Google’s new useful content update allows the search giant to help marketers create a meaningful customer experience that starts through search.
Google announcing updates to its search engine algorithm has become less important news over the years. Updates to their popular search are very frequent, so any news can seem like a blur that generates only minor interest.
But this latest change from google It’s actually bold, presented with a user-friendly name and an important user-friendly signal that marketers and consumers alike can embrace.
Google is introducing Useful Content Update to its search engine. It evaluates the extent to which the content satisfies the user. It gives Google a great opportunity to help marketers create a meaningful customer experience that starts through search.
How the useful content update works
Useful Content Update (HCU) is an algorithmic ranking signal. Check how well a given site page follows Google’s basic search guidelines, such as providing substantial descriptions, clear source attribution, and original research and analysis within the content. It is meant to devalue content that is too optimized to influence search engines.
At first glance, this sign does not seem new. The search guidelines are from 2019; many of the recommendations for HCU sound like those that have long been shared to avoid black hat SEO tactics, a familiar perspective to SEO and marketing experts. Black Hat SEO are tactics that over-optimize page elements to influence search engine query results.
But well-intentioned content tips to avoid deceptive tactics have jumped the shark, with content creators from various backgrounds playing around with various SEO techniques that approach black SEO tactics. They create searchable content, but much of the content was not neutral in tone in the style of Wikipedia. This type of content alludes to an answer that may not be a good answer for the reader, even though the keywords appear in metadata and H1 tags without padding.
Also, some publishers were too fixated on following algorithmic changes, even though an announced change would be one of hundreds of algorithmic improvements. Panda, for example, was just one of roughly 500 search enhancements according to Google.
Bring balance to SEO tactics
The HCU signal is part of a larger effort by Google to balance what people see in the content they discover on its search engine. Google added a suggestion this year that marketers can include the pros and cons of products and services in their structured data. If you add them, it will appear in the rich snippets query results. Goggle offers a Test rich results to check its recognition in your browser.
Indeed, the name Useful Content Update is an interesting play on rebalancing expectations. It is a label in profane language. In past years, changes to Google’s search engine algorithm have been known by their code word, such as Pigeon, Hummingbird, and Panda. But while the change to choose a phrase that speaks to regular users seems minor on the surface, it represents the end of a series of algorithm changes that reflect technical aspects of a query.
The idea behind Google’s most well-known algorithm changes was to address how HTML elements on website pages are organized in relation to a query. The search algorithm can now distinguish intent between web page elements with sophistication. Also, SEO techniques have evolved to identify where keywords can best be placed and to consider links as a signal of interest.
Related Article: How to Use Keyword Density in a Modern SEO Strategy
See all
Put the power of search in the hands of creators
Updating useful content is the next step in the markup, focusing on the use of the creator instead of HTML. It encourages creators to choose their content in a more natural way for people to appreciate instead of potentially over-focusing on page syntax. It also rebalances publishers’ expectations by focusing on one key change, rather than a series of minor changes that may not have an impact on the customer experience or page content.
The change also recognizes the different ecosystem Google faces compared to the search engine’s infancy. Organic search is still a huge amount when it comes to creating visibility for sales, with Google retaining the lion’s share of traffic and usage generated by search.
But other platforms have emerged as initial search points in the customer journey, altering the customer experience as a result. People search Amazon the same way they would Google or Bing, usually with a product in mind. Customers at home are just as likely to ask Alexa for a nearby service as they would a search from a smartphone… and chances are they’re not on a laptop at home.
This means Google needs to consider these new attribution points while encouraging content providers to envision these touchpoints when planning content. These considerations appear in the adjustment reports of your tools like Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console. Content is now part of a standard marketing strategy and the material is measurable and useful for attribution.
Related article: What sellers can expect from Google MUM
People still want answers through search
Also, not everyone who uses a search engine is just a customer or a potential customer. People turn to Google for a variety of purposes. People trust Google search results for a variety of content that they consider real and solid because they expect it to solve a problem through advice, inspiration, or guidance.
Therefore, the Useful Content Update represents how Google is aware of the social cost that persistent bad content creates. Disinformation and its role in major cultural issues and political events in recent years have revealed how its products can be misused. Accurately returning information to a query is a start to addressing these concerns.
You can be sure that this will also make it to YouTube in some way. YouTube is the second largest search engine behind Google and is central to some online activities (see my post on CTV as an example). Although YouTube videos have a different optimization consideration than a web page, the Helpful Page Refresh philosophy will be adopted.
The release of the Useful Pages Update is rolling out this week, with more support improvements added in the coming months. Google has one too page where updated information will be shared, as well as a tool to check if updates will affect your website. Marketers should use this time, along with the current movement to transition from UA to GA4, to help managers identify how to improve content to focus on people in their digital presentation.
[ad_2]
Source link
