Did Your Website Got Affected by Google Updates?
| Released the December 2022 helpful content update, which improves our classifier and works across content globally in all languages. The rollout is live and you should check the last two weeks to see if your website was affected. |
Google announced a new content update at the beginning of December 2022 that has had an impact on news SEO. The update was intended to make sure content is being shared and read more often, rather than just providing a list of titles or headlines. This meant an instant change in the way news sites have to strategize and adjust their SEO strategies.
In order to optimize the content, publishers must focus on making it easier for their readers to identify the core of each article. This means using topics to separate out key points within articles more effectively, letting readers know right away what the article is about before they even begin reading. Additionally, media outlets should use meta descriptions in order to give readers a taste of what they can expect before they even click through on the article.
It’s also important for publishers to find innovative ways to help readers stay engaged with their content. Interactive infographics or multimedia such as videos and photos are both popular and effective ways for attracting viewers and encouraging them to keep reading and sharing stories online.
Along with adding visuals, having multiple topics or subheadings throughout each story can help break up longer pieces into more manageable chunks; this supports both user experience alongside overall SEO rankings by breaking up high-level concepts into smaller components that are easier for search engine algorithms to examine – further helping stories gain traction via discovery rankings within SERPs (search engine result pages).
Google’s new friendly content update has had a huge effect on how news sites design their sites for SEO purposes and how they format web page content as well as headlines in general – ultimately impacting reader engagement levels as well as visibility within SERPs. By following these steps, news publishers have a chance at being seen more often by both search engines and audiences alike – making this helpful Google update something readers, SEO analysts & media outlets need to be aware of when strategizing & refining site-wide optimization tactics going forward – especially if organic traffic is a desired metric!
What Is the Helpful Content Update?
Google recently released an algorithm update primarily targeting search engine optimization (SEO) for news content. Dubbed the “helpful content” update by the search giant, this update was meant to prioritize news sources which provide stimulating, unique and original content over those that are simply providing a convenient outlet to existing articles. This could have a serious impact on how news organizations rank their pages in Google’s results list, leading to drastic changes in many of their SEO tactics.
The helpful content update is just the part of a broader strategy from Google encouraging website owners to provide interesting and useful information for their users rather than simply rewriting other sources or republishing already established works. This update is merely one step towards creating an internet landscape where educational, innovative, and creative material is given precedence over short-term promotional efforts.
The exact details of how Google has implemented the helpful content update are still largely unknown; however, its importance cannot be understated as many organizations rely upon the search engine for a great deal of website traffic. That being said, those publishers looking to successfully navigate this new landscape should address three main areas:
- Researching what readers are looking for on their topics.
- Diversifying content types and contexts with visual elements such as videos or photographs while staying anchored in niche expertise.
- Aligning publishing with changes in user behavior such as mobile compatibility or sound bites available through voice searches.
In essence, if publishers can’t innovate, they will find it difficult to survive in this fresh world order laid out by Google.
Which Google Categories Has the Helpful Content Update Impacted?
Google’s helpful content update was intended to benefit both searchers and publishers. The algorithm, released in May 2020, altered Google’s news algorithm to prioritize content that answered a query rather than articles that were lengthy and written solely for SEO purposes. When applied to news sites, the Helpful Content update affects three categories in particular: formatting, clickbait titles and linked content.
- Formatting: The Helpful Content update gave more ranking priority to pages formatted well with short titles. This is because these pages provide an easier-to-read experience for readers and this simplifies the process of finding useful information directly on the page.
- Clickbait Titles: Publishers have been known to use clickbait titles as a way of driving more traffic to their websites via search engines, but this approach has been seen as less helpful when it comes to providing quality content for readers. Google is rewarding sites that practice responsible publishing by punishing those who rely on clickbait tactics.
- Linked Content: Providing relevant references used within a story is an important part of news SEO; however, the links used must be legitimate sources or else the site could be penalized by this algorithm update. When citing sources or opinions from other authors, ensure that you select reputable websites rather than opt for those with questionable reliability or unethical practices such as hiding their source of revenue generation.
The Helpful Content Update also looks at how often keywords appear in articles and stories may also receive higher ratings if they consistently link to other reliable sources such as expert publications and government entities. With this new Google news algorithm in place, it’s especially important for publishers to practice good news SEO techniques such as providing helpful formatting and linking only trusted sources in order to achieve better results with search engine rankings. Analyzing your performance before and after the update can help you understand if any changes are necessary so you can improve your website’s visibility on search engines going forward.
