Google is about to launch a new and large search algorithm update, called the helpful content update.
The helpful content update will target websites that have a relatively high amount of unsatisfying or unhelpful content, where the content has been written for search engines rather than humans.
This update, which will start rolling out soon, will have a meaningful impact on the search results, Google told Search Engine Land.
Google’s new helpful content update specifically targets “content that seems to have been primarily created for ranking well in search engines rather than to help or inform people.”
The purpose of this algorithm update is to help searchers find “high-quality content,” Google told us. Google wants to reward better and more useful content that was written for humans and to help users.
Content written for the purpose of ranking in search engines – what you might call “search engine-first content” or “SEO content,” has been frequently written about lately and discussed across social media.
In short, searchers are getting frustrated when they land on unhelpful webpages that rank well in search because they were designed to rank well.
Google’s new algorithm aims to downgrade those types of websites while promoting more helpful websites, designed for humans, above search engines.
Google said this is an “ongoing effort to reduce low-quality content and make it easier to find content that feels authentic and useful in search.”
When will Google’s helpful content update launch?
The update will start rolling out next week. The helpful content update will take up to two weeks to fully roll out, Google said.
We will post a new story when it begins rolling out and when it is completed here on Search Engine Land. Google will also post on its updates page when it launches and when it is done rolling out.
What types of content will the helpful content update impact?
While these algorithms do not specifically target any specific niche, Google said these types of content may be impacted the most:
- Online educational materials.
- Arts and entertainment.
- Shopping.
- Tech-related.
This is because content written in those areas has historically been written more for search engines than humans.
Based on Google’s analysis, those areas may be more impacted by this Google helpful content update than other areas.
I asked Google for a specific example of a search where the helpful content update would make an impact. Here’s what Google told me:
“If you search for information about a new movie, you might have previously encountered articles that aggregated reviews from other sites without adding perspectives beyond what’s available elsewhere on the web. This isn’t very helpful if you’re expecting to read something new. With this update, you’ll see more results with unique information, so you’re more likely to read something you haven’t seen before.”
Google’s Search Liaison Danny Sullivan was asked on Twitter to elaborate more about what Google meant by “online education.” Sullivan’s response:
“Generally tutorial, things meant to teach something, not really formal courses. But again, it’s not focused on any particular area. That’s just one example where we see notable improvement but there are others and any query about any thing might benefit.”
Danny Sullivan tweet