A recent Google Update called Helpful Content Update is a follow-up on many updates rolled up by the company in recent times. But this is more a follow-up of Panda and Penguin updates that define the content and regulate misuse through spam.
Needless to say, there were no such guidelines in the nascent stage of developing search algorithms and a blog was a beehive of spammers. These were seeking promising returns from Adsense and other online advertising companies by placing their code or widgets in high-traffic blogs.
For most amateur content publishers a blog was the right medium with free for all posting ethics being tolerated by the blog providers like Blogger, Type Pad, Tumbler, and WP to name the prominent companies.
It was not difficult to target high-traffic keywords, like those pertaining to branded hotels, recreation industry terms, and celebrities to name a few sectors. Even the amateur Adsense publishers knew where to target. There was minimal competition and things worked.
Most of these Adsense subscribers hired cheap writers who mass published third-grade content and flourished. It did not work for long and after the update they became extinct. This also impacted websites with duplicate content and many lost rankings. Whereas Penguin targeted the link schemes and non-contextual links, Panda focused on thin content and webspam on the world wide web.
Impact Filter Panda Update
- Duplicate content on blogs & websites
- Pages with a poor-content-to-ad ratio
- Pages containing general information
- Content comprising minimal information
- Tag Spam
- Repeat Content
- Paraphrasing
The filter update that rolled between 2011 to 2015 had a significant impact on thousands of websites and blogs that up till then were on the top of high-traffic entities.
Google Helpful Content Update
Countering Spam and fortifying content requires common sense although understanding these updates strengthen your optimization skills to no end. Even those producing high-quality content, especially for link building were lacking many aspects that heightened user engagement. This is most applicable to blogs since they are constantly churning fresh content. Fatigue and blocks impact writers like any other human beings and the output pressure from the hiring companies made matter worse.
Unhappy with what was being produced in name of high content Google has redefined content as helpful. The write-ups that are meant for users/readers and deliver valuable information or are purposeful will now rule the roost. The oft repeat story is also mentioned and you should be writing for visitors and not search engines.
In a world wide web that is saturated neck deep, the writer will have to dig deeper to make their content helpful and purposeful besides being unique. This points toward the industry experts and writers who have the knack to produce content on diverse topics.
More on Google Helpful Content Update
Creating Blog Posts
When you create a blog with the aim of SEO best practices in mind then remember:
A blog should be relevant. It should not have copied content and the entries should be made on regular basis. The word count could be anything as long you embed in-depth information or some useful features that engage the visitor. Engagement is the yardstick that counts. Search engines can make the engaging period out, and this is suggestive of very good content creation.
Your write-up can be authoritative and in-depth if you are an expert in the niche. If your career demands content on diverse topics then do in-depth research try to dig out something that will stand out from the rest and then write. This is time-consuming but that is not a problem since shaping good content that will most likely engage visitors is time-consuming. Researching the worldwide space is an art that requires patience to grasp matters quickly.
Do not turn your blog into a spam platform. Keep terms limited to 4 of 5 % and write naturally to include semantics that helps search engines decipher your content better. Add qualified entries and spare links. One link after a gap of 15 entries is good for SEO purposes. Format the write-up in limit one H1 Tag is enough. Remember to write for the reader hence add relevant information in H1 Tag.
What is the page about?
This applies to Title/ Meta and Alt Tags. Proper subheadings also help readers who like to scan and quickly read what they are searching for to solve their problems or widen their knowledge base or even for recreation or amusement. Does your post include all this?
Do add nofollow links that relate to the topic and provide greater information that aligns well with what you have written. And yes do not forget to add attributes like related lightweight images, infographics, and videos.
If you are keyword savvy then doing research online will be a fast job. Remember always read a lot and write a lot. Keep writing on your blog it pays!
