Google releases updates several times a year. Each update is designed to improve Google’s search algorithm to help users find content faster. But very occasionally, Google releases an update specifically designed to undo the effects of SEO – or, to be more specific, black hat SEO.

This latest revamp is called the Helpful Content Update. It is meant to encourage webmasters to move away from search-focused content and focus more on the user.

For years, copywriters fixated on driving traffic to their website have written content to rank on search engines rather deliver useful or informative content to visitors. This has led to an era of duplicate, low-quality blogs and articles.

Google is now on a mission to purge the Internet, and its search results, of this content to make their SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) more relevant.

What is helpful content?

Helpful content, or what Google terms “people-first” content, is anything designed to meet the expectations of visitors. It is at odds with “search-first” content, which is written for the sole purposes of ranking on search engines.

Google classes content as “helpful” if it meets the following criteria:

• It is relevant to your website or business.
• It matches your audience, their interests and expectations.
• It demonstrates first-hand experience or in-depth knowledge of a particular subject.

Likewise, Google will penalise your content if it is:

• Primarily geared towards search engines
• Highly automated
• Irrelevant to your niche or audience
• Written because a topic is trending

Still unsure?

If you’re still unsure about what constitutes helpful content, put yourself in the place of another business or service provider. We like to use the example of a florist.

Let’s say we have a client who runs a floristry business. They are looking to attract more customers to their website so they start writing about as many plant-related topics as possible. This strategy seems reasonable at first. After all, florists know a thing or two about flowers. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right approach.

First of all, not all plant-related subjects are relevant to a florist’s expertise or audience. Readers won’t visit a floristry website to learn about gardening or growing plants. Second, writing about broad topics dilutes your brand’s E-A-T (Expertise, Authority and Trust). You are much more likely to create content that ranks well by focusing on the things you know and exploring subjects germane to your business, brand and followers.

What to do if the update affects your website

Google’s Helpful Content Update works by crawling your site and categorising all of your content into two groups: helpful and unhelpful. Sites with significantly high levels of unhelpful content will be labelled as such and then any content – not just the low-value content – will perform worse in organic search.

Because the update uses a site-wide signal, it is important that websites affected by the new classifier take immediate action to remove or update any unhelpful content. Websites affected by the update should also keep in mind that as Google’s classification process is automated, it could take several months for their site to return to pre-update performance levels.

To identify the content that’s causing you issues, use the criteria we outlined above to evaluate your copy and blogs. Ask yourself if your content genuinely answers the questions you cover and if those queries are relevant to your audience. Using Google Analytics, look for pages with high bounce rates or very low on-page time. Be mindful that these metrics don’t always indicate low value. Well-structured content can direct users to the right information quickly.

What does good content look like?

Above all, good content is unique and answers a specific question or need. Proper online content should also be well sourced, clear and concise, and grammatically correct. Use the following points to craft your content.

Accuracy

If you’re not sure about a date, statistic or fact, double check it to make sure your content is accurate and up to date. Getting things wrong will not only make your content less valuable but affect how trustworthy your brand looks to potential customers.

Freshness

Don’t forget about published content. If you cite a study or cover a subject that’s constantly evolving, make sure your content evolves too.

Insight

Evaluate how users interact with your content. Are searchers finding the answers they need, or are they exiting the page and looking elsewhere? If your content doesn’t explore a topic in enough depth, go deeper, covering all the points they need and anticipating their next search.

On-page and technical SEO

From Google core updates to viral trends on TikTok, the digital marketing landscape is always evolving. Read our latest round-up to stay ahead of the game and learn what’s sparking conversation online.

Organic search

Google tests new featured snippet layout

Normally Google only shows one source or site in its coveted “position zero” slot. But for the past month or so,  Google has been testing new layouts for its featured snippet listing, sometimes displaying up to four featured snippets for a single search.

Google has very occasionally shown “multifaceted featured snippets” since 2018. But this new testing indicates that Google may be planning to update the featured snippet, replacing its highly sought-after position zero with something more versatile.

This is important news for site owners and SEOs as changing the design of the featured snippet could lead to fewer click throughs and less organic traffic.

Google’s People Also Ask feature returns to normal

Google’s People Also Ask feature is a rich snippet that answers questions related to the user’s search query. It was first introduced in February 2018 and is a favourite among content marketers.

Earlier this month, digital marketers noticed that the People Also Ask feature was turning up in fewer results pages. The exact reason behind the change remains unknown. But according to RankRanger, Google has now returned the snippet to its original frequency.

Paid search

Google introduces four new Performance Max features

Google is rolling out four new features for Performance Max campaigns. The new features are designed to help advertisers diagnose problems and improve performance.

1) Data exclusions

Smart bidding uses conversion data to help advertisers meet their targets. Google’s new feature attempts to resolve issues caused by inaccurate conversion tracking by giving users the option to exclude certain dates.

