Writing for Google’s helpful content updates: Use these practical tips!
How’s your definition of ‘helpful’? Is it the same as Google’s? Let’s ensure it is. Read my guide on how to write for Google’s helpful content system and stay ahead of the pack.
The TL;DR:
Keep these 4 points in mind when writing for the helpful content system.
Create your content for a specific audience
Demonstrate your expertise
Demonstrate trustworthiness and credibility
Ensure you meet the needs of your searcher
So, what is this ‘helpful content system’?
Google’s Helpful Content system is a machine learning model introduced in August 2022. This system has classifiers that assess your content and generates a signal to say whether your content is helpful or not.
Image from Marie Haynes’ “The Search Bar”.
A quick FYI before we dive in…
HERE’S THE BAD NEWS (FOR THE NAUGHTY PEOPLE)
If Google’s model determines that sitewide, your website is more unhelpful than helpful, you may be slapped with an unhelpful content classification. Think of it like a weight that suppresses your site's optimal ranking potential. Not good.
Most people negatively affected by the helpful content update have been writing content for robots and not for users. (Stuff like keyword-stuffed articles, heavily optimised headers, trick content, articles written to improve rankings and not help the reader, etc.). Naughty, in other words.
AND THE GOOD NEWS (FOR THE NICE PEEPS)
If you’ve genuinely been writing helpful content, Google says you’re fine. Phew. Good to know. AND…
If you’ve been cursing (I have, many times) because competitors are contriving their content to trick the search engines — and consequently sit above you in the SERPS, hold tight. Google’s public go-to man, Danny Sullivan, recently announced (Feb 7, 2024) that there will be a series of algorithmic changes in Google soon. And folks in the know think what he’s saying kinda sounds like Google are onto those practicing these robot-manipulating tricks.
So, how do I write helpful content?
First, let’s briefly cover Google’s guidelines.
Google’s self-assessment tips for helpful content
From Google (bolding my own):
“Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?
Does the content provide a substantial, complete, or comprehensive topic description?
Does the content provide insightful analysis or interesting information beyond the obvious?
If the content draws on other sources, does it avoid copying or rewriting those sources and provide substantial additional value and originality instead?
Does the main heading or page title provide a descriptive, helpful summary of the content?
Does the main heading or page title avoid exaggerating or being shocking?
Is this a page you'd want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend?
Would you expect to see this content in or referenced by a printed magazine, encyclopedia, or book?
Does the content provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?
Does the content have any spelling or stylistic issues?
Is the content produced well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced?
Is the content mass-produced by or outsourced to many creators or spread across an extensive network of sites so that individual pages or sites don't get as much attention or care?”
The above is pretty straightforward, but you may want some clear direction if you’re lacking inspiration or just sick of having to think all the time. ;-)
HELPFUL CONTENT TIPS
Write for your audience.
WHO is your audience?
Let’s say your company sells email marketing software. In that case, your audience is S-M businesses and marketers keen to sell their products to prospective clients and increase their audience.
WHAT do they want?
They are interested in your product info, tips on increasing engagement, improving conversions, growing the left, best practices, etc.
2. Personalise your content.
Perhaps your audience is large and segmented into sub-groups. In that case, personalise your content for each segment rather than being everything for everyone. Maybe you have segments for professionals in education, e-commerce and government, for example.
IMPORTANT: Google also ask: “Do you have an existing or intended audience for your business or site that would find the content useful if they came directly to you?” Don’t create content for keywords or trick the wrong audience into stumbling into your website. Instead, think of what your EXISTING audience would like to know.
3. Give people answers (and remove any effort for them).
Many of us search on Google and want quick answers. We don’t want to trawl through the page trying to find what we need. Consider WHY people would visit this page and give them what they want.
When you know the WHY, give them the complete sentence.
EXAMPLE: Writing about climate change? Then, “Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns” provides a clear, concise answer.
Currently, the above quote is Google’s Featured Snippet for climate change, too! So, if you want your answer to appear in a Featured Snippet, take note.
4. Stay on topic.
Don’t cover 101 things. Remember: Why is the reader visiting the page? Give them what they need.
Keep your entire website focused on what you do/offer. Go too broad, and Google may deem you unhelpful — or even put you in the spammy content bucket.
5. Offer your experience.
What’s your experience with this topic? Have you been involved with it for some time? (Let us know!) Do you have any insights? Share helpful information for the reader so you add value.
6. Check that your content is up-to-date.
It’s so easy to forget what is lurking on your website. (I’m terribly guilty of this) Regularly audit your site and ensure that nothing is outdated or incorrect. Remove anything that’s no longer appropriate or just plain unhelpful.
7. Include images, graphs, screen grabs, photos and gifs.
There is increasing talk that people who include images and graphs at the top of the page are faring well with the helpful content update rollouts. We don’t know this for sure, but I’m punting that it’s a good idea. (Test it and see!)
8. Write something bookmark-worthy.
I’ll leave it to your interpretation, but add value to your article and make it so helpful that your reader will want to save it somewhere. Think: what would be super-useful?
9. Edit and revise ruthlessly.
Your writing must be concise. Remove anything that isn’t. Read it aloud, then take out anything silly, redundant or verbose.
10. Check your spelling and grammar.
This is another factor outlined in the guidelines: “Does the content have any spelling or stylistic issues?”
11. Check your entire website’s user experience (Don’t Make Me Think!).
A confusing website is not very helpful. Take a leaf from web usability expert, Steve Krug’s “Don’t Make Me Think” web writing bible. Also, cover the basics:
Make your navigation clear and descriptive.
Ensure each page has a headline that describes the content on the page.
Ensure the title tag is equally descriptive – and enticing.
Make the content easy to read by including bulleted info, keeping sentences and paragraphs short, and breaking things up.
I hope this helps. Good luck!
Who am I, anyway?
Hi, I’m Abi White. I’m an SEO consultant, SEO copywriter and conversion copywriter with over 14 years of online experience. My online career started by creating and directing one of Australia's first pure-play international e-commerce businesses, abi and joseph.
These days, I write for Colgate-Palmolive and their associated brands, e.g. Elmex, via my Paris-based agent. I also freelance for SaaS, medical and dental. From 2021, I was the senior copywriter and SEO for Retail Express by Maropost, heading Australia and Canada before pushing into other international markets. I’ve been the senior copywriter for a Melbourne digital agency for five years, and online marketing manager and SEO for a chain of Perth dental practices.
Read more about me here.
Need help with your SEO, content strategy or copywriting?
I can help. I keep myself up-to-date with Google’s updates and have completely adapted my work to their new search systems and models. Get in touch, and let’s see how I can help you.