Yesterday, I stumbled on a Reddit thread where an SEO enthusiast expressed fury at Google’s increased scrutiny of search rankings. The Redditor’s complaint is specific about HCU’s penalty on his website. A few comments in the thread opine that SEO no longer cuts it for content marketing, and this bothers me. Have you also contemplated SEO in your marketing efforts? Many websites are getting hit by the Helpful Content Update, but how about we study what the few spared (even low-domain authority) websites that aren’t hit are doing? Google processes over 3.5 billion daily searches, and they still need your brand to address the queries in your industry. Even one of your many blog posts today can still attract tens of thousands of daily visits, but how we do SEO content strategy has changed. We need to evolve with it. Many sites that have ranked well on Google’s SERPs are now truly gone. I’m talking about drops in organic traffic of 95% or more. However, I’d like to show why SEO is not yet dead, and what winning brands are doing to stay ahead of the curve. Background of the Fuss Behind SEO's Possible Extinction In August 2022, Google released an algorithm update called the “Helpful Content Update.” The update introduced a site-wide ranking signal that impacts every website's visibility in Google’s search results. The signal’s classifier continuously monitors new and existing content; if unhelpful content persists, the classifier flags it for penalty, but can still revive it if the website updates to people-first content. Various complaints on forums and social media attest to this effect, but the shift doesn’t reflect that SEO no longer works. Take a look at what to do to improve your SEO strategy: Consistently Publish People-First Content That Practically Solves Problems Google wants to ensure you and/or your writer(s) are authorities in your industry. So, before publishing your next or first article, your content strategy and funnels should have a roadmap or a content calendar to consistently publish resourceful pieces. Only publish posts that demonstrate an understanding of potential readers and why they crave the topic’s solutions. Plan out how internal links for each article will be used during this content planning stage. When the time to write comes, the anchor texts should be relevant to the links, and the links should direct readers to another relevant and helpful page. Plan for providing a high-quality content brief that guides what to do with every content topic. Before drafting any planned topic, you or the writer should re-invest time to research: Who you write for: Create a persona of your ideal target audience, considering demographics like age, gender, geographic location, and experience level—whether you're writing for beginners or experts on a particular topic. The specific topic problem: Determine the level of detail necessary to address their issues effectively. Avoid merely summarizing others' viewpoints, using extensive automation, or producing a high volume of content on varied topics. Case study: If you run an eCommerce store that sells affordable dog toys, you can plan to write supplemental content about DIY toy tips they can improvise with to save money. In this case, a common pain point for your audience could be a popular but expensive dog toy. Word Count and Search Volume Shouldn’t Be a Core Content Strategy Focus During customer research, leverage topic and keyword research tools like SEMrush and BuzzSumo to help design your content roadmap and calendar. A good example of an effective content strategy to focus on is the cluster content approach through different content funnels. After publishing, you want to distribute your content on various platforms to drive social signals, build your brand, and drive more exposure. This exposure usually leads to more brand mentions for you and potential juicy backlinks. Back in the years, you could tag keywords strategically and rank well, but such an approach is no longer effective. Instead of focusing on word count, let your topic research substance dictate the length of your content. You can still tag keywords strategically, but they shouldn’t go beyond a few appearances in the article. Tag the title, URL, intro, images, videos, URL, and a few subheaders. Sometimes, a concise 500-word article addresses a topic better than a 2000-word piece filled with fluff. Prioritize delivering real value and addressing your audience's needs over hitting arbitrary word counts or keyword quotas. Demonstrate First-Hand Experience and Knowledge Depth Drawing from personal experiences or specific examples builds trust before Google and demonstrates your deep understanding of the topic. For instance, if you're writing about SEO strategies, you want to share stories about your experience lessons or a colleague’s. Readers will relate to your story’s unique angle and appreciate, knowing that the advice comes from a fellow who has navigated the same challenges. You can hire specialist writers who have experienced the challenge or who can interview industry leaders who have overcome the topic’s problem. Make Sure Your Site Has a Primary Purpose Your website should demonstrate a clear and focused brand purpose guiding all your content creation efforts. Whether to educate, sell, entertain, or inform, having a primary goal helps signal consistency to the algorithm. For example, if your site is dedicated to helping small businesses grow, all your content should tell relevant and unique success stories of brands that successfully navigated various growth approaches. Keep Content Up to Date Staying current maintains your site’s credibility and relevance signal. Regularly review and update your content to reflect the latest information and trends. Outdated content can mislead readers and hurt your brand reputation before search engines and even before target readers. Summary Google once revealed in a blog post: There are trillions of searches on Google every year. In fact, 15 percent of searches we see every day are new — which means there's always more work for us to do to present people with the best answers to their queries from a wide variety of legitimate sources. While our search results will never be perfect, we're as committed as always to preserving your trust and to ensuring our products continue to be useful for everyone. Thousands are out searching for your brand offer. If your website has been hit or you're bothered about a possible hit from HCU, review your content strategy, follow these tips above, and watch your safety and/or recovery guaranteed. Yesterday, I stumbled on a Reddit thread where an SEO enthusiast expressed fury at Google’s increased scrutiny of search rankings. The Redditor’s complaint is specific about HCU’s penalty on his website. A few comments in the thread opine that SEO no longer cuts it for content marketing, and this bothers me. a Reddit thread a Reddit thread Have you also contemplated SEO in your marketing efforts? Many websites are getting hit by the Helpful Content Update, but how about we study what the few spared (even low-domain authority) websites that aren’t hit are doing? Google processes over 3.5 billion daily searches , and they still need your brand to address the queries in your industry. Even one of your many blog posts today can still attract tens of thousands of daily visits, but how we do SEO content strategy has changed. We need to evolve with it. over 3.5 billion daily searches over 3.5 billion daily searches today Many sites that have ranked well on Google’s SERPs are now truly gone. I’m talking about