETA stood for Expertise, Trust and Authoritativeness, yet Google added an extra E for Experience.
The focus of this update was to make relevant and reliable content rank higher.
Let's explore each aspect of Google EETA!
Google EETA Experience
Experience often gets mixed with expertise, yet they're different.
One thing is to have vast knowledge about a topic; another is to have hands-on experience.
This distinction depends, of course, on the topic's subject.
Let's take this idea to reality and imagine you'd like to read about Computer Science.
You'll most likely want it to be from -or validated by- someone with a background in the field.
In this scenario, getting meaningful insights from experts helps increase quality.
If you have experience-based knowledge on a topic, sharing it provides unmeasurable value!
Google EETA Expertise
In simple terms, expertise is the creator's insight to make content on a subject.
As a rule of thumb, most of your insights should be about your areas of expertise!
Yet, research steps and working closely with field experts are key.
Do you provide Software Development services with a strong UX Design focus?
Your content should focus on your first-hand expertise!
Google EETA Trust
The core and most important component of EETA is Trust.
In fact, Google puts it overlaying the rest of the elements as the main focus in a Venn diagram.
A site is trustworthy by its accuracy, honesty, reliability and security.
This element also highlights the safety-related elements of a site.
For instance, SSL certificates, terms and conditions sections and contact forms.
Citing and linking to high-authority sites is crucial when making critical statements.
This edge is essential to avoid overloading your site with unhelpful content.
Trust is also vital for online stores or eCommerce sites.
Google EETA Authority
A website has high authority when it's a great source of information.
In this context, Google pays attention to other sites linking content to your site or product.
Those links to your site as known as backlinks or inbound links are among the most important ranking factors.
They're so crucial for SEO that 90.63% of websites have no traffic due to lacking backlinks.
Further, FirstPageSage studied the most important ranking factors for 2023.
Its research conclusion put backlinks as responsible for 15% of a site's traffic.
Focusing on building backlinks boosts authoritativeness and improves SEO rankings.
Yet, the backlink quality and the web authority are also important factors.
Websites authoritativeness is also known as Domain Authority (DA).
DA can also predict "how likely a website is to rank in Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs)."
What is YMYL and Why Is It Important for Google?
YMYL stands for Your Money or Your Life.
Yet, it's not as menacing as it sounds!
The idea is also part of Google's quality rate guides.
It encloses topics that could harm health or finances, as well as affecting public interest.
According to Google, there are two main reasons to fall into this type.
The first one is when the topic itself is harmful or dangerous.
The second reason expands to when the subject could cause harm if the content is not accurate and trustworthy.
Some examples of YMYL topics include politics, legal issues, drugs, investment and banking.
Google Updates and AI Writing Tools
Let's see how Helpful Content Updates impact content written by AI Tools like ChatGPT.
These writing platforms use solid ML, AI and NLP algorithms.
AI-written content can be catchy and engaging, with excellent tone and grammar.
But it's doubtful that Machine-Learning Models follow all of Google's guidelines.
That's why we recommend editing and fact-checking all content!
Beyond Google's guidance, there are other tools to ensure avoiding spammy AI content.
For example, OpenAI has a tool to know the probability of your text being AI-written.
AI writing tools help a lot when creating valuable and relevant content.
Besides speeding up content creation, these can assist with headlines and templates.
But, as we know, AI-written content can't replace human copywriters or creators.
Further, there are a few cases in which Google can tag AI content as spammy.
Take a look at some actions you must avoid!
About the EETA update, the answer is much more straightforward.
AI tools can't create trustworthy content providing valuable sharing of life experiences.
While these can provide info on specific topics, they can't communicate emotions.
Thus, withhold from writing that content using AI tools.
Besides Google's guides, you should focus on the content value itself.
Conclusion
EETA and Helpful Content are now two pillars to consider for high-quality content.
The logic behind Google's updates is to give users the best possible experience.
That's why you must focus on users and the value you can provide.
Check your content quality several times to ensure you deliver all they need when visiting your site. 💌
