Content by people, for people - that’s the message from Google’s helpful content update announcement. But what does it mean?
Google is taking out the trash. It doesn’t want the internet filled with rehashed, reshaped articles with no original value.
It’s pretty incredible how we’ve come to this position. Millions of words are being written to play the search engine game rather than be satisfying and valuable to an actual human being, and it’s gotten to a point where Google has had to spell it out - like a disgruntled teacher.
It’s going to be hard to police, but they want the industry to go back to the old ways. In print media, if the content isn’t informative, relevant, or written by someone knowledgeable or someone who injects something unique into a subject… then you simply fail. There’s no algorithm or keywords to play with.
We haven’t had that pressure as search engine optimisation (SEO) content writers - as long as the keywords are in there and the site has a high enough domain authority, your content is likely to rank. But ultimately, when you play this game the actual content is secondary, and therefore your reader is a secondary concern.
At Croud we’ve always prioritised human-written content for humans, but now that priority is bigger than ever. This update in combination with the EAT update - a focus on expertise, authority and trust - demonstrates the extent to which Google is really putting the focus on well-researched and well-written content.
What does this mean for artificial intelligence (AI)?
Many agencies and companies have turned to AI to help create content. Google has taken note of this and it’s not hard to see that this update has been created to target the type of content that AI tools put out. These tools are the masters of reshaping content and adding no additional value.
There’s some scope for AI tools to help with research however, and for very simple tasks such as product listing pages. Using AI can drive efficiencies to create an initial bank of category copy in bulk - but it should always be run by a human editor to improve the results.
When will AI actually work for long-form?
Probably when AI becomes near sentient - but then we’d have much bigger problems than long-form blog posts…
The reason why it needs near-sentient ability is that to add value to an article you have to inject personal experience and intimate knowledge of a subject. Alternatively, you can interview and involve a real human, and add value by providing quotes.
Croud’s advice
Do:
- Lean into your niche, expertise, and knowledge, and cover that extensively in detail. Don’t worry about word counts too much - just focus on the content itself and its value to the reader.
- Use experts to write the content, or conduct interviews with experts to give their insight.
- SEO best practices are 100% still a big thing, and keyword research will play a part. Combining fresh takes on emerging or brand new topics, and informative and insightful content around evergreen subjects will be a key strategy.
Don't:
- Try to create content in different areas purely to rank. It’s a strategy that is less likely to pay off in future.
- Rewrite content that’s been covered widely already and brings no additional value to the table.
Let's make the internet a better place
Is it the end of search-first content? Think of it more as reader-first, informed by search data. It’s more likely that Google is trimming the fat - targeting very low-quality pages, while at the same time encouraging everyone to step it up. Content quality has taken a nosedive since the inception of the internet, and it’s time to turn the tide.If you need help keeping up with Google’s updates, or your SEO content writing needs a refresh, get in touch with our team today.
