{"id":34921,"date":"2022-09-19T17:45:18","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T21:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crowdcontent.com\/blog\/?p=34921"},"modified":"2024-04-25T10:35:25","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T10:35:25","slug":"googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Google\u2019s Helpful Content Update: Everything You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_66_1 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #454545;color:#454545\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #454545;color:#454545\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/#How_this_New_Massive_Algorithm_Update_from_Google_Search_Can_Affect_Your_Websites_Search_Traffic\" title=\"How this New Massive Algorithm Update from Google Search Can Affect Your Website\u2019s Search Traffic\">How this New Massive Algorithm Update from Google Search Can Affect Your Website\u2019s Search Traffic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/#What_Is_Googles_Helpful_Content_Update\" title=\"What Is Google\u2019s Helpful Content Update?\">What Is Google\u2019s Helpful Content Update?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/#Whats_the_Backstory_Behind_Googles_Helpful_Content_Update\" title=\"What\u2019s the Backstory Behind Google\u2019s Helpful Content Update?\">What\u2019s the Backstory Behind Google\u2019s Helpful Content Update?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/#What_We_Know_About_the_Helpful_Content_Update_So_Far\" title=\"What We Know About the Helpful Content Update So Far\">What We Know About the Helpful Content Update So Far<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/#How_Does_the_Helpful_Content_Update_Differ_from_Other_Google_Search_Updates\" title=\"How Does the Helpful Content Update Differ from Other Google Search Updates?\">How Does the Helpful Content Update Differ from Other Google Search Updates?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/#Early_Effects_of_the_Google_Helpful_Content_Update\" title=\"Early Effects of the Google Helpful Content Update\">Early Effects of the Google Helpful Content Update<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/#Whats_Google_Saying_About_What_the_Helpful_Content_Update_Means\" title=\"What\u2019s Google Saying About What the Helpful Content Update Means?\">What\u2019s Google Saying About What the Helpful Content Update Means?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/#How_Googles_Helpful_Content_Update_Impacts_Search_Rankings_With_Machine-Learning\" title=\"How Google\u2019s Helpful Content Update Impacts Search Rankings With Machine-Learning\">How Google\u2019s Helpful Content Update Impacts Search Rankings With Machine-Learning<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/#How_to_Improve_Old_Content_After_the_Helpful_Content_Update\" title=\"How to Improve Old Content After the Helpful Content Update\">How to Improve Old Content After the Helpful Content Update<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/#Steps_to_Improve_Old_Content_on_SEO_After_a_Google_Update\" title=\"Steps to Improve Old Content on SEO After a Google Update\">Steps to Improve Old Content on SEO After a Google Update<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know\/#Takeaways_for_Moving_Forward_With_the_Google_Helpful_Content_Update\" title=\"Takeaways for Moving Forward With the Google Helpful Content Update\">Takeaways for Moving Forward With the Google Helpful Content Update<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_this_New_Massive_Algorithm_Update_from_Google_Search_Can_Affect_Your_Websites_Search_Traffic\"><\/span>How this New Massive Algorithm Update from Google Search Can Affect Your Website\u2019s Search Traffic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s that time of year again! (Actually, it\u2019s happened <a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/google-algorithm-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">multiple times<\/a> this year now, but who\u2019s counting?) An algorithm update from Google that impacts how webpages rank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll probably want to pay attention here because this update is a big one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How you rank on Google Search directly influences how many people find your website and how many leads your business generates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/products\/search\/more-content-by-people-for-people-in-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google announced the Helpful Content update on Aug. 18, 2022<\/a>, via a blog post by Danny Sullivan, a Public Liaison for Google Search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The update began rolling out the following week. But the effects will be seen gradually as more data feeds the machine-learning algorithm over time (more on this below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the first major Google update since the Broad Core update announced the previous May. Broad Core updates are major, reoccurring algorithm improvements by Google with wide, general scopes, so it\u2019s hard to know or guess specific details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But with the Aug. 2022 Helpful Content update, guess what? There are particular details about what it means and how to adjust for it to optimize your website\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kind of\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what is this all about? What\u2019s changing with how Google evaluates websites from its Helpful Content update? How will it affect your website? And what are tips to improve your website after the Helpful Content update?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t worry, we\u2019ve got you covered to help you know <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/seo\/how-to-optimize-content-for-seo\/\">how to optimize content for SEO<\/a> and provide great experiences for your audience so your business can get ahead!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Googles_Helpful_Content_Update\"><\/span>What Is Google\u2019s Helpful Content Update?