Google has announced a significant update to its search algorithms and policies to tackle spam and low-quality content in its search engine.
The March 2024 Core Update, which the company says is more extensive than regular core updates, is rolling out now.
This update includes algorithm changes to improve the quality of search results and reduce spam.
Here are the full details.
Improved quality rating
One of the main focuses of the March 2024 Core Update is to improve Google’s ranking systems.
“We’re making algorithmic improvements to our core ranking systems to ensure the most useful information appears on the web and reduce non-original content in search results,” said Elizabeth Tucker, product manager for Google Search.
The company has been working to reduce unhelpful and unoriginal content since 2022, and the March 2024 update builds on these efforts.
Refined ranking systems will better understand whether web pages could be more useful, have a better user experience, or appear to be built primarily for search engines rather than people.
Google hopes that the combination of this update and its previous efforts will collectively reduce low-quality and unoriginal content in search results in 40%.
Google claims:
“We believe these updates will reduce the amount of low-quality content in Search and send more traffic to useful, high-quality sites. Based on our assessments, we expect the combination of this update and our previous efforts to reduce col… lectively unoriginal and low-quality content in search results by 40%.
See also: Google confirms: quality is the main factor in search indexing
New spam policies
In addition to ranking adjustments, Google is updating its spam policies to remove “lower quality” content from search results.
Google claims:
“We’re taking action on more types of this manipulative behavior starting today. While our ranking systems prevent many types of low-quality content from ranking well in Search, these updates allow us to take more targeted action according to our spam policies.”
See also: Google search overwhelmed by massive spam attack
Content abuse at scale
Google is strengthening its policy against using automation to generate low-quality or unoriginal content at scale to manipulate search rankings.
The updated policy will focus on the abusive behavior of producing content at scale to increase search rankings, regardless of whether automation, humans, or a combination of both is involved.
Google claims:
“This will allow us to act on more types of content with little or no value created at scale, such as pages that claim to have answers to popular searches but don’t provide useful content.”
See also: Google sets record: AI content in search results
Abuse of site reputation
Google is addressing the issue of site reputation abuse, where trusted websites host low-quality third-party content to take advantage of the hosting site’s good reputation.
Google provides the following example of site reputation abuse:
“For example, a third party might post payday loan reviews on a trusted educational website to gain site ranking benefits. This content ranking highly in search can confuse or confuse visitors who may have very different expectations. with respect to the content of a particular website.”
Google will now consider this content spam if it is produced primarily for ranking purposes and without close oversight by the website owner.
Expired domain abuse
Google’s updated spam policies will target expired domain abuse, where expired domains are bought and reused to boost search rankings for low-quality content. This practice can trick users into thinking that the new content is part of the older, trusted site.
Chronology
The March 2024 Core Update is rolling out now.
Websites have two months to comply with the new site reputation policy. The rest of the changes take effect this week.
Google Ad highlights the company’s constant commitment to improving the quality of its search results.
“Search helps people with billions of questions every day, but there will always be areas where we can improve,” Tucker said. “We’ll continue to work hard to keep low-quality content in Search low and show more information created to help people.”
More information about this update: Google March 2024 Update: 4 changes to link signal
Frequently asked questions
How does Google’s March 2024 core update aim to improve the quality of search results?
The March 2024 Core Update aims to improve the quality of search results through several measures:
Algorithmic improvements to the basic ranking systems. An important focus on displaying useful information while decreasing unoriginal content in search results. An expected reduction of low-quality and unoriginal content by 40%, based on efforts initiated in 2022. Implementation of refined ranking algorithms to more accurately discern content quality and user experience .
What new spam policies has Google introduced in this update?
Updates to Google’s spam policy include the following areas:
Strengthened measures against inappropriate use of content, including automated and low-quality human-generated content. Stricter actions against site reputation abuse where low-quality content relies on the reputation of trusted sites. Measures targeting the abuse of expired domains to prevent reused domains from deceiving users with low-quality content.
What is the deadline for complying with Google’s new spam policies?
Websites are given specific time periods to ensure compliance with Google’s updated spam policies:
A two-month period has been planned for websites to adhere to the new site reputation policy. Other updates related to the March 2024 Core Update are rolling out during the week of the announcement. Google emphasizes the importance of quickly adapting to these changes to maintain or improve search rankings.
Featured image: salarko/Shutterstock
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