What Google’s helpful content update means for parenting brands
It’s been a month since Google completed the rollout of its helpful content update (yes, already!). The change to its search algorithm focuses on prioritizing content written for users vs. robots even more than previous updates.
TL;DR: Google is prioritizing content for humans (not machines). Companies that can speak to real customer pain points and interests with a unique POV will win.
Search engine optimization (SEO) still matters—it’s just different! Editors and brand owners need to assess the value of site content and copy overall. Are your blog posts, FAQs, and product pages answering user questions, providing unique points of view, and adding a unique take on the industry?
If not, it’s not too late to start creating a content strategy for people and not just what you remember from decade-old SEO practices, like keyword stuffing. Remember: you’re helping parents raise humans, so let’s talk to them like one.
Let’s dig into what that means for parenting brands across ecommerce and tech.
Google knows we’re not Googlin’ (as much)
Ever Google something just to click through a handful of articles that all sound the same? Searchers are frustrated by the quality of results on the top SERPs (search engine results pages). That’s why Gen Z and more millennials are turning to in-app searches on social media like TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit.
This isn’t anything new; Google received this feedback for years and is finally addressing quality issues with the helpful content update. Overall, it’s a good thing! As marketers and business leaders, we’ll have to be more cognizant of the quality—not just quantity—of our writing.
The gist of Google’s Helpful Content Update
Google relies on the value of content from websites to answer user questions and discoverability. The update comes in the spirit of prioritizing this “people-first content” (aka content created with readers in mind instead of keywords and spammy backlinks).
For example, let’s say your blog is chockful of short blog posts about topics for working parents. The content is based on what info was already published at the top of Google’s search pages (with a few old stats thrown in that don’t even make sense post-pandemic), and there’s not anything new added to the point of view. Overall, there’s a lack of examples, links, or original ideas. Google dings this type of content as unhelpful.
But alas, you do have a few blog posts on your website that are detailed, which include interviews with subject-matter experts, FAQs, helpful product roundups, and more. Those still shine—but Google will consider your overall website unhelpful if there’s mostly the “blah” higher ratio of unhelpful content on your website.
No penalty, but no reward
If you notice a dip in traffic from September 8 onwards, Google’s changes may be impacting your site’s ranking. Though this content update is not technically a penalty (and neither is the recent core update), it can push your website lower in the search results.
For brands that create educational content around parenting topics and products, this change may impact your site—it’s a saturated market and takes more than regurgitating top SERPs to stand out.
The update’s impact on sites
The rollout started on August 25, 2022, and took 15 days to launch (completed on September 9, 2022) fully. Some brands are seeing an uptick in traffic since the audit while others are seeing dips.
What could go right
Sites producing in-depth, comprehensive research-backed articles are seeing improvement in their traffic.
Jon Robinson, CAMG’s VP of SEO, saw positive changes to his clients’ rankings, specifically for niche and high-value content.
What could go wrong
People have started seeing a drop in their website traffic. Since the rollout is slow, a few websites are experiencing a slight drop while others are experiencing a cliff. The ratio of unhelpful to helpful content could impact this. If there are mass-published, low-quality blog posts, they can be drowning out the gems (like the people in this Twitter thread).
How did they get there in the first place? A few causes of bad content overall include:
DIY content (with no strategy)
Hiring generalist or entry-level writers
Relying on AI for content production without proper editing or overhaul
If you either a) noticed a steady decrease in traffic since Google’s Helpful Content Update, or b) know you have not-so-great content as the bulk of your blog, you can focus on an optimization strategy for your website. It will take resources and time (sorry!), but not all hope is lost.
Moving forward with content strategy
Everyone wants good content, right? Semrush's State of Content Marketing 2022 Global Report reveals that 55% of respondents said improving quality content was their biggest contributor to overall success. But how do you improve what you have? SEO consultant Aleyda Solis gives tips on how to do this in this Twitter thread:
Here’s the gist:
Update: Check the articles that have received the most traffic in the last two years. Update it with new examples, expert insights, and fresh information.
Prune: Evaluate which articles have had the least traffic in the last two years. It may be time to delete them.
Rewrite: Do you need to revamp the page or article entirely? Start from scratch and create in-depth content on the topic.
Adjust your SEO strategy
What are actual parents searching across their online experience? Check Google, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and reviews for inspiration. Create clustered content around those topics to address questions, show examples and use cases, or provide your unique POV.
Research for SEO doesn’t have to be scary. Resources like Answer the Public make it easy to find related questions and phrases your audience is asking. For example, let’s try “sleep training” as a keyword.
Results show 73 questions (e.g., “is sleep training worth it), 56 prepositions (e.g., sleep training for babies), 32 comparisons (e.g., “sleep training and naps”), alphabetical lists, and related phrases.
Pair keyword research with your unique audience insights from product reviews, social media chatter/UGC, and more to know how you can best serve content to real people.
Use artificial intelligence (AI) sparingly
AI for all-things digital is not going away, but many brands are doing it wrong by pumping out full-fledged content pieces without a unique POV, quotes from subject-matter experts, original research, etc. This creates crappy content, affecting your website’s search ranking and performance.
You can use AI to create people-first content for your parenting brand but do it responsibly. AI technology works by digesting the information available online. It doesn’t do all the hard work of thinking like the subject-matter expert for you. When you do use it, add to your content and edit accordingly.
Bonus rabbit hole: Check out this AI experiment Ashley Cummings conducted, showing AI-generated content is detectable as fake by Google and is overall not good quality (for now).
Invest in writers with niche expertise
Good writers (which can be hard to find) write for people, not SEO. We marry content strategy and function with an engaging angle that readers actually want to read. That’s the point of having content in the first place, isn’t it?
I write for parenting and consumer brands because as a parent, I was frustrated with the quality of content available to me. I knew that instead of only complaining about it in my newsletter, I could be part of the good stuff—there is so much good stuff to be had!
The takeaway: Like any social media or search platform, Google updates its algorithm frequently. The best way brands can stay on a platform’s good side is to create quality content their users want and love. As Andrew Fraine, Co-founder of Automata, said in a LinkedIn post, “Google's ‘helpful content update’ shouldn't affect anyone creating content responsibly.”
If you’re looking for a parenting writer to help you tweak, rewrite, and update your could-be-a-bit-more-helpful content, give me a shout.
