Google's Core Update: Initial Thoughts and Potential Impact

Could Google's latest core update be a game-changer for SEO, highlighting the significance of "helpful content"? This transformative shift underscores the need for content to deliver genuine value to truly make an impact, potentially providing penalized sites with a glimmer of hope for recovery. However, the road to reclaiming lost rankings remains shrouded in uncertainty, as Google's recommendations hint at a recovery timeline of weeks, leaving the actual outcomes hanging in the balance.

Google's redefinition of "helpful content" puts a spotlight on the authenticity and usefulness of information, challenging the dominance of AI-generated content without human insight. This move aims to prioritize content that genuinely serves user needs over mass-produced pages and will likely lead to a change in SEO, favoring well-resourced high-authority sites but eventually promoting a broader diversity in search rankings. This could open doors for smaller sites with unique, valuable content to gain increased visibility as witnessed during the November 2023 core update. To further illustrate this point SEMrush revealed that roughly 25% of URLs ranking in the top 20 weren't there before the update, highlighting the dynamic nature of search rankings and the potential for high quality content to break through the top spots in Google organic search​. The core message for webmasters: stay true to creating authentic, user-focused content without rushing to overhaul strategies in response to the update's immediate impact

Helpful Content as Part of Core Updates

One significant aspect of March 2024 Core update is that helpful content is now going to be part of core updates. This could be a positive development, as it may allow sites that have been heavily penalized to recover from their penalty. Google has mentioned that fixing these issues can be done within a couple of weeks, but I have yet to see anyone fully recover from a sitewide penalty. It will be interesting to see if this update leads to more sites coming out of such penalties.

Redefining Helpful Content

Google seems to be attempting to redefine what constitutes helpful content. While there is speculation that this could lead to Reddit dominating the internet, given Google's recent $60 million deal with the platform, it's important to note that the focus is on providing useful information to users. This shift towards prioritizing helpful content is a positive step in enhancing the user experience and ensuring that search results are tailored to meet the needs and interests of individuals. By emphasizing quality and relevance, Google aims to elevate the standards of online content and promote websites that offer valuable insights, solutions, and information to users. This approach not only benefits users by delivering more meaningful search results but also encourages businesses and publishers to focus on creating high quality content that truly resonates with their target audience.

Targeting AI-Generated Content

A key aspect of this update appears to be targeting AI-generated content. It's important to understand that Google is not targeting content that has been generated with human input and oversight. Instead, they are likely to penalize content that is purely AI-generated without any human involvement or editorial process. Many publishers have been producing hundreds of thousands of pages of such content, which is not genuinely useful for users. Google has been penalizing these sites over the last six months, with many experiencing a rapid rise in organic traffic followed by a steep decline, often falling lower than their initial starting point.

Differentiating Between Bulk-Generated and Quality Content

As Google continues to refine its algorithms and criteria for ranking content, the challenge of distinguishing between bulk-generated content and carefully curated material remains a focal point of discussion. The coming weeks and months will shed more light on how effectively Google can differentiate between content generated en masse and content crafted by a dedicated team with a rigorous editorial process in place. This distinction is crucial in ensuring that quality, informative content prevails in search results, providing users with valuable and relevant information. It will be interesting to observe how Google's evolving strategies in this regard impact the landscape of online content creation and publication.

Penalizing Manipulative Tactics

Google is also targeting the practice of placing low-quality content on third-party sites for affiliate purposes. The example given by Google is a medical site hosting a third-party page about best casinos, which is clearly spammy. This tactic has been going on for too long, and it's good to see Google finally addressing it. Affiliates who rely solely on this methodology without building a brand or providing value are likely to be negatively impacted.

Potential Impact on High-Authority Sites

For high-authority sites like Forbes, especially within their advisory subfolder, the impact of this update on their rankings is a topic of keen interest. With many pages seemingly tailored solely for search engine optimization purposes, there is a possibility that Google's stringent stance on doorway pages could have a significant effect on their visibility. If Google continues to enforce its criteria consistently, Forbes may find themselves reassessing their content strategy to align more closely with the search engine's evolving standards. This potential shift in rankings could prompt a reevaluation of their approach to content creation and optimization, emphasizing the importance of user-focused, informative material over tactics geared solely towards search engine algorithms. As we monitor the outcomes of this update, the fate of high-authority sites like Forbes will serve as a compelling case study in adapting to Google's latest core algorithm adjustments.

The Cycle of Core Updates

Based on past patterns, I believe that this update may lead to a cycle where high-authority sites benefit initially, as they typically have the resources and established reputation to adapt quickly to algorithm changes. However, as Google continues to refine its criteria for ranking content, we may see a subsequent update focusing on promoting diversity and ensuring that a variety of websites, regardless of their authority level, have the opportunity to rank well in search results.

This shift towards prioritizing diversity could mean that smaller businesses and niche websites with valuable, unique content may see an uptick in visibility and traffic. By answering user queries more effectively and providing relevant, high-quality information, these sites could potentially gain more traction in the competitive landscape of search engine rankings.

Ultimately, my hope is that this update will not only benefit high-authority sites but also level the playing field for legitimate businesses of all sizes. By rewarding websites that prioritize user experience, valuable content, and ethical SEO practices, Google's core updates have the potential to create a more equitable and engaging online environment for both businesses and users alike.

Advice for Webmasters

My advice to webmasters is to avoid making any major changes in response to this update. Core updates often go through phases of ups and downs, so it's essential not to panic if you experience fluctuations. Stay the course and focus on creating valuable content for your audience. If you need assistance navigating these changes, don't hesitate to reach out to the team at SmithDigital. While the full impact remains to be seen, it's clear that Google is targeting manipulative tactics and aiming to provide users with genuinely helpful content. Stay tuned for further updates as we analyze the effects of this update in the coming weeks and months.