Don’t Panic! Why Google Algorithm Updates Are Really No Big Deal
The dreaded Google algorithm update – when whispers start to come through (or you get straight up announcements), people can start to panic. I get it. If you’ve spent time and money on SEO for your website, you don’t want to see it go down the drain just because Google ‘changed its mind’.
The thing is these algorithm updates seem scary. But for the vast majority of business owners (and I’m willing to bet that means you), they really don’t matter.
In fact, for 99% of website owners, Google algorithm updates are simply no big deal.
Here’s why.
Why Google algorithm updates are really no big deal
The most recently announced March 2024 Google algorithm updates are starting to roll out. And people are starting to panic. Yes, this is a core update. And because it’s been announced by Google, we can assume that it’s going to have a big impact.
Despite that there really isn’t any reason to panic. And that’s the big impact is probably not aimed at you. Google is, and always has been, targeting low-quality, spammy content that doesn’t provide any value to the reader. As long as you’re trying to write good content that is providing something of value to your reader, you’re all good.
Let’s get into specifics:
Understanding Google
To understand why the algorithm updates are really no big deal, we need to first understand Google. Google’s main goal (besides making money!) is to ensure that it’s delivering the best search results to their searchers. In fact, every search engine has the same goal.
Why? Because that keeps their users happy, which keeps their advertisers happy which means they keep making money. Capitalism!
So, when you go to Google’s search box and type in any search – for example, ‘best leprechaun traps’– Google will want to give you the best results for that search.
If they give you a listicle ranking traps that can catch mythical, gold-touting creatures along with directions for making each trap, that would be a great result. And you’d probably be happy.
But if they gave you a list of crab traps, that wouldn’t be a great result. And the next time you had a query, you might try a different way to get the information.
At the end of the day, Google wants to keep you as a loyal user (again, because capitalism!). When you get the information you want, then you’re more likely to come back next time. If you don’t, you won’t.
What are Google algorithm updates targeting?
Each Google algorithm update targets a slightly different practice. But in every situation, they’re trying to stop people from using shortcuts to drive traffic. In other words, they don’t want people to game the system.
In the March 2024 algorithm update Google is targeting low-quality content. But what does that mean?
Low-quality content
For Google, ‘low-quality content’ in this case really means unoriginal, spammy content. But in effect, it’s targeting AI content that delivers no value.
AI content used to be considered straight up spam by Google. If you used it, and they detected it, you’d be penalised. They’ve recently revised this position, and there is no blanket rule against using AI to write content for your website any longer. But Google doesn’t want you using any content that is ‘spammy’ or ‘low quality’.
Unfortunately, this often includes content written by AI because it tends to be scraped, duplicative and not authoritative.
In general, Google’s algorithm looks for EEAT when considering whether content is low quality. This stands for:
- E: Experience
- E: Expertise
- A: Authoritativeness
- T: Trustworthiness
Experience
Low quality content might be something that the content creator has no experience with or expertise in. Google wants the writers to have real, first-hand or real-life experience using the thing they’re writing about.
Let’s imagine that I wrote an article about ‘changes in banking regulations in Australia’ and posted it on my website. I am not experienced in this area, and Google is well aware of that fact. So, this would be considered low quality content.
Expertise
Google also uses real-life experience to signal that authors are considered experts in their field. They want to know if you have the knowledge, but also the qualifications or credentials, to provide your audience with reliable information in that space. One of the reasons that I ranked quickly for my own website is that I have a background as a writer and researcher – I have an English Lit + Poli Sci degree as well as a Law degree – which I talked about on my site and in my interactions with other people via social media.
Another way that you can prove your expertise on a subject matter is via your content itself. I know this seems a weird cycle, but search engines will consider whether or not you have proven your expertise by the content that you include on your website.
Finally, you need to show that you’re a ‘thought leader’ to truly be an expert. In other words, you need some innovative ideas or ways of looking at things. That’s why AI content is sometimes a problem. If I posted an AI-written article about ‘Google algorithm updates’ this is clearly an area within my experience (I’m an SEO copywriter). But if I pulled this directly from ChatGPT (or any other AI software) then I wouldn’t be showcasing any expertise. Instead, I would simply be reframing scraped content. Google doesn’t like that.
Authoritativeness
Google determines whether something is authoritative or not by looking at the author, the content, their website AND their reputation as a whole. They want to see if you’re an authority on the subject and if your site is considered to be an authority on the topic.
Are people linking to your site? Has it been used by others? Are you a guest on podcasts on this subject? Are you cited by other experts? Have you written articles for reputable sources? Are you a source of research? Do people search for you in particular when they’re seeking out information on this subject? All of these things play into your authoritativeness.
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness comes down to your general credibility and it’s the most important part of EEAT. You have to be upfront about who you are (put your content information in your website!), where you live and how you work. Make sure that everything you publish is rigidly factual, and link to trustworthy sources (and if you’re not already citing to them, make sure you do going forward).
So, if you have a website about trapping leprechauns, but are unable to offer studies to show that leprechauns exist, your content might be considered low quality.
Unoriginal content
The March 2024 algorithm update also aims to reduce unoriginal content in search results by 40%. So, what is unoriginal content?
Well, Google has been swamped with ‘fluffy’ content that is well optimised but not super original. Depending on the search you run, you might get five different results that all say pretty much the same thing – with pretty much the same titles. They’re highly optimised, and that’s why Google is serving them up, but they aren’t original.
They’re not challenging any assumptions, creating new paradigms, exceeding any expectations or even explaining something complicated in a new way. That’s been a problem. And AI content is just increasing that problem.
The new Google algorithm update will target this, helping to raise the profile of content that is really delivering something new.
What’s the takeaway?
The reason we don’t have to worry about Google algorithm updates is because we just need to keep doing the good work we’re already doing… with maybe one or two extra steps.
Here’s what I suggest.
- Write what you know. Write about what you know, what you’re good at and what’s in your wheelhouse. If you don’t already have some thoughts or opinions on a topic, give it a miss. Or, even better, do some reading and researching! You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. But you do have to give it a new angle, a new way of thinking or a new tie in.
- Make it valuable. If there isn’t something for your reader to take away, write about something else. There’s enough junky content in the world!
- Use AI… sparingly. AI has its place in content creation, but you simply can’t take something written by AI and drop it into your website. It will probably get pinged as spammy.
- Optimise! SEO still matters, just not as a shortcut. Use keywords, optimised titles, headers and H tags, white space, active voice and all those good SEO tactics. These highlight what matters in your content. Good content-driven SEO is in. Spammy backlinks are out.
- Check for originality. After you finish your article go back through it. Do you have some original ideas? Thoughts? Opinions? Are you giving the reader a new way to think about something, or explaining a complex thing more simply? If not, fix it.
These are NOT new goals!
At the end of the day these are not new goals. Google has been working on reducing unhelpful and unoriginal content since 2022 and this most recent algorithm update is just the next step in that process. Keeping this in mind helps you let go of the minutiae that many people fret about when it comes to Google algorithm updates.
The algorithm changes just don’t matter (unless you’re one of those people trying to game the system through tons of AI content and dodgy backlinks!). And good content has always been original, thought-provoking and value adding.
Keep doing that, add a dose of optimisation and a double check for originality, and you’re good to go. Easy peasy.
Questions?
Get in touch. I’m always happy to help!
