In September 2023, Google wrapped up its fifth update this year. Called the Helpful Content, it’s relatively easy to assume which section of the browsing engine was targeted. This is not Google’s first content update, as two previous updates already took place, one in August 2022 and another in September 2022.
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In September 2023, Google wrapped up its fifth update this year. Called the Helpful Content, it’s relatively easy to assume which section of the browsing engine was targeted. This is not Google’s first content update, as two previous updates already took place, one in August 2022 and another in September 2022.
The update took time to happen, involving thorough work over several days. It was first announced on September 14 and completed on September 28. Like most Google updates, this one also took two weeks to roll out, and it started with the Improved Classifier, followed by Current Impact and Volatility. During the entire time, Google aimed to discover websites that deliver inaccurate content with the sole purpose of ranking first. The final goal is to provide users with quality content written by people, for people, instead of machine-delivered content that is often rendered useless.
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The tracking tools were unusually calm during the two weeks of the rollout, and the impact on SEO websites took some time to be noticed. The first effects were only seen on September 20 and continued to appear on September 26. Around September 19, some niche websites and blogs were seriously shaken by this update. Google analyzed the content, the ads, and the recommendations and classified them as useful or useless based on the support and research behind them. The websites that suffered a severe fall were likely classified as low-value and not particularly helpful for people. For example, a recipe site that offered nutritional recommendations was analyzed to determine their accuracy and safety based on the research that supported them. The site lost its front position if Google decided the information was not qualitative.
Besides regular websites that contain organized content, the Helpful Content update affects another category of websites: those that rent subdomains. For instance, there are websites created on a specific subject, and they rank high in searches that involve that particular subject. These websites commonly sub-rent a domain to a business that doesn’t have anything in common with the topic but wants to appear on the front page whenever users search that subject. This practice is not against any guidelines of Google, but it’s not a fair practice, which is why Google aims to change it. Analysts have concluded that the September Helpful Content update is implemented solely for these websites.
Although Google stated that this update is not a penalty and doesn’t aim to pull back any websites, the effects will surely be noticed by websites accustomed to delivering unhelpful content. Moreover, it will surely hit the websites that rented subdomains to businesses to push them to the front of the search results. SEO-first website owners are also concerned about how this change will affect their visibility, considering that Google aims to promote people-first websites.
If you noticed your website was affected by this change, your content likely relied on unfavorable SEO tactics. Based on the previous update in December 2022, Google decided that the most helpful content is those written by people based on real-world experiences. At the time, Google said, “E-A-T gets an extra E for Experience.” Since then, it collected data on what identifies as “helpful real-world experiences” and has developed markers that determine whether or not the information you deliver is written by people and is informative for users. This means that everything that has yet to qualify as valuable and accurate will be ranked lower.
For those impacted by this update, the only way to reverse its effect is to commit to the guidelines of Google and create quality and informative content instead of aiming to rank well to the detriment of quality writing. Google is constantly improving and refining its algorithms, so more updates are expected in the future. The purpose is to allow the best websites to appear first on the search engine, thus ensuring users receive helpful information whenever they access the internet. It also means that sub-renting domains will no longer be accepted as it impacts the value and accuracy of the content found on the search engine.
Given all the changes in the internet era, you must invest time and energy into developing constructive techniques that can help you improve your website’s ranking. At GAMIT SEO, we work together to provide you with the most effective solutions that help you stay up to date with the latest changes so that they won’t affect you irremediably. Given our experience in the domain, we assure you that you will benefit from qualified assistance in solving issues related to the latest Google update.
About Author
Ion G. Tudorache
As a co-founder and managing director of GAMIT I am the first contact of our clients. My job includes setting project objectives and offering SEO consulting advice to customers. My professional background and experience working in the SEO industry are essential in developing efficient SEO strategies and designing innovative techniques.
