Google’s New Core Update Addresses Helpful Content and Spam

 Posted on March 18, 2024 in SEO

Google search is one of the most crucial components of the internet. The majority of people who are looking for information online will do so by searching on Google. This means that any changes Google makes to the way searches and search results are handled can have massive repercussions. Staying abreast of these updates is not always easy, but it is crucial for search engine optimization (SEO), which can help ensure that a site will show up in search results.

While Google regularly makes minor tweaks to its systems, it occasionally rolls out major updates that may affect large numbers of websites. These changes are known as “core updates,” because they involve adjustments to the basic systems used to determine what sites will be displayed in search results. Google recently announced a core update for March 2024 that addresses how it ranks “helpful content” while also taking steps to address content that is considered to be “spam.”

Helpful Content

Following a core update that took place in 2022, Google began to emphasize helpful content in search results. Sites that provide information that is helpful to people will rank higher in search results, and content that is written with machines in mind in order to influence search rankings may be penalized and receive lower search rankings.

With the new core update, Google has implemented multiple systems designed to identify content that is helpful to people. With a focus on people-first content, sites that include information that answers people’s specific questions and provide visitors with a good experience will be more likely to be displayed in search results.

New Spam Policies

Google is always focused on finding and addressing unhelpful content and websites that attempt to game the system and manipulate search rankings. Sites that provide a poor experience and exist primarily to display ads or capture information about visitors may be penalized because they are considered to be “spam.” There are numerous forms of spam that Google has identified, and the new core update is meant to address some specific practices that have become more prevalent. These forms of spam include:

• Expired domain abuse: When website domain names expire, they may be purchased and used to provide content that is not relevant to people who are looking for information that was previously provided on that site. For example, a domain name for a local business that is no longer in operation may be purchased, and a new site may be created that contains ads for nutritional supplements. Because the information on the new site is not relevant to people who are searching for services that were previously provided by the local business, Google may not display the site in search results.

• Scaled content abuse: When multiple pages of unhelpful, unoriginal content are published on a site for the purposes of manipulating search results, the site may be penalized by Google. This change is meant to address the use of AI or other practices to create and publish large amounts of content that do not provide value to people who are searching for information online.

• Site reputation abuse: In some cases, website owners may partner with others to produce content, but when this type of third-party content is of low quality and does not provide value to the site’s users, the site may be penalized by Google. This change is meant to address situations where sponsored content, advertisements, or other content produced by third parties is published with little oversight and is meant to manipulate search rankings by capitalizing on the reputation of a site that is more well-known or typically ranks high in search results.

Contact Our SEO Professionals

At OVC, INC., we ensure that the sites we develop and the content we create follow Google’s guidelines. We focus on writing and publishing helpful content that demonstrates how our clients can meet the needs of people who are searching for their services online. If you have any questions about how Google’s latest changes may affect your site, or if you want to know more about how we can improve your online presence, contact our website development and search engine optimization experts today at 630-635-8000.