[GOOGLE NEWS] What creators should know about Google's helpful content update? - Published Thursday, August 18, 2022

A site-wide signal that penalizes entire sites for specific pages the algorithm “thinks” are “unhelpful.”

Oh boy. This sounds like it’s going to be (a) KILLER!

Wonder how directly related this is to all the AI sites be deindexed

Aw shizzzzz

I just finished published tons of a.i articles to my site.

And then, this news pop.

I can’t even rest..

Gotta say I'm a bit worried. I started a new site in February. In the last few weeks I realised that at least one of my "writers" is probably using AI. Also in the last few weeks instead of quickly editing new content and posting I have been going thoroughly through each article rewriting them, adding more and better links to sources and any interesting info I can add myself. Hopefully that will help.

Like everyone I hope I will escape, my blog was really taking off and now I'm a bit terrified it will just get decimated in the coming weeks.

Im not really worried as my website got hit by the last update and lost 90%. I dont think it can get worst than that lol

this is Google gone mad -

• 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)?

johnyow said:

this is Google gone mad -

• 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)?

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Answer me this from a user perspective looking for information/answers in Google...Would you rather read a product review from someone that copied/pasted its benefits, features, pros, and cons from the manufacturer's website or from someone that actually used the product? Or would you rather read an article about the best places to visit in XX city from someone that actually visited that city and went to those places or from someone that gathered information from other travel blogs and "summarized" the information?

As content creators, I can understand your frustration but if you think about it makes perfect sense and it´s in line with what google has been doing in the past couple of years which is to somehow enforce content creators to publish original, unique, and quality content to the internet that is aimed to fulfill the intent behind THEIR users.

And, as such, it´s not a surprise (at least for me) that the ones that have suffered the most have been affiliate websites and AI content-generated websites.

I am aware other people have suffered the impact of the past few algo updates but the main focus for Google are websites publishing crappy content that doesn´t match their users´ search intent.



I love this part...

"...ensure people see more original, helpful content written by people, for people, in search results."

If we continue to read...



Let´s briefly touch on some of those points because it´s important...

• Is the content primarily to attract people from search engines, rather than made for humans? - Again, prioritizing search intent over whether or not you´re using the primary keyword in the page title, headings, subheadings
• Are you producing lots of content on different topics in hopes that some of it might perform well in search results? - Build E-A-T around a specific topic
• Are you using extensive automation to produce content on many topics? - Pretty self-explanatory...Are you running auto blogs? Copy & pasting AI-generating content into your site and hit the "publish" button.
• Are you mainly summarizing what others have to say without adding much value? - Are you one of those still using "spinners" in 2022 to produce content to live/money sites?
• Does your content leave readers feeling like they need to search again to get better information from other sources? - Here comes Google again enhancing the importance of fulfilling their users´ search intent
• Did you decide to enter some niche topic area without any real expertise, but instead mainly because you thought you'd get search traffic? - Again, enhancing the importance of building E-A-T

Google has been consistent with what they´re looking to target/fix/adjust with their algorithm updates in the past couple of years and, for me at least, they´re enhancing the importance of concepts I already felt are critical for the success in the SERPs for any website...

• E-A-T
• Search Intent

...all the other stuff is basic On-Page SEO.

Google is mad and I bet bluechip companies will quite online very soon in USA. I had quite SEO and with all this crap update I will not pay in December for my hosting. Let hosting and domain expire and SEO RIP

This is a update against AI content, e-commerce, auto blog?

Cutoff said:

This is a update against AI content, e-commerce, auto blog?

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learn to read. The google algo update is against AI content, fake reviews, multi-niche affiliate blogs.
Its not against e-commerce as that will destroy core business of google which is ads for ecommerce

People are already shitting their pants! This is going to be a mess.

Zombie Pop said:

A site-wide signal that penalizes entire sites for specific pages the algorithm “thinks” are “unhelpful.”

Oh boy. This sounds like it’s going to be (a) KILLER!

Click to expand...

There will be carnage now apart from the big sites every site's going to be scanned.

RealDaddy said:

People are already shitting their pants! This is going to be a mess.

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Are you bill gates - the shit cleaner

Ok if this update is going to do just as it says then I am almost finished with 90% of my websites.
Knew doomsday will come soon but it's been 7 years and finally it's about to happen.
Time to move to other things (HELPFUL) provided they don't mess up with the update (I believe they will).

RealDaddy said:

People are already shitting their pants! This is going to be a mess.

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Yup thick oiled bamboo.

If actually this update fixes all internet content spam it will be a good step forward.
Fingers crossed!

johnyow said:

Its not against e-commerce as that will destroy core business of google which is ads for ecommerce

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For the sake of weekend fun let's imagine what if the update AI messes up with ecoms

johnyow said:

The google algo update is against AI content, fake reviews, multi-niche affiliate blogs.

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Just thinking about those multi niche affiliate blogs that used to generate a lot on affiliate income and were flipped recently.

johnyow said:

Are you bill gates - the shit cleaner

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Absolutely. Bill Gates is my Maternal Uncle.

MKSKS said:

Just thinking about those multi niche affiliate blogs that used to generate a lot on affiliate income and were flipped recently.

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Like owntheyard.com that sold for $250k in January, 2022 and got nuked in April. It probably makes less than $50 now.

If this update actually kicks these AI sites out of the sky I am all for it. There are a few in my niche that take a lot of good keywords based on the sheer size of the sites.

I have a feeling though this update will instead destroy my site and give those sites a boost. Somehow google manages to mess up their updates in some way every single time lol

I have friends who got hit by the last product review update and everything was written by them with images taken by them, some with them are in the actual pictures holding and using the products. Yet they were still crushed and out ranked by “this product good because amazon say this” sites lol

popbradley said:

If this update actually kicks these AI sites out of the sky I am all for it. There are a few in my niche that take a lot of good keywords based on the sheer size of the sites.

I have a feeling though this update will instead destroy my site and give those sites a boost. Somehow google manages to mess up their updates in some way every single time lol

I have friends who got hit by the last product review update and everything was written by them with images taken by them, some with them are in the actual pictures holding and using the products. Yet they were still crushed and out ranked by “this product good because amazon say this” sites lol

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One thing people don't understand about Google is...it's just a bot. It depends on signals. You can have the best site in the world, with authentic product reviews, real-world expertise, and shit, but you won't rank or will be penalised during an update if the "bot" doesn't find the right signals on your site.

At the end of the day, ranking is about content and backlinks, not about EAT and shit. Staying at the top is a whole different matter (seems to depend more on luck/being a big brand than anything else).

Yaay!
Last update left my site half fucked, this time it will be fucked completely!