drops in organic traffic of 95% or more. However, I’d like to show why SEO is not yet dead, and what winning brands are doing to stay ahead of the curve. Background of the Fuss Behind SEO's Possible Extinction Background of the Fuss Behind SEO's Possible Extinction In August 2022, Google released an algorithm update called the “Helpful Content Update.” The update introduced a site-wide ranking signal that impacts every website's visibility in Google’s search results. The signal’s classifier continuously monitors new and existing content; if unhelpful content persists, the classifier flags it for penalty, but can still revive it if the website updates to people-first content. Google released an algorithm update Google released an algorithm update can still revive it if the website updates can still revive it if the website updates Various complaints on forums and social media attest to this effect, but the shift doesn’t reflect that SEO no longer works. Take a look at what to do to improve your SEO strategy: Consistently Publish People-First Content That Practically Solves Problems Consistently Publish People-First Content That Practically Solves Problems Google wants to ensure you and/or your writer(s) are authorities in your industry. So, before publishing your next or first article, your content strategy and funnels should have a roadmap or a content calendar to consistently publish resourceful pieces. Only publish posts that demonstrate an understanding of potential readers and why they crave the topic’s solutions. Plan out how internal links for each article will be used during this content planning stage. When the time to write comes, the anchor texts should be relevant to the links, and the links should direct readers to another relevant and helpful page. Plan for providing a high-quality content brief that guides what to do with every content topic. a high-quality content brief Before drafting any planned topic, you or the writer should re-invest time to research: Who you write for: Create a persona of your ideal target audience, considering demographics like age, gender, geographic location, and experience level—whether you're writing for beginners or experts on a particular topic. Who you write for : Create a persona of your ideal target audience , considering demographics like age, gender, geographic location, and experience level—whether you're writing for beginners or experts on a particular topic. Who you write for your ideal target audience The specific topic problem: Determine the level of detail necessary to address their issues effectively. The specific topic problem : Determine the level of detail necessary to address their issues effectively. The specific topic problem Avoid merely summarizing others' viewpoints, using extensive automation, or producing a high volume of content on varied topics. Case study: If you run an eCommerce store that sells affordable dog toys, you can plan to write supplemental content about DIY toy tips they can improvise with to save money. In this case, a common pain point for your audience could be a popular but expensive dog toy. Word Count and Search Volume Shouldn’t Be a Core Content Strategy Focus Word Count and Search Volume Shouldn’t Be a Core Content Strategy Focus During customer research, leverage topic and keyword research tools like SEMrush and BuzzSumo to help design your content roadmap and calendar. A good example of an effective content strategy to focus on is the cluster content approach through different content funnels. After publishing, you want to distribute your content on various platforms to drive social signals, build your brand, and drive more exposure. This exposure usually leads to more brand mentions for you and potential juicy backlinks. Back in the years, you could tag keywords strategically and rank well, but such an approach is no longer effective. Instead of focusing on word count, let your topic research substance dictate the length of your content. You can still tag keywords strategically, but they shouldn’t go beyond a few appearances in the article. Tag the title, URL, intro, images, videos, URL, and a few subheaders. Sometimes, a concise 500-word article addresses a topic better than a 2000-word piece filled with fluff. Prioritize delivering real value and addressing your audience's needs over hitting arbitrary word counts or keyword quotas. Demonstrate First-Hand Experience and Knowledge Depth Drawing from personal experiences or specific examples builds trust before Google and demonstrates your deep understanding of the topic. For instance, if you're writing about SEO strategies, you want to share stories about your experience lessons or a colleague’s. Readers will relate to your story’s unique angle and appreciate, knowing that the advice comes from a fellow who has navigated the same challenges. You can hire specialist writers who have experienced the challenge or who can interview industry leaders who have overcome the topic’s problem. Make Sure Your Site Has a Primary Purpose Your website should demonstrate a clear and focused brand purpose guiding all your content creation efforts. Whether to educate, sell, entertain, or inform, having a primary goal helps signal consistency to the algorithm. For example, if your site is dedicated to helping small businesses grow, all your content should tell relevant and unique success stories of brands that successfully navigated various growth approaches. Keep Content Up to Date Staying current maintains your site’s credibility and relevance signal. Regularly review and update your content to reflect the latest information and trends. Outdated content can mislead readers and hurt your brand reputation before search engines and even before target readers. Summary Google once revealed in a blog post : a blog post a blog post There are trillions of searches on Google every year. In fact, 15 percent of searches we see every day are new — which means there's always more work for us to do to present people with the best answers to their queries from a wide variety of legitimate sources. While our search results will never be perfect, we're as committed as always to preserving your trust and to ensuring our products continue to be useful for everyone. There are trillions of searches on Google every year. In fact, 15 percent of searches we see every day are new — which means there's always more work for us to do to present people with the best answers to their queries from a wide variety of legitimate sources. While our search results will never be perfect, we're as committed as always to preserving your trust and to ensuring our products continue to be useful for everyone. There are trillions of searches on Google every year. In fact, 15 percent of searches we see every day are new — which means there's always more work for us to do to present people with the best answers to their queries from a wide variety of legitimate sources. While our search results will never be perfect, we're as committed as always to preserving your trust and to ensuring our products continue to be useful for everyone. Thousands are out searching for your brand offer. If your website has been hit or you're bothered about a possible hit from HCU, review your content strategy, follow these tips above, and watch your safety and/or recovery guaranteed.

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

How Website Accessibility Affects Your Tech Brand’s Reputation and Success

Why SEO is Not Dying Sooner and How to Stay Ahead of The Curve

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