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you ready for this? Google\u2019s Helpful Content update is about\u2026helpful content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Google themselves explained from the above-referenced announcement, their goal is \u201cto tackle content that seems to have been primarily created for ranking well in search engines rather than to help or inform people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, trying to spray search engines with keyword-stuffed articles, instead of focusing on overall quality to actually answer users\u2019 queries, isn\u2019t wanted by Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if you provide website content that\u2019s helpful for search-engine users, then drink it down! If your content is written to game search-engine rankings, then send it back!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_the_Backstory_Behind_Googles_Helpful_Content_Update\"><\/span>What\u2019s the Backstory Behind Google\u2019s Helpful Content Update?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s motivation was to expand upon an early trial run from previous updates for product reviews. In 2021, their <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/products\/search\/more-helpful-product-reviews\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">goal was to show more helpful reviews<\/a> by customers of company products on SERPs (search-engine results pages), like what you would see in the below image from searching for gaming laptops, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"556\" height=\"488\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Google-Helpful-Content-Update-Product-Reviews.png\" alt=\"Google-Helpful-Content-Update-Product-Reviews\" class=\"wp-image-34927\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Google-Helpful-Content-Update-Product-Reviews.png 556w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Google-Helpful-Content-Update-Product-Reviews-320x281.png 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 556px) 100vw, 556px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>As Sullivan explained, the Helpful Content update expands on what Google\u2019s learning from a previous update, to make product reviews more helpful, by applying this knowledge to content in general, including webpage content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s also implementing an additional iteration of the existing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/ecommerce\/googles-product-review-algo-update-what-does-it-mean-for-content-creation\/\">product reviews update<\/a> at the same time as they roll out the Helpful Content update so the two can complement each other. In her initial <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amsivedigital.com\/insights\/seo\/googles-helpful-content-update-to-devalue-search-engine-first-content-and-elevate-authentic-expert-voices-in-search\/\" target=\"_blank\">analysis of Google\u2019s Helpful Content update<\/a>, SEO influencer Lily Ray breaks down the following example of how the Helpful Content update\u2014as a complement to and extension of a reviews update\u2014would reward well-written content.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"730\" height=\"247\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Google-Helpful-Content-Update-Reviews-Example-730x247.png\" alt=\"Google-Helpful-Content-Update-Reviews-Example\" class=\"wp-image-34930\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Google-Helpful-Content-Update-Reviews-Example-730x247.png 730w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Google-Helpful-Content-Update-Reviews-Example-320x108.png 320w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Google-Helpful-Content-Update-Reviews-Example-768x260.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Google-Helpful-Content-Update-Reviews-Example.png 897w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Blending language like &#8220;tested,&#8221; &#8220;independently&nbsp;research,&#8221; &#8220;recommend&#8221; and &#8220;process&#8221; with author credentials is how this content uses E-A-T to rank well for Google&#8217;s Helpful Content update.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Ray believes this article about tweezers secured the top organic spot on Google Search for its target keyterms after these updates because it sticks to best practices of E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, Trust), quality guidelines that suggest your content demonstrate topical expertise, come from an authoritative perspective and earn your audience\u2019s trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simply put, if you want your content to dominate search engines, care about your audience and put in the effort to write for people. Show that you\u2019ve formed a researched opinion, illustrate that you can communicate your opinion and engage audiences with compelling writing.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/services\/seo-content\/?utm_source=crowd+content+blog&amp;utm_medium=banner&amp;utm_campaign=googles-helpful-content-update-everything-you-need-to-know&amp;utm_content=start+winning+at+seo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"730\" height=\"354\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Start-Winning-at-SEO.png\" alt=\"Helpful-Content-Update-Start-Winning-at-SEO\" class=\"wp-image-34933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Start-Winning-at-SEO.png 730w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Start-Winning-at-SEO-320x155.png 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_We_Know_About_the_Helpful_Content_Update_So_Far\"><\/span>What We Know About the Helpful Content Update So Far<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ok, let\u2019s reel it in a bit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We know the Google Helpful Content update extends beyond on-SERP reviews and even review articles to all types of content in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means it can have a major impact on your website, affecting your lead-gen rates and website metrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But how? And what can you do about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start by figuring out how the Helpful Content update differs from other Google Search algorithm updates and what we know so far based on early effects &amp; what Google is telling us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Does_the_Helpful_Content_Update_Differ_from_Other_Google_Search_Updates\"><\/span>How Does the Helpful Content Update Differ from Other Google Search Updates?