Seriously, Reader, I'm not asking for me—I'm asking for Google:
Is your content helpful?
You see, Google—despite being a massive algorithm—actually cares whether or not you're providing helpful, useful information to actual humans. In fact, they've recently said that they want to see more content "for people, by people" in search engine results.
I see this as a massive opportunity for compassionate, ethical businesses and thought leaders. We naturally want to help, provide people with useful information, and share knowledge that will make an impact. Now, Google says, "Hey, that's actually a great thing!" and will reward you. In theory.
My worry about this change is twofold:
However, I'm incredibly excited about a few knock on effects I predict will make a big difference in the search engine over time:
Basically, the helpful content update is a great change that I'm excited to keep an eye on in the coming year.
I envision that people who are strategic and who center their audience in their content benefitting the most, and content spam (my term for AI nonsense) finally getting penalized in the search engine. Sounds pretty great, right?
So, if you're not focused on helpful content now, it'll be even more important in 2023 and beyond.
Warmly,
Sarah
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