Google Helpful Content Update 2022: All Highlights

Google Helpful Content Update has rolled out on 5 December 2022 and will take up to two weeks to become fully visible. It is released to adjust the results pages and add signals while bringing helpful content globally for all languages.

This update is designed to reward web pages for people rather than search engines. It is released to elevate the quality of content that adds value to the web. Along with expanding to all languages, the update potentially includes new signals while adjusting the previous ones. So, are you ready to dig more into this Google Helpful Content update? Scroll down the page and find a guide outlining all significant highlights.

What is Google Helpful Content Update?

Before we check the highlights, let’s first find out what this Google Helpful Content Update is to get a better idea. It is the fifth Google Algorithm update of 2022 and mainly targets content globally for all languages. Earlier, Google released a helpful content update on August 18, 2022, which targeted low-quality content marketing for search engines.

Google starts running a site-wide ranking signal to implement a new update. It classifies websites with unhelpful content and ongoing to encompass new and existing websites. This automated process uses a machine-learning model and keeps refining its working process.

These ranking updates might take a few months to change the status of your website even after you change your content writing strategy or remove the unhelpful content from the site. With every algorithm update comes an opportunity to recover from the last one. Suppose Google’s Helpful Content Update hits your website in August, and you have started improving your content, then you can see rankings climb with the December update. While the algorithm update is usually launched to benefit the user, there are also some adverse effects that you should be aware of. If your website was immune to the August update or experienced no impact, the result could be different in December.

The 5 Major Things to Know About the Google Helpful Content Update

Wondering how to keep your website safe from being classified as “unhelpful”? Here’s a quick rundown of the 5 important things about the Google Helpful Content Update of 2022. Check them out and ensure you create helpful content that ranks high in the search engine results.

• Always stick to your main topic

It may seem tempting to include everything in a single content to expand its reach and search engine rankings, but this particular thing you should avoid if you want to stay immune to the Google Helpful Content Update of 2022. You’ll likely face such trouble if you write content outside of the niche.

It indicates that you don’t know much about the content or topic you are writing about. Also, your website visitors might confuse if they see content on your website isn’t related to your products, services, or industry. Hence, research the topic and write the content accordingly.

• Give a to-the-point answer to your user

According to the Google Helpful Content Update 2022, helpful content is one that teaches viewers something they need to know. If you are writing content around some question, you should first clarify the answer to help users find whatever they are searching for without putting in much effort.

Pur yourself in your audience’s shoes and check what solution they are looking for and what points you should add to the content that can solve their query. Once you understand your audience’s requirements, you can then start working on the content that gives them all the necessary information.

• Write the content for the user first and not for the search engine

While it’s important to follow all SEO guidelines to rank your website in SERPs, the helpful content update suggests you write the content for the user first. Make sure you don’t write specifically for search engines; otherwise, Google will classify your website or content as “unhelpful” despite following the best SEO practices.

It means you should not stuff your content with keywords or use AI to write it. Remember that people don’t want to read content that doesn’t make any sense or provide them with a solution.

• Elaborate on the topic with in-depth knowledge

Google Helpful Content Update 2022 suggests you write about topics you have first-hand expertise in, as it is the sole way to provide value to your readers. Look, you cannot demonstrate everything until and unless you have knowledge of the same.

Hence, it is always recommended to pick a topic related to your industry, products, or services and make your content worthwhile. If you write about a topic you have no knowledge or experience in, your content won’t be as helpful as it could be. Highlight your experience when writing content and give readers a solution they are looking for.

• Offers the satisfying user experience

Google always recommends websites to provide a satisfying user experience so they can return for more. Hence, you must ensure that the content you are writing provides a positive experience. Also, take care of your website’s technicalities, such as the page loading speed and interface.

An excellent User Experience not just saves you from being classified as “unhelpful” but also plays an integral role in search engine ranking factors. If users have a negative experience, you’ll miss out on tons of leads while losing the audience too.

Summing Up

So, that’s all about the Google Helpful Content Update 2022. We hope our research will help you understand the key factors of this algorithm update so you can survive in this ranking league. Understand every aspect of this content update and ensure to follow the Google guidelines to avoid any last-minute hassle.