Have you recently faced changes in your Web site traffic? The answer may lie in Google's recent helpful content update. In late September, Google completed a 14-day update that had a significant impact, especially within the SEO industry.
Impact on the SEO industry
The SEO industry was shaken up considerably by Google's September 2023 update. Although some tracking tools indicated a decrease in volatility, many companies within the SEO community saw notable changes in rankings. It became clear that this update was felt more strongly by sites optimized for search engines than the average website.
Several data providers such as Semrush and seoClarity have documented volatility associated with this update. Interestingly, the findings were sometimes contradictory, with some tools showing less volatility while others reported a noticeable impact.
The purpose of the Google update
The core of this update focused on content. Specifically, content written primarily to rank well in search engines, rather than actually being useful and informative to the user. This is what is often referred to as "SEO content." Google's goal was to downgrade this "SEO content" in favor of quality, user-focused content.
The frustration among search users is understandable. They want to find useful and quality information, not pages optimized solely for search engines. Google's algorithm update aimed to address precisely this frustration by reducing low-quality content.
Key insights and solutions
If your site has been hit, what can you do? Google suggests introspection of your content. Assess it critically using questions set by Google. If you notice that your content is not in line with this update, it may take some time for improvements to show up, even if you make the appropriate changes. It's important to keep working to improve your site, with a focus on creating authentic and valuable content for your visitors.
Want to know more about the September 2023 helpful content update? Then read the details in our previous blog.