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Helpful Content Update is unique, there\u2019s no way around it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s get the obvious out of the way. Most other unique updates are named things like <a href=\"https:\/\/moz.com\/learn\/seo\/google-panda\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Panda<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/moz.com\/learn\/seo\/google-penguin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Penguin<\/a>\u2014not really what you would call descriptive monikers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, Google is clearly well-committed to pushing the message that <em>this<\/em> update is about something\u2026something big. They\u2019re on a mission to encourage content creators to make articles, blog posts and webpage copy as helpful and valuable to website visitors as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, it\u2019s time to get on board and ditch the rushed, low-quality stuff you\u2019ve been pumping out over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what specifically is unique this time around? Let\u2019s compare this update to a broad core update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned, the last time we had one of those was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/news\/googles-may-2022-core-update-what-you-need-to-know\/\">Google Broad Core update of May 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, a board core update refers to periodic updates Google Search makes to its algorithm that are expansive across the board, hitting at the \u201ccore\u201d of main ranking factors the algorithm looks at, but not necessarily targeting any particular area in depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because of this lack of deep specificity, Google doesn\u2019t publicly release details about what has changed and what remains the same. And they always refer to the same set of high-level <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/blog\/2019\/08\/core-updates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEO guidelines<\/a> as advice to website marketers about how to react.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, with core updates, it can be hard to diagnose how to improve details or what to fix. Effects can be scattered or inconsistent in a way that can balance out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a look at this information below from Semrush about average ranking gains and losses by industry.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"730\" height=\"1050\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-May-2022-Core-Update-Industry-Results-730x1050.png\" alt=\"Helpful-Content-Update-May-2022-Core-Update-Industry-Results\" class=\"wp-image-34936\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-May-2022-Core-Update-Industry-Results-730x1050.png 730w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-May-2022-Core-Update-Industry-Results-320x460.png 320w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-May-2022-Core-Update-Industry-Results-768x1105.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-May-2022-Core-Update-Industry-Results-1068x1536.png 1068w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-May-2022-Core-Update-Industry-Results.png 1112w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>This graph shows that average gains and losses within almost all verticals balanced out following Google\u2019s May 2022 Broad Core Update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means the effects were at least industry-agnostic, and the best practices moving forward involve the usual, like ensuring you\u2019re following the best practices of E-A-T.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How are things different this time around with the Helpful Content update? Let\u2019s take a look!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Early_Effects_of_the_Google_Helpful_Content_Update\"><\/span>Early Effects of the Google Helpful Content Update<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re not in Kansas anymore, that\u2019s for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The weeks following the launch of the Helpful Content update produced surprising and mixed early results. And the subsequent online commentary (i.e., \u201cwhat\u2019s really going on here?\u201d) has sparked confusion, further distinguishing this update from the recent Broad Core update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many SEO analysts predicted that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seroundtable.com\/google-helpful-content-update-33949.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Helpful Content update will be at least as impactful as Panda was<\/a>\u2014maybe even more so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It felt like Armageddon was coming. But for now, things are still calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That doesn\u2019t mean lots of websites are out of the woods yet though. Google is urging content creators to stay vigilant because this update is designed to self-adjust over time as it makes an ongoing impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll deep dive into why and what that might look like further below in this post, but let\u2019s start with the early data thus far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at the below data via Rank Ranger. It shows no statistically significant differences in average, across-the-board search-engine rankings between the weeks before and after the launch of the Helpful Content update.