Google recently announced an update to their search algorithm that will rank websites higher if they are deemed to have “helpful content.” So, what exactly does this mean for your website? And how can you ensure that your site’s content is up to Google’s new standards? Let’s take a closer look.

What is “Helpful Content?”

In a nutshell, “helpful content” is content that is accurately summarized and easy for users to understand. It should be free of grammatical errors and typos, and it should be relevant to the user’s search query. To put it simply, it should be the kind of content that users are looking for when they turn to Google for answers.

To determine whether or not a piece of content is helpful, Google will look at factors such as how often the content is shared, how long users spend on the page after clicking through from the search results, and whether or not users go back to the search results to find a different result.

How Can I Make My Content More Helpful?

If you want your site to benefit from Google’s latest update, there are a few things you can do to make sure your content is up to par.

Google explains its SEO Starter Guide guidelines into general, content-specific, and quality guidelines. Most general guidelines will not be impacted, such as keeping a simple URL structure and browser compatibility. Some of the content-specific and quality guidelines, however, are likely to become even more important. This means your business should:

• Write high-quality information about your products and services.
• Establish your business details in a way that helps users understand what you can provide them.
• Avoid automatically generated content and “keyword stuffing,” which is the practice of weaving excessive keywords in a single piece of content.
• Avoid posting “thin content” or content with little or no value to the user.

First and foremost, take a close look at your existing content and make sure that it meets the criteria listed above. If it doesn’t, consider making some changes or adding new content that does.

Secondly, pay attention to user engagement metrics such as time on page and click-through rate; if users aren’t spending much time on your site or if they’re quickly going back to the search results after landing on your page, that’s a sign that your content isn’t helpful and could use some improvement.

Finally, don’t forget about the power of social media—if your content is being shared often and garnering positive feedback on social media sites, chances are it’s meeting Google’s definition of helpfulness.

There’s a lot that goes into ranking a website on Google effectively. Many businesses choose to partner with a digital marketing agency for this reason, ensuring they have someone staying in front of the ever-evolving rules and guidelines.

Google’s latest update is yet another reminder of why SEO is so important for businesses large and small. By paying attention to the trends and making sure your website’s content is up to par, you can ensure that your site will continue to rank highly in the search results—regardless of any future algorithm updates.