What you need to know about Google's Content Update

You know how much we love Google here at Terminology. And we know you love them too:)

HOWEVER

Every-time Google announces a new update to their algorithm (that we should all pay attention to) it seems to cause confusion. Marketers everywhere and businesses too - scramble to understand what the world's biggest search engine is on about.

We love these updates and announcements because they create meaningful discussion. They also give us an awesome opportunity to reiterate in simple terms what we have been saying for years. (We published a blog on the subject last November)...

This latest update is about producing quality content on your website that truly seeks to help your customers not just search engines. That's it, in a nutshell.

Here's how we talk about it. We think The SEI Tool already sums this up better than Google:

1. Relevance - Is your content answering key questions your visitor has with useful information?
2. Consistency - Are you consistently helping your visitors? Providing content that serves their needs so they understand who you are, what you do and how you help?

Google on the other hand, if you care to go down quantum rabbit holes says this:

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Excerpt from Google Guidelines

• Is the content primarily to attract people from search engines, rather than made for humans?
• Are you producing lots of content on different topics in hopes that some of it might perform well in search results?
• Are you using extensive automation to produce content on many topics?
• Are you mainly summarising what others have to say without adding much value?
• Are you writing about things simply because they seem trending and not because you'd write about them otherwise for your existing audience?
• Does your content leave readers feeling like they need to search again to get better information from other sources?
• Are you writing to a particular word count because you've heard or read that Google has a preferred word count? (No, we don't).
• Did you decide to enter some niche topic area without any real expertise, but instead mainly because you thought you'd get search traffic?
• Does your content promise to answer a question that actually has no answer, such as suggesting there's a release date for a product, movie, or TV show when one isn't confirmed?

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Honestly with all of the marketing budget and clout that Google has I don't know why they don't speak plainly about what content creators and online businesses need to do. 

Paraphrasing Mark Twain “I didn't have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one.”

In this context, take some more time to succinctly explain how people need to think of their website content. 

We did.

We love you Google...but! 

So why is Google doing this?

We've all seen it over the years, people creating wallpaper content for search engines, not people. It's annoying when you need some quick reliable info, but when you start reading - it seems to be written in another dialect. Frustrating. Google in its infinite wisdom is trying to save us from that experience. So, this is a much needed update, one that's been a long time coming but we welcome it with open arms.

P.S For all the Google speak you can take 

What creators should know about Google's helpful content update

Otherwise plugin in your SEI Score and bath in simple actionable advice.

The SEI Tool

  Author: Ian Hopkinson 

    Digital Madman, Founder of Terminology and Mad Scientist Digital

    Socials: Instagram / / LinkedIn 

    Websites: Terminology / / Mad Scientist / / Hopkinson Creative