Show Notes
Google’s Updates and Their Importance
- Google releases thousands of updates to their algorithm every year
- Google dominates the search engine industry, so its changes matter
- Google’s competitors often follow their lead
The Rise of AI and Its Impact on Google’s Updates
- AI-generated content has changed the game for the web and search results
- Google previously prioritized quantity over quality of content
- AI allows for quick, free content generation, leading to an influx of low-quality content
Google’s E-E-A-T Guidelines
- Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust
- The additional “E” for Experience was added to combat AI-generated content
- Experience is a core differentiator between human and AI-written content
- Expertise is demonstrated through author bios, awards, certifications and education
- Authoritativeness is shown by covering all aspects of a topic and gaining backlinks
- Trust is developed when experience, expertise and authoritativeness are combined
September 2023 Update
- Google loosened guidelines on AI usage but still prefers human-written content
- Crackdown on third-party content hosted on subdomains or main websites
- Warnings against attempting to fake page updates and freshness
March 2024 Update
- Most complex update, affecting multiple core systems and algorithms
- Goal to reduce low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 40%
- New spam policies targeting scaled content abuse, site reputation abuse and expired domain abuse
Identifying and Recovering from Update Effects
- Use analytics to compare organic traffic and conversions over time
- Prioritize content that meets E-E-A-T guidelines
- Don’t rely on AI without significant editing
- Create content that serves users, not just search engines
- Update old content if no longer relevant, but not simply to appease Google
- Improve user experience by making content easily scannable and accessible
- Consider investing in SEO if a major drop in organic traffic persists
Final Thoughts
- Don’t try to trick Google, as it won’t work long-term
- Prioritize user needs over chasing every update
- Use AI responsibly and ensure it aligns with your business’s voice and strategy
- Following these guidelines should lead to success with Google and future core updates
