Google has announced the rollout of its September 2023 helpful content update, featuring an enhanced classifier. This update is expected to take approximately two weeks to fully deploy, and Google plans to provide updates on its ranking release history page once the rollout is finished.
Google has introduced fresh insights regarding beneficial content, specifically:
• Google has introduced fresh guidance on hosting third-party content and has provided additional clarification on post-update actions. It suggests that in some cases, no action may be required, or alternatively, content creators may consider self-assessing their content.
• Furthermore, Google has expanded its guidance by including new points on content removal and date modification within its help page dedicated to crafting trustworthy, helpful, and user-centric content.
• Notably, Google has made a noteworthy revision in its terminology. It replaced the phrase "written by people" with "helpful content created for people in search results." This change appears to indicate that AI-generated content is considered acceptable as long as it serves a helpful purpose. For visual reference, here is a comparison screenshot showing the before and after versions.
This update has been eagerly anticipated. Back in May, Google informed us about the forthcoming helpful content system update slated for this year. Google indicated that this update would empower the helpful content system to gain a deeper comprehension of content crafted from both personal and expert perspectives. Additionally:
• Several months ago, Google stated that it is enhancing its overall search result ranking process, placing greater emphasis on content that possesses unique expertise and experience.
However, it's important to note that this isn't the update being rolled out today.
• The ongoing work in this area remains separate from the current update. Google has assured that more details about their progress in this regard will be shared in the future.
In the event that your content is affected, Google offers a set of questions for you to consider. Take a moment to review these questions, which we have posted here, and objectively assess whether your content aligns with the updates.
Please be aware that if your website has been impacted by this update, the recovery process may span several months, provided you make the necessary adjustments to your content gradually and in accordance with best practices.
Expanding on the helpful content update, Google's focus is distinctly aimed at content that appears to have been primarily generated with the intention of achieving favorable search engine rankings, rather than genuinely aiding or informing users.
This algorithm update is designed to enhance the search experience by enabling users to discover "high-quality content," as highlighted by Google. The intention is to reward content that is both superior in quality and genuinely beneficial to human readers.
The frustration often arises when users encounter unhelpful webpages that achieve high search rankings solely because they were crafted with the sole purpose of appealing to search engines. This type of content is commonly denoted as "search engine-centric content" or "SEO-focused content."
Google's helpful content algorithm seeks to diminish the prominence of these types of websites in search results while elevating websites that prioritize human-centric, helpful content above search engine considerations.
Google emphasizes that this effort represents an ongoing commitment to reduce low-quality content and facilitate the discovery of authentic and valuable content within search results.
For webmasters and SEO professionals, if you observe any notable shifts in your website's rankings and visibility in Google search over the next couple of weeks, it is likely linked to this update. To adapt effectively, it's advisable to consult Google's guidance, implement the necessary adjustments, and anticipate potential improvements in rankings and visibility in the coming months.
We hope you will see positive trends in your Google Search ranking and visibility following this update.