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"730\" height=\"203\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Early-Ranking-Results-730x203.png\" alt=\"Helpful-Content-Update-Early-Ranking-Results\" class=\"wp-image-34939\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Early-Ranking-Results-730x203.png 730w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Early-Ranking-Results-320x89.png 320w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Early-Ranking-Results-768x214.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Early-Ranking-Results.png 1202w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>And SEO company Sistrix observed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sistrix.com\/blog\/helpful-content-update-no-relevant-changes-after-the-first-week\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">no significant changes<\/a> from the helpful Content update a week after the rollout, noting this was slightly unusual compared to broad core updates, where moderate changes are usually noticed within a few days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what\u2019s the deal here? Is this all smoke and mirrors?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not entirely. Sistrix did concede one example website that took a noticeable hit in rankings; the below image shows &lt;foodandwine.com&gt;\u2019s visibility metrics nosedive.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"730\" height=\"483\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Foodandwine-Ranking-Results-730x483.png\" alt=\"Helpful-Content-Update-Foodandwine-Ranking-Results\" class=\"wp-image-34942\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Foodandwine-Ranking-Results-730x483.png 730w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Foodandwine-Ranking-Results-320x212.png 320w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Foodandwine-Ranking-Results-768x508.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Foodandwine-Ranking-Results-1536x1017.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Foodandwine-Ranking-Results.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>And Ray highlighted websites with \u201c\u2018meh\u2019 content\u201d in industries you might expect to see employ content mills, like health, dating, horoscopes, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is more in line with what I was expecting to see from the Helpful Content Update:<br><br>This is a site that has a ton of &#39;meh&#39; content (def. human written) about all kinds of topics &#8211; health, dating, horoscopes, celebs, product reviews, etc. <br><br>Lots of ads &amp; affiliate links<br><br>(1\/2) <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/klCDQlaJrI\">pic.twitter.com\/klCDQlaJrI<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Lily Ray \ud83d\ude0f (@lilyraynyc) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/lilyraynyc\/status\/1567458293488013313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 7, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most websites didn\u2019t really see an impact, other than websites with unsurprisingly low-quality content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Does this mean Armageddon was more like a Nah-mageddon?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Actually, maybe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google made a big deal about the Helpful Content update and were careful to position it more distinctly than a broad core update. It\u2019s possible the Helpful Content update isn\u2019t any more impactful than a pedestrian \u201cspam update\u201d and Google hyped it up as a public-relations stunt to encourage content marketers to take quality-control more seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, the Helpful Content update\u2019s rollout will be gradual. In fact, it will be <em>continuously<\/em> gradual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What does continuously gradual mean though? You might also ask, How will it impact <em>my<\/em> website?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s unpack these questions by taking a look at what Google says\u2014and at others\u2019 interpretations of what Google\u2019s saying\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_Google_Saying_About_What_the_Helpful_Content_Update_Means\"><\/span>What\u2019s Google Saying About What the Helpful Content Update Means?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On the same day of the announcement, Google published <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/blog\/2022\/08\/helpful-content-update\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">guidelines<\/a> for website-content creators to help them optimize their website for the Helpful Content update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their core recommendation is to focus on writing what\u2019s known as \u201cpeople-first content.\u201d Write for the people who will read your content, not for search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Google says, write \u201ccontent where visitors feel they&#8217;ve had a satisfying experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They provide the following list of questions you should ask yourself before publishing any content on your website to ensure your content is the best that it can be for your readers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Do you have an existing or intended audience for your business or site that would find the content useful if they came directly to you?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does your content clearly demonstrate first-hand expertise and a depth of knowledge (for example, expertise that comes from having actually used a product or service, or visiting a place)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does your site have a primary purpose or focus?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After reading your content, will someone leave feeling they\u2019ve learned enough about a topic to help achieve their goal?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will someone reading your content leave feeling like they\u2019ve had a satisfying experience?