2) Seasonal adjustments

Google’s new seasonal adjustments tool allows advertisers to modify their bid strategy when they expect a short-lived but significant change in conversion. 

3) Explanations 

The explanation feature is designed to help advertisers identify performance fluctuations and diagnose issues. It also offers recommendations for improving ad performance.

4) Optimisation score 

Google’s optimisation score gauges performance. It allows advertisers to see where their campaigns can be improved and provide recommendations for driving better results.

Technical SEO

Ahrefs suggests almost half of clicks go to hidden terms

Most SEOs trust the accuracy of Google Search Console (GSC). After all, the data comes directly from Google. However, researchers at Ahrefs have announced that you may not be able to trust the platform’s keyword data as much as previously thought. In fact, Patrick Stox, Product Advisor & Technical SEO at Ahrefs, argues you may be seeing less than half of all the keywords driving clicks to your website.

If you’re worried about how much data is missing from your own site, the easiest way to see how many clicks Google isn’t showing you is to use the GSC connector in Google Data Studio. Patrick Stox has made a report in Data Studio that you can replicate.

Get in touch with our team for more information about how to improve your SEO, paid or content marketing activities. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates.

With brand awareness cited as a top priority among marketers, and over 3.8 billion social media users online, building a consistent corporate brand across social media is a must in today's digital economy.

What is brand consistency?

If you’ve worked tirelessly to cultivate the perfect brand, you’ll want it to be recognised far and wide. But in order for consumers to know who you are and what you stand for, you need to be consistent.

Brand consistency refers to how a business incorporates its core values and brand identity into its messaging and delivers “on brand” marketing materials across all channels and touchpoints.

Why is brand consistency important?

The biggest benefit of brand consistency is brand recognition. This allows an organisation to foster a strong association between its core messages and visual identity and set itself apart from the competition. Other advantages of brand consistency include:

• More control over brand perception
• Greater trust and brand loyalty

What should you do before launching a corporate social media account?

Define your brand and its goals

Use simple, concise language to work out what it is you want to achieve. If your brand has nicknames or variations, use the same one across all social platforms. It takes nine visits on average for someone to make a purchase – make sure it's the same name on each visit!

Know your target audience

Knowing your target audience is crucial for creating social media content that generates followers. Use a profile of your target audience to inform colour choice, tone and which platforms you use.

Perform a social media audit

If you already have social media, assess your previous content, engagement and what is and isn't working. Take these learnings to create content that performs better, optimising for when and how often you post.

Decide which platforms to focus on

If you're just starting out, choose which social media platforms you want to focus on. Don't spread yourself too thin. It's far better to have one account that aces its brand elements than three half-hearted ones.

How to build a consistent corporate brand on social media

It's worth emphasising that building a consistent brand is a process. You won't see drastic engagement or sales growth overnight. But it's worth the wait...

Much of brand consistency can be split into two basic categories: imagery and written content.

Imagery

This is arguably the most important aspect of your branding. This is because humans are highly visual and our brains are better at retaining visual information. The following tips are relevant for profile pictures, header images, event pages, social media posts, graphics and adverts, as well as your website, email marketing and blog.

Colour palette

Use a consistent colour palette across your images, graphics and videos so users  recognise your brand when they scroll past your content. Colour reflects emotion and purpose, so think carefully about how you want users to feel when they see your posts.

Photographs

Take your own photographs rather than using stock imagery. This will help you maintain a consistent style.

Watermarks

Use a watermark or logo on any images you publish to prevent other people from repurposing your content and diluting your brand identity.

Written content

Maintaining a consistent brand voice is essential on social media. To do this, consider your existing customers and the customer personas you wish to target. Are they professional, young, female, or all three? This will greatly impact the language and tone of your brand messaging.

If your social channels are managed by more than one person, it's worth creating a brand guideline. Anyone who speaks on behalf of the brand can then refer to it and use the same language and tone of voice. Include your brand persona, personality traits, specific vocabulary (such as if you use the word client or customer), and any company phrases. You should also define:

• Tone - Is it familiar, direct or humble?
• Language - Is it colloquial, complex or niche?
• Purpose - Is it your brand's goal to sell, educate or entertain?

Content Repurposing

If you have more than one social media channel, an effective way to successfully build brand awareness across your socials is to repurpose content. As each platform is built differently, and each platform's audience differs, the way people engage with content will also differ. You therefore need to align your content and profiles with each platform's best practices.

In essence, this means taking snippets of content, rewriting the same information, or marginally altering an image or graphics so users recognise your brand. For example, if you create an extended IGTV video, you can combine snippets into a shorter video for TikTok, or create a slideshow for Facebook or Twitter accompanied by relevant text. See our Northumbria University campaign below.