Here’s what 10 SEO Experts Say You Should do About the Content Update

Last month (August 2022), Google announced its Helpful Content Update. The changes are already being rolled out and are expected to expand in the coming months, but what exactly is the update, and what do the professionals make of it?

In this article, we explore in more detail the Helpful Content Update, and share the thoughts of a number of SEO professionals.

What is the new content update?

In essence, the new content update seeks to reward creators who create content for people. Up until recently, a lot of sites managed to gain organic rankings by manipulating the algorithm and writing content with the sole purpose of pleasing Google. This means users are often presented with information that isn’t the most relevant and that isn’t particularly helpful.

Under the new update, creators who make content for people, not bots, will be rewarded for their efforts with better rankings. The more helpful your content is to the people who actually use Google, the better you will fare.

SEO and content creation are closely linked, with most articles and content pages produced featuring SEO in some capacity. Without keywords and a good structure, content simply wouldn’t rank. Google isn’t saying don’t use SEO in content; it’s saying don’t gear your content specifically around SEO.

With this in mind, SEO experts the world over have had plenty to say about the new update, some of which you will likely find useful.

What the experts are saying

So, what exactly have SEO geniuses been saying about the Helpful Content Update? Here are some of the main takeaways that seem to be doing the rounds in the marketing sphere so far.

• Focus on people-first content – Chris Nelson, Search Quality at Google 

It makes sense to start with what Google themselves are saying, and their primary message is to focus on content that satisfies users. Ideally, Google doesn’t want you to produce content that leaves users with unanswered questions or queries. They’ve long said that content should be about people and not algorithms, but now they’re doubling down on their advice to use SEO as a supportive tool to provide additional value, rather than as the main focus of the content you decide to write.

• Emphasise genuine authorship – Tom Crewe, Freelance SEO Consultant 

Google has made it clear that they want genuine, helpful content, and the best way to do that is to ensure experts are writing it, according to Tom Crewe. This is because credible and accurate content is king and the most helpful and relevant to users, so it makes sense to make an effort to reach out to experts rather than bluffing your way through.

• Put audience needs above optimisation – Natalie Arney, Freelance SEO Consultant

Freelancer Natalie Arney is adamant that moving away from formula-driven content is the key to appeasing the new update. Over-optimising at the cost of losing the key intent of users could prove damaging moving forwards, so keeping the focus on what your audience wants could be the best way to approach content structure.

• Look for patterns in keyword changes if your rankings change – Kevin Indig, SEO Director at Shopify 

It’s likely that a lot of sites will see some of their rankings tank following the new content update, as tends to be the case with any algorithm change. Rather than simply despairing, Shopify’s SEO Director suggests looking for patterns in keywords to see if there has been a shift in user behaviour in line with the new update.

• Outsource professional recovery help – Kristine Schachinger, Digital and SEO Marketing Consultant 

The odd movement in rankings won’t necessarily be the worst, but if all of your rankings start to tank, your site could take a huge hit. The best way out of an algorithm-update-induced change is to get help from marketing agencies that specialise in recovering sites in a shorter timeframe.

• Don’t draw conclusions too early – Pedro Dias, SEO Consultant 

This might sound counterintuitive to the point above, but it makes sense. Algorithm changes tend to take a while to settle, during which time crinkles need to be ironed out. You’ll naturally want to watch your ranking like a hawk, but try to avoid any rash and hasty action – wait a few weeks to see if there are any identifiable trends in the data to determine a more effective recovery strategy.

•  SEO content is no more – Rohan Ayyar, Freelance SEO Specialist 

In a short but simple tweet reading “SEO content is dead”, Rohan Ayyar, a former SEMrush employee, summed up what many experts have been saying: bot-driven content is being phased out. This doesn’t mean the job of SEO writers is obsolete, it simply means they need to be more dynamic and clever with how SEO is weaved into content.

• If you’re already focussed on people, don’t worry – Seth Mendelsohn, SEO Specialist 

Another tweet, this time from Seth Mendelsohn, highlights the point that, if you’ve always focussed on pleasing your users instead of pleasing Google, you stand a good chance of being unaffected by the new update. Unless you’ve been spinning empty or AI-driven content, you shouldn’t be hit too hard. It’s the content-spinning sites that should be quaking in their boots.

• The new update feeds directly into E-A-T – Olaf Kopp, SEO Consultant 

For a while now, Google has been pushing the E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) aspect of its algorithm, but not everyone has taken E-A-T as seriously as they should. Olaf Kopp thinks that this update feeds directly into wider updates as Google emphasises more on E-A-T, and it would seem he’s right. If you’re not familiar with E-A-T and its role in SEO, now could be a good time to familiarise yourself.

• Look at content as a supportive tool, not a revenue driver – Hannah Else, Content Production Manager at The Brains 

The final piece of advice comes from digital marketing agency, The Brains. Their Content Production Manager, Hannah, says that by viewing content as a tool for users instead of a revenue crutch, the quality of your content should automatically fit Google’s new standards and prove to be valuable to every user – the very thing Google is now rewarding above all else.

Summary

The new content update from Google might seem scary, but it doesn’t have to be, as many of the SEO experts above have pointed out. If anything, you should find that your well-researched, professional, relevant content dwarfs spammy content – and that’s only ever a good thing.