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, Google\u2019s goal is to reward webpage content that checks off the above criteria with better search rankings\u2014and thus more website traffic!\u2014while also explicitly saying content that doesn\u2019t meet this criteria \u201cwon\u2019t perform as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Googles_Helpful_Content_Update_Impacts_Search_Rankings_With_Machine-Learning\"><\/span>How Google\u2019s Helpful Content Update Impacts Search Rankings With Machine-Learning<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>How does this advice from Google translate to your day-to-day work? How can you apply these guidelines to improve your content for search engines?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO influencer Kevin Indig perfectly summarized a takeaway from each one of Google\u2019s guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Super interesting: \u201cThis update introduces a new site-wide signal &#8230; Our systems automatically identify content that seems to have little value, low-added value or is otherwise not particularly helpful to those doing searches.\u201d<br><br>Lots of low-value content = negative domain signal<\/p>&mdash; Kevin_Indig (@Kevin_Indig) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Kevin_Indig\/status\/1560376862592876544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 18, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Do you have an existing or intended audience for your business or site that would find the content useful if they came directly to you?\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Satisfy an existing demand and\/or build an audience.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does your content clearly demonstrate first-hand expertise and a depth of knowledge (for example, expertise that comes from having actually used a product or service, or visiting a place)?\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Provide factually correct content.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does your site have a primary purpose or focus?\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Focus on a core topic.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After reading your content, will someone leave feeling they\u2019ve learned enough about a topic to help achieve their goal?\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Create original content.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will someone reading your content leave feeling like they\u2019ve had a satisfying experience?\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t force visitors to navigate back to the search-engine page to find their answer elsewhere.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s interesting is that Indig also highlighted a unique point from Google\u2019s guidelines, that the Helpful Content update \u201cintroduces a new site-wide signal\u201d to determine a sort of overall quality level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, even individual pieces of helpful content could underperform on search engines if your website has what Google describes as \u201crelatively high amounts of unhelpful content overall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What the heck does that mean? You publish a well-researched &amp; well-written post that satisfies user expectations and it doesn\u2019t rank as well as it could because your website already has lots of bad content already?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, kind of, yeah\u2026. In fact, that\u2019s actually Google\u2019s intention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A disportionately high amount of unhelpful content shows your website isn\u2019t optimally focused on a core topic and on providing holistic solutions to visitors\u2019 queries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google wants helpful content to be associated with websites that have strong reputations in their field\u2014that helps send trust signals to users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How does Google do this? As Ray clarifies in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/lily-ray-44755615_searchengineoptimization-google-helpfulcontentupdate-activity-6973260981271465984-FYH6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LinkedIn post<\/a>, this site-wide signal is a \u201cclassifier\u201d applied to websites by the Helpful Content Update that uses machine-learning to gradually assess the quality level of a website\u2019s content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is what we mean by continuously gradual. The classifier will perpetually learn more about your site over time to feed more &amp; better data to Google algorithms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the message Google is trying to impart. Ray\u2019s LinkedIn post was in response to a Twitter discussion between Sullivan and SEO consultant Glenn Gabe over whether the Helpful Content update has actually been as big of a deal as it was made out to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sullivan clarified that the site-wide signals from the Helpful Content update were what made it unique and that impacts from the update would be \u201cnoticeable\u201d over time, referring to <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google documentation about improving SEO<\/a> as guidance for webmasters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I mentioned this before in another tweet last week, but I&#39;ll try to give more clarity again. Most important, if you&#39;re a site encountering a change in traffic and trying to understand why, you should be reviewing ALL our guidelines and docs: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/npajZllNQR\">https:\/\/t.co\/npajZllNQR<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dannysullivan\/status\/1567241500744101888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 6, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Clearly Google is taking a stand and instructing us that, even if the effects have been underwhelming thus far, the impacts of the Google Helpful Content update could never end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if