Google has announced that it’s cutting down on spammy content, as part of an goal to reduce ‘unoriginal, low quality' content in search results by 40 per cent. These recent Google algorithm updates came into effect in April and focused on directing traffic to helpful, high-quality sites. So what does this mean for you?
About Google's update
The latest update means that churning out content - which has been made easier with AI writing apps and tools - is no longer enough to rank your business in search results. Though it’s important to remember that ‘unoriginal, low quality’ content can be human-made too. This tells us that just writing for the sake of writing is not enough. You need to be producing thoughtful, valuable content.
Even reputable websites can be penalised if they host third-party ads that Google has marked as spam. For example, third-party advertisers of adult-related content such as gambling and payday loans might take advantage of a popular education website aimed at kids. This unscrupulous behaviour, known as site reputation abuse, will no longer be enough to achieve high search rankings. Instead, guest posts will have to reach a level of quality, and be targeted to the audience of the host website.
Expired domain abuse is another behaviour that Google is attempting to stamp out. This is when expired domains are bought and repurposed with low-quality or unoriginal content to try to boost the search ranking. It’s a way of intentionally misleading users into thinking the new content is part of the older site. Few legitimate companies are involved in this practice, but it does still occur.
Content for people, not algorithms
A major step in Google’s plan is cracking down on content written to exploit algorithms, rather than for people. This is a strong response to a recent surge in AI-generated content tailored for SEO purposes, that targets Google's ranking criteria to increase ranking visibility. As AI tools have become more sophisticated and user-friendly, the ease of generating this type of content has only increased, but at a cost to Google’s usefulness and the provision of a positive browsing experience for users.
As a result, several websites that had high rankings and relied on AI-generated content have been completely removed from Google's index. Many users are reporting manual action penalties for ‘pure spam’, where the user is obliged to completely remove all the ‘spam’ content and repopulate the website before the penalty is removed - if it ever is. SEO pro Lily Ray posted a list of 10 websites removed from Google search overnight, and marketing guru Jacky Chu said all the sites he had tied to a Search Console account that he managed were removed, while sites not in the account were not affected.
AI isn't dead, but you do need people, too
This update might have you wondering, will Google penalise AI content? This is not the case. AI still has a place in publishing high-quality content that rewards the creator. Rather than using AI to manipulate search rankings, it has long had a place as a valuable tool to generate content such as sports scores and weather forecasts - and Google certainly doesn’t penalise websites that offer that. AI remains an effective tool for content creation. When managed correctly, you can still use AI to help you boost your brand, but it’s only ever as good as the human content writer using it. The writer still has to create original, compelling content for the AI to be effective.
Google’s E-E-A-T framework - standing for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness - is an excellent way to think about how the search engine evaluates valuable, human-led content. You can find out a lot about Google’s approach by reading about E-E-A-T - and the FRED algorithm launched in 2021 to tackle low-quality search results.
In creating helpful content, Google asks us to consider the existing or intended audience, who would find the content useful. We should think about if our content demonstrates first-hand experience, and a depth of knowledge that makes it unique. Is it published on a website that has a primary purpose or focus? Will your content leave the user feeling like they’ve had a positive, enriching experience?
How to create genuine content
As Google gets smarter at detecting and demoting unoriginal, AI-generated content, there’s now an even greater need to create useful, relevant and original content. This means content teams must refocus and draw on expertise - whether it’s personal interests, qualifications, and education - to offer valuable insights.
Applying proprietary data gives you an ace in the sleeve, and gives you authenticity and reputational value. Finally, making sure your content has a unique voice, rooted in real-world stories and experiences, will mean that it can’t be easily replicated.
It’s not only about rankings, but also, for businesses, converting leads into sales. That’s why content isn’t made just for algorithms, but also to appeal to the people who engage with your content.
Content that works for you
In light of Google’s decision to eliminate entirely AI-generated content that manipulates search rankings, the drive to produce top-quality content is more important than ever. A fresh, unique take is the way forward, where automation, and AI writing tools, can remain useful to the creative process, but are not the driving force.
This is actually good news if you have a genuine business that has been struggling to be seen amidst all the spammers. Now you can get the exposure you deserve for taking the time and effort to build a good reputation. With the right analysis and strategy, you can now be more easily seen and heard if you’re publishing content that’s relevant and engaging for your target audience.
Let the content experts help you
We are an SEO copywriting agency that specializes in creating unique SEO content. We collaborate with companies around the world to assist them in reaching a wider audience through Google-friendly methods, consistently achieving successful improvements in their organic traffic.