As a search engine, Google places a premium on user experience more than anything else. With its March 2024 Algorithm update, it has once again demonstrated the same. The core focus of this update is penalizing low-quality content and manipulative practices.
In fact, 827 websites have been wiped out or deindexed from Google Search Index. The reason – they failed to deliver helpful content and seemed AI-generated.
Their under-reliance on content writing services experts have led to massive erosion of rankings and credibility. Over-reliance on AI chatbots to generate shallow content without the human touch has proved to be bad for their online business. Those who continue this practice will lose customers to higher-ranked competitors who have climbed up with the help of valuable and elaborate content crafted by human content writers.
Now, the question is, “Have you noticed a dip in your website’s ranking?” If yes, your website has taken a blow from this update, too. But don’t worry; you aren’t alone!
The ripple effect of this new update is visible across the internet. It is only wise that you adjust your SEO strategies sooner to remain under these new conditions. This blog takes a look at some actionable content writing strategies in this context.
But first, let us understand what this new update is all about, its implications and more below.
Google March 2024 Algorithm Core Update – The Basics
Since its inception, Google has been rolling out algorithm updates every now and then. So, this one should not come as a surprise. However, this new change extensively emphasizes improving content by targeting three very specific spam types (which we will dive into in a few seconds).
Compared to earlier updates, this one enables search engines to employ multiple systems and signals to differentiate the quality of information. These changes mainly affect individual pages and, to a certain extent, the entire website.
The aim behind these efforts is to make sure content creators and businesses producing helpful content succeed, while those relying on spam to secure rankings face a massive setback.
A Dive into the Spam Policies
Now that we understand the need for this algorithm update, let’s take an in-depth look at the three spam policies introduced –
a- Expired domain abuse
This policy is one of the major focuses of the new update. The thing is that many savvy marketers, who don’t necessarily follow ethical practices, purchase domains that once did exceptionally well both traffic and reputation-wise on the internet.
This means that instead of creating a new legacy for a domain, they are exploiting its already established credibility. The aim here is to enhance the search ranking using irrelevant, low-quality content. This is nothing but a manipulative strategy that sabotages the trust both search engines and users have in the domain histories.
So next time you face an issue with domain availability or are keen on purchasing an expired one, it is time you rethink your decision!
b- Scaled content abuse due to AI instead of human content writing services
The next emphasis of this algorithm update is on scaled content abuse.
Recently, many website owners published massive amounts of content on their websites. While this can be a positive thing, the route taken to generate these contents is the problem here. Marketers have used AI tools for article/blog generation, scraped content from other sites, and even quickly put together existing pieces. The only goal here was to manipulate the search results instead of offering value to the users.
While it may seem tempting to boost content volume and eventually the rankings using manipulative tactics, it will only pull you down here afterwards. Instead, stick to creating valuable, meaningful and well-research content. Such blogs and articles are a forte of content writing services experts. They can deliver content that your readers can resonate with and act upon!
c- Site reputation abuse
The last yet crucial aspect of this new update is site reputation abuse. The idea is to prevent websites from hosting third-part content that has no similarity with its actual mission.
For instance, if your website focuses on a trusted health and wellness blog, publishing content about cryptocurrency investments makes zero sense. If you are doing so, it only means that you are capturing trending search terms instead of offering genuine insights to your audience. In turn, your regular readers will feel alienated. Also, the credibility you worked hard to obtain will erode in a matter of time.
As per new guidelines, such a manipulative content practice just for boosting search rankings will be considered spam.
The Core Update’s Impact on Content Writing
Although the algorithm update was rolled out in March, its impact is now quite visible in the form of –
a- Mass Deindexing of Sites with Low Quality Content
A significant impact of this new algorithm change was the mass deindexing of the sites. This means, Google took the liberty of getting rid of the pages in question from the search engines entirely. The main target here were the websites that violate the spam guidelines or have low-quality content. These included sites with too much AI-generated content.
This action highlights Google’s dedication to maintaining the integrity of search results by ensuring it delivers only relevant and reliable information.
b- Traffic and Revenue Loss
Once a website is deindexed, it will naturally witness a huge drop in traffic directed to it. With this reduction comes lower ad revenue and limited conversion rates.