your website has lots of low-quality, unhelpful content from over the years, even if you haven\u2019t seen a major hit yet from Google\u2019s Helpful Content update, you still might over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Improve_Old_Content_After_the_Helpful_Content_Update\"><\/span>How to Improve Old Content After the Helpful Content Update<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Okay, so what\u2019s the solution here? You can\u2019t only focus on providing quality content moving forward; also audit your existing content by the same standards you apply to new content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, this might be the biggest takeaway from the Helpful Content update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at some simple steps to get you started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Steps_to_Improve_Old_Content_on_SEO_After_a_Google_Update\"><\/span>Steps to Improve Old Content on SEO After a Google Update<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Develop quality criteria around E-A-T<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a database and audit existing content<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify content decay<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Update or redirect existing content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Develop Quality Criteria Around E-A-T<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>We mentioned E-A-T earlier, but it\u2019s a strong foundation for developing criteria for grading content quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ensure your content reflects expertise, is written authoritatively and establishes trust. To do this, refer to an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/seo\/the-complete-guide-to-google-e-a-t-what-is-it-why-is-it-and-how-do-you-create-it\/\">E-A-T SEO checklist <\/a>to hit all the right notes, like double-checking your old content is comprehensive, backed by reputable authors and reviewed by industry experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a detailed list of criteria you can steal, feel free to thank SEO consultant Aleyda Solis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&lt;https:\/\/twitter.com\/aleyda\/status\/1560550093941456896&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Create a Database and Audit Existing Content<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you have set standards to audit your old content, it\u2019s time to start, well, auditing your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at E-A-T standards is a great way to make subjective or qualitative qualifications. But sometimes real, hard data makes things a lot easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See what\u2019s underperforming in Google Search Console to start by narrowing things down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SEO influencer known as Niche Site Lady on Twitter outlined a great process for deciding which website content to cut or update by looking at traffic data and cross-referencing organic clicks with impressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">With the new Google update coming next week, I&#39;ve just deleted 40% of the articles on my site. \ud83d\ude31<br><br>Here&#39;s how I chose which articles faced the chop&#8230;<br>\ud83e\uddf5\ud83d\udc47<\/p>&mdash; Niche Site Lady (@NicheSiteLady) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NicheSiteLady\/status\/1560622500287062016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 19, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Identify Content Decay<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Your audit can\u2019t only include underperforming content in your audit. There might be warning signs for content already bringing in traffic too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, what is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tenspeed.io\/blog\/content-decay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">content decay<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s the process of traffic-generating content beginning to lose its traffic. In other words, things are on the downhill.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"730\" height=\"219\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Content-Decay-730x219.png\" alt=\"Helpful-Content-Update-Content-Decay\" class=\"wp-image-34945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Content-Decay-730x219.png 730w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Content-Decay-320x96.png 320w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Content-Decay-768x230.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-Content-Decay.png 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The four stages of content decay: early traction, growth, peak and decay.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Common culprits of content decay usually include increased competition from other websites. But think about it, if your content were strong enough in the first place and fully helpful for your users, then in theory the risk from competition is low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pull reports from Google Analytics to identify content decay. Don\u2019t rush to delete articles with decreasing traffic\u2014they\u2019re still generating traffic, after all\u2014but study what else ranks for the same search queries to see what you\u2019re missing, and then update your content accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Update or Redirect Existing Content<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The ultimate question remains: Should I update my content or redirect it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be a fine line. Sometimes it comes down to a judgment call. If your content topic is important for your audience, then it\u2019s likely worth an update. Otherwise a redirect might be in order. Sometimes known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gotchseo.com\/301-redirects-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">301 redirects<\/a>, referring to the relevant HTML-response status code \u201c301,\u201d a redirect enables you to depublish content by instructing web browsers to automatically send users elsewhere on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"680\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-301-Redirects.png\" alt=\"Helpful-Content-Update-301-Redirects\" class=\"wp-image-34948\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-301-Redirects.png 680w, https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/Helpful-Content-Update-301-Redirects-320x256.png 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Visual description of what a 301 redirect is.