Google is launching a content update that “aims to better reward content where visitors feel they’ve had a satisfying experience.” Aka content for content’s sake is not going to help you meet your KPIs when it comes to improving your company or organization’s search engine optimization (SEO).
What does this mean exactly? Well… everyone, and I mean everyone needs to up their game.
Google moving in this direction is likely due to the massive content incursion we’ve seen from pretty much everyone under the sun… ultimately there is too much ‘stuff’ that does not provide enough value to the people engaging with it. Not to mention, the process of Google SEO ranking is not as cut and dry as you might think; in fact, there are over 200 ranking factors that contribute to your standing.
If you read Google’s “long-standing advice” for creating people-first content and feel gaslit like the rest of us, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
TLDR: We don’t exactly know what you should expect in terms of content performance… No one really does.
Google, like any major corporation with influence on our success and failures, is pretty ambiguous. And, historically they tend to update their systems and let us know later. Ask for forgiveness not permission, right?
Realistically, if the content you and your organization or company are producing is aimed to educate, answer questions, engage human visitors, etc. Then, you likely will not see any extremely negative effects of this update.
SEO content for content’s sake that offers no unique perspective or value is going to start to tank. Content that delivers real value, even if not perfectly optimized, will get a boost, and those who will win will have content that is amazing and optimized.v
Expect to create people-first content, and start ASAP!
Google already considers site over-optimization in its ranking factors. And, Google is happy to penalize you for excessive keyword decoration, header tag stuffing, keyword flooding, and more. This new update, however, steers away from the fairly standard “happy middle” of creating good content and ensuring it ranks well with SEO.
According to Google, in order to create people-first content, you must ask the following questions:
In order to ensure your content stays relevant and protected from the possible negative side effects of this new update, ensure you’re keeping a handful of questions in mind.
Consider: What would make this content so obviously SEO-driven it doesn’t look or sound good?
While you may already avoid the extremes of that hypothetical, you may need to reassess just how much you plug and flood your SEO strategy.
If the topics you’re focusing content on are extremely broad, you are not going to be successful with this new update.
Google is only interested in genuinely answering someone’s questions, so, even if you’re playing the algorithm with little white lies like misleading backlinks, specific h1s and h2-3’s, etc., this update will rank you low in the pile due to Google’s want to provide more thorough and thoughtful information.
We suggest honing in on niche topics. Ask yourself… if I was XYZ person, what would I be searching for to get an ABC answer?
Is the content you are creating valuable? Are you answering questions and engaging your audience?
Google’s current and past SEO systems are not so forgiving when you aren’t hyper-strategic in content creation.
But…
Now you have more opportunities than ever to prove your company’s value!
Why are you the right resource, service, team, and more by providing quality content that is purposeful and intentional. Become the hub for exclusive content that distinguishes your expertise from your competitors.
This is going to take more work than relying on your confident SEO strategy, but it will likely benefit you and your company’s reach and influence.
Take risks, test strategy, and create new, extraordinary content!
If your team or company is…
Insivia offers a myriad of solutions and expertise in marketing, awareness, content, media, web, conversion, strategy, brand, and retention.
Should you require additional support when it comes to this new SEO update, Insivia is your best resource for navigating this update and achieving your milestones.
Our teams are exclusively focused on SaaS and tech companies. We are results-obsessed and ready to support your needs.
Contact us today to find out how we can help!