Also, websites with flagged low-quality or spammy content, though not entirely deindexed, have also experienced traffic drops. This clearly shows Google’s tougher content standards. This intense scrutiny calls for immediate collaboration with content writing services experts. They will help get your search rankings back on track to the top spots.
c- Shifts in Affiliate Marketing
This update is now having a strict impact on sites that promote affiliate marketing, too.
For instance, if your website only does affiliate marketing without adding significant value to the user experience, then you may notice a drop in traffic, too. This clearly says that Google is no longer in favor of affiliate links. It wants the content around the links to make sense and offer value to the end users.
How to Optimize Content to Benefit from the Core Update?
Of course, the new algorithm update brings huge challenges; there are various proven ways of safeguarding your site from being deindexed. Let us take a look at them below –
a- Review Your Existing Content
Your website may feature AI-generated content or outdated content. Instead of deleting time, leverage content writing services and spend time reviewing them based on the series of questions that Google has.
You can rework every piece to ensure they provide unique insights and genuine value to the readers. And keep in mind these qualifications are crucial for content generated by humans, too. Information can get outdated, but reworking it can allow you to refresh a piece that seems thin, poorly structured or outdated.
b- Prioritize E-E-A-T with the Help of Content Writing Services Experts
Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness signals are indispensable. In fact, it should be your priority when creating new or updating existing content on your site.
To ensure your content is well-accepted by the search engines, you should –
- Focus on creating extensive and well-researched content. A content writing services expert can help here.
- Aim to create thorough yet concise pieces – ideally between the range of 1200 and 1500 words. In this range, you can cover your topics in-depth without using any fillers in them.
Prioritizing E-E-A-T can help you build your brand’s credibility. It will also strengthen your SEO efforts by showcasing your expertise on the subject matter.
c- Focus on Superior Quality, Not Quantity
If you have been using AI for content creation just to add more and more content to your website, it is time you stop this practice immediately. The temptation to publish large volumes of content on the website will come at the expense of quality. And from the beginning of this blog, we have read that Google doesn’t favour low-quality.
Instead, stick to creating in-depth content that is well-researched and expertly written. The idea is to create pieces that benefit your readers and not manipulate your search rankings. For this, you can hire a content writing company for winning new business online.
d- Stick to Ethical SEO Practices
We all want our websites to be visible on the first page of the search engines, but at what cost? It is important to note that Google has been against black hat techniques for a very long time. Hence, it is time to embrace ethical SEO practices that align perfectly with Google’s guidelines.
Here is what you can avoid and do –
- Avoid buying links. Instead, create quality content that naturally earns you links and shares.
- Avoid shortcuts that guarantee quick results. In fact, such practices can damage your website’s long-term viability. Instead, maintain patience. Remember, SEO doesn’t work overnight. It takes time and helps earn excellent returns with consistency.
e- Let Content Writing Services Experts do Regular Site Audits
As mentioned earlier, information can get outdated. Perhaps things elaborated on your existing content may make little to no sense down the line. This is one of the reasons why it is important to revisit pieces every now and then. You can use a content expert for this purpose. The idea is to conduct thorough site and content audits to determine what is working and what isn’t. And based on your/their reports, you can make relevant changes or create new content from scratch.
Regular site audits and updates are key to sustaining your brand authority in the market. It can help you keep your site in the good books of the search engines.
Ending note
If you have been hit by the Google Core Update, it is time to move from AI back to a human writer – Textuar
One thing is very clear from the update, don’t rely heavily on AI. Of course, using AI for content production might eliminate the cost of hiring humans. But it will eventually cost you in terms of quality, and you may run the risk of your site being deindexed. Instead, stick to the strategies suggested above with the help of content writing services experts.
Also, if possible, hire a capable content writing agency to maintain a flow of quality content on your website. Besides, hiring an agency instead of building an in-house content writing team is a budget-friendly choice!
If you have been hit by the Google Core Update, it is time to move from AI back to human writers. Call us at Textuar for content that has the human touch fused to compelling content.
