Quick! Read this now. Google says it’s cracking down on clickbait, and we hope this article makes the cut (we’re pretty sure it will).
The technology giant announced on Thursday that it will begin prioritizing “content by the people, for the people” in a push to get rid of clickbait articles that aim to grab readers’ attention with a catchy headline but don’t always deliver the goods.
But this one is different (we promise).
The so-called useful content update will allow Google’s search engine algorithm to remove content that “has been created primarily to rank well in search engines rather than to help or inform people.” This means that the entire industry that has grown since the early 90s around “Search Engine Optimization” (SEO) might need to recalibrate a bit, including the media.
“We know people don’t find content useful if it looks like it’s designed to attract clicks rather than inform readers,” said Danny Sullivan, Google’s public liaison for search. blog entry announcing the update. “Many of us have experienced the frustration of visiting a web page that appears to have what we’re looking for, but doesn’t meet our expectations.”
Sullivan gave the example of a Google user looking for information about a new movie, only to find “aggregated reviews from other sites” that provide no added value.
“This is not very helpful if you expect to read something new,” he wrote. “With this update, you’ll see more results with unique and authentic information, so you’re more likely to read something you haven’t seen before.”
Sullivan added that in testing, searches related to online education, arts, entertainment, shopping and technology showed particularly promising improvements after the update.
The move to remove low-quality clickbait content from Google is coming consistent headlines detailing the decreasing quality of the company’s search results.
Google’s search engine algorithm uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning systems to find the most “relevant” and “useful” content for readers and has been updated regularly for over a decade. But critics argue that the leading search engine pushes paid ads and links to other Google services instead of quality content, and that it is constantly misled by Search Engine Optimization companies that put together content designed to rank high in search engines and boost customer status, rather than educate readers.
For news sites, the question is even more complex than simply whether an article aggregates content from another site, as Google takes into account several factors, such as backlinks (links from sites external to yours) i cross links (links between sites)—and their relevance—in assigning “authority” to a point of sale. And articles should provide the right content related to the title, including relevant links, to really inform the reader.
The test for news companies will be whether they can still do it without triggering the “banhammer.” But Google says media outlets should have nothing to fear, as long as they produce original and quality content.
“Any content, not just junk content, on certain sites that have relatively high amounts of junk content in general is less likely to perform well in search, assuming there’s other content elsewhere on the web that’s better served,” he said. say the company
Google has also provided a series of questions for content creators to ask to better understand and navigate the update. The key takeaway was simple: focus on creating original content for real humans, not getting clicks.
The new update will start taking effect next week, but could take up to two weeks to fully roll out, Google said, adding that more information will be released on its updates page after launch. It will only affect English searches to begin with, but Google the representatives said on Friday that the company plans to roll out the update to other languages ”in the future.”
Google also said it will continue to refine the “series of updates” which started last year showing better reviews on its site.
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