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>So for anything that doesn\u2019t make the cut, either update the content if it\u2019s worth salvaging or if you have to remove it, set up a 301 redirect to send its website traffic to a better version of the content you have on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If there\u2019s not a direct match, map the old content at least to something as best you can. Remember, your goal is always to resolve user queries and satisfy audience expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at an example! Say you\u2019re an ecommerce website that sells waterproof shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You have a blog post about why waterproof shoes are worth the cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now your traffic decreases after the Helpful Content update. You conduct a content-quality audit and suspect this \u201ccosts\u201d article isn\u2019t helping. There are lots of better-written content pieces on the same topic from other websites performing better on Google Search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe this other content goes into more detail on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/secondary-keywords\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">secondary keyterms<\/a>, showing expertise by discussing not just benefits, but also price-point differences, the reasons behind what drives prices, why your shoes are versatile even when there\u2019s no rain, the concept of waterproofing as an investment, the effects of waterproof technology on shoe aesthetics &amp; comfort and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your article? It\u2019s a listicle of basic benefits of waterproof shoes, essentially a front to target the primary keyword \u201ccost.\u201d But the content isn\u2019t otherwise diverse, so the listicle just ends up floundering. <strong>In other words, it\u2019s not as helpful as it could be.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Option #1.<\/em> The article is worth saving to compete for the primary term about costs, so you add more unique information about why customers should spend more for waterproof shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Option #2.<\/em> Since it already has some traction for keyterms about \u201cbenefits,\u201d you redirect the traffic to another post you have specifically about <em>that<\/em> topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which option should you go with? This is where SEO is half-art and half-science. Sometimes it\u2019s a guess\u2014but always a researched, educated guess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this hypothetical scenario, if the destination page (about \u201cbenefits\u201d) already ranks well for its target keyterms and the existing page (about \u201ccosts\u201d) has previous activity about \u201cbenefits\u201d from either Google Search Console or rank-tracking tools like Ahrefs or Semrush, then go Option #2 and 301-redirect the \u201ccosts\u201d article to the \u201cbenefits\u201d one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you do go with the latter and redirect the page <em>and<\/em> \u201ccosts\u201d remains a high-value target keyword, you can still write net-new content for it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Otherwise, just go with Option #1 and update the existing content in the \u201ccosts\u201d article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Takeaways_for_Moving_Forward_With_the_Google_Helpful_Content_Update\"><\/span>Takeaways for Moving Forward With the Google Helpful Content Update<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At a high level, what should content marketers consider moving forward after the Helpful Content update?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google certainly doesn\u2019t make your job easier, but you need to stay on top of tips and best practices to ensure your website traffic grows and your company can scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the site-wide classifier from this update, the message from Google is simple: lackluster content on your site will drive down rankings and traffic over time (even if the update\u2019s impact has been meandering thus far).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the biggest takeaway is to pay special attention to optimizing legacy content on your website on top of what you\u2019re doing with new content. Investing in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/services\/subject-matter-experts\">subject-matter expert services<\/a> can help you improve new &amp; old content alike to crush those E-A-T requirements so you can start futureproofing your website for better sales.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How this New Massive Algorithm Update from Google Search Can Affect Your Website\u2019s Search Traffic It\u2019s that time of year again! (Actually, it\u2019s happened multiple times this year now, but who\u2019s counting?) An algorithm update from Google that impacts how webpages rank. You\u2019ll probably want to pay attention here because this update is a big [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":34966,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Google\u2019s Helpful Content Update: Everything You Need to Know - Crowd Content - Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How this New Massive Algorithm Update from Google Search Can Affect Your Website\u2019s Search Traffic It\u2019s that time of year again! 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