What is the “Google Helpful Content Update”?

What is the “Google Helpful Content Update”?

The “Google Helpful Content Update” is a search algorithm update that Google announced on June 2, 2021. It began on December 5, 2022, and continued to roll into early 2023.

The update is designed to promote high-quality and helpful content in search results by using machine learning to understand the intent behind queries and the context in which they are being asked and to surface content that is most likely to be helpful to the user. The update is also aimed at reducing the visibility of low-quality and unhelpful content, such as clickbait and content that is not original.It also added the new acronym to the SEO World; E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), replacing E-A-T: 

expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness

What were The Top Five Effects of the  “Google Helpful Content Update”?

The effects of the “Google Helpful Content Update” on search results may vary depending on the specific query and the type of content being searched for. However, based on information from Google and analysis by industry experts, some of the top potential effects of the update may include:

  1. Improved visibility for high-quality and helpful content: The update is designed to promote content that is most likely to be helpful to the user, such as content that is well-researched, informative, and easy to understand.
  2. Reduced visibility for low-quality and unhelpful content: The update is aimed at reducing the visibility of low-quality and unhelpful content, such as clickbait, content that is not original, or content that is difficult to understand.
  3. More relevant search results: The update uses machine learning to understand the intent behind queries and the context in which they are being asked, which can lead to more relevant search results.
  4. More accurate featured snippets: Featured snippets are the answers that appear at the top of the search results and are designed to provide quick answers to the users query. The update can lead to more accurate and helpful featured snippets.
  5. Greater emphasis on E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) : Google has always emphasized on E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) as an important factor in ranking content. The update could lead to even more emphasis on E-A-T, meaning that content from reputable sources and authors with relevant expertise will be favored in search results.

What types of sites were most negatively affected by  “Google Helpful Content Update”?

It’s difficult to say for sure which types of sites were most negatively affected by the “Google Helpful Content Update” as it depends on the specific search queries and the quality of the content on each site. However, based on information from Google and analysis by industry experts, some types of sites that may have been negatively affected by the update include:

  1. Content farms or sites with low-quality or unoriginal content: The update is aimed at reducing the visibility of low-quality and unhelpful content, so sites that rely heavily on this type of content may have seen a decline in visibility.
  2. Clickbait sites: The update is designed to reduce the visibility of clickbait and misleading content, so sites that rely heavily on this type of content may have seen a decline in visibility.
  3. Sites with poor user experience: The update is designed to promote content that is easy to understand and helpful to the user, so sites with poor user experience, such as slow load times or difficult navigation, may have seen a decline in visibility.
  4. Sites without E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) : The update could lead to even more emphasis on E-A-T, meaning that content from reputable sources and authors with relevant expertise will be favored in search results, so sites that don’t have E-A-T may have seen a decline in visibility.

It’s worth noting that not all sites that fall into these categories will be negatively affected by the update and some may see improvements in visibility. The update is designed to improve the overall quality of search results, so it should ultimately benefit users and high-quality sites.