Google’s Helpful Content Update: 4 Questions to Ask Before You Panic

For a decade now, copywriters and content creators have been working through the changes that Google brought with the Panda algorithm update in 2012. It changed search results dramatically, and it forced writers to be more intentional with what they wrote. And overnight, it buried many of the catch-all junk sites that had popped up in the early 2000s to dominate SERPs.

As of August 25th, Google is implementing an algorithm update of similar magnitude: the Helpful Content Update. There’s a lot of chatter about this update, and there are some businesses that are quite nervous about what it will mean for their SEO strategy and content creation process. The update definitely brings some changes to search results, but it looks like it targets very specific content types rather than all content equally.

Should You Panic Over the Helpful Content Update?

Here’s one take from SEO expert Rebekah Edwards:

If we could boil it down to a single point, it’s this: If you’re a human writing for other humans, you’ll be fine.

The whole purpose of this update is to crack down on SEO-heavy, content-light search results. If your strategy has been stuffing your pages with keywords or long-tail search terms to get people on your site without providing beneficial articles for your visitors (which we in the industry like to call “bad content”), then this update will likely cripple your numbers.

Here are some questions to ask yourself if you’re in charge of your content or SEO strategy:

Am I Writing for Rankings Only?

The simplest question to ask is who, or what, you’re writing your content for. If your sole strategy is to get to the top ten of your targeted SERP, or if it’s to be on Page 1 of the search results, you may see some trouble. This doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be hurt by the Helpful Content Update, but it could mean adjusting your content so that it’s more meaningful, helpful, and targeted for search intent rather than search engines.

Am I Compiling Other People’s Information Instead of Writing My Own?

Another key metric for this new update is originality and authority. There are thousands of places to get compiled lists of information, and most of it is just clickbait for quick ad revenue or affiliate programs. If you’re not providing a fresh voice on a topic, Google is going to take that into account.

Am I Providing Business-Relevant Content?

Again, we’re talking about clickbait content: a business that has nothing to do with the topics it’s writing about (think about a men’s sporting goods store writing about the best dessert recipes for Thanksgiving meals). Stay close to your niche, keep content clearly connected to your products or services, and don’t go chasing every shiny object that pops up in the news just to get more traffic.

Am I Relying on AI to Write Content For Me?

Artificial intelligence is the new wave in content creation. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it means that people that don’t have time to write content can put something together without grinding through the writing process themselves. But it’s also…well, not human. And because of it’s not-human background, AI content can feel clunky and mechanical. AI isn’t necessarily evil, but it does require time to edit, revise, and polish to keep it from flagging itself in the new algorithm update. If you’re leaning on AI for your content creation without bothering to run it through an editing process, the Helpful Content Update won’t give it the same authority as human-written content, and your search rankings are going to suffer for it.

A UX-Focused Update

But if you (or a reputable agency) are writing content that answers real questions, provides real value, and helps real people find what they’re looking for, you’re on solid ground. Heck, you might even see some boosts in your rankings and traffic with all the junk pushed out of the way. This is what Google is working towards: a search experience that gives people the answers they’re looking for rather than pages that “trick” the algorithm into giving them the top spots. Humans writing for humans. It’s pretty simple, really.

Why believe us? Because this is what Clixable has been dedicated to for the past two years: creating human-centered content that builds authority, reliability, and presence without trying to fool the algorithm into thinking our clients are amazing. We’re just helping tell the stories of our amazing clients so that they can focus on doing what they do best. This is what good content does naturally.

Need Help with the Helpful Content Update?

If you’re struggling to keep up with content creation, or you’re looking for ways to boost your small business visibility organically, paid, or otherwise, Clixable can help. Got questions? We’d love to chat!