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Google recently announced that it would be tackling “low-quality” content in new ways. This has two major implications for your business. First, it should change the search experience for the user, sending readers to more helpful and higher quality sites. Second, more importantly, it’s a message to businesses that try to game the system. Google isn’t going to stand for spammy, low-quality content. Here are three new ways in which Google is changing search to offer a better experience for its users.
Scaled content abuse
Sites that produce hundreds, if not thousands, of low-quality articles each day designed to manipulate search results will be downranked. Google is changing its policies to target these sites, especially if artificial intelligence is involved. That’s not to say that AI can’t be used as part of content creation, but when AI is used to create low-quality content that doesn’t deliver helpful information, it won’t get high rankings.
Site reputation abuse
Site reputation abuse is a problem when a respectable site hosts low-quality content from a third-party that hopes to capitalize on the host’s site’s reputation. Google uses the example of an educational website hosting payday loan reviews. The payday loan sites are hoping to get ranking benefits from the educational site, but it’s misleading to users who visit the site. Site owners have until May 5 to make changes to their websites if they support this type of content.
Expired domain abuse
This type of spammy behavior occurs when a high-ranking domain gets abandoned. Another person buys the site, repurposing its content with low-quality or unoriginal content that jumps to the top in search because of its past reputation. This type of abuse will also be downranked by Google because it is considered spam.
Don’t give up your website
Google knows it has a problem with spammers who want to manipulate search. Although Google is a leader in AI, its own search engine runs off AI, it may always be one step behind spammers who keep trying to game the system. Google keeps tweaking its algorithm to find the best content on the web.
Businesses that want to stay ahead of Google’s changes should focus on people and high-quality content with experience, expertise, authority, and trust.
