Content is King in Google’s March 2024 Core Update

If you’re reeling from Google’s March 2024 Core update, you’re not alone. Effects have been widespread, and the update continues to make waves. 

In its biggest update since Panda (2011) and Penguin (2012), Google unleashed its Core Algorithm Update on 5th March 2024, aimed at prioritising Helpful Content. The update has seen a major crackdown on AI-generated spam and low-quality content produced purely for backlinks or to match specific search queries. 

And it did not waste time, with the impact felt almost instantly. Left, right, and centre, many sites have seen a huge drop in rankings, and some sites have even been de-indexed, disappearing from Google’s search pages.

The update took 15 days to complete, with the roll-out ‘complete as of 20th March 2024.’ But already, it’s turned SEO on its head, with website owners scrambling to keep up.

At Kia Ora Digital, we’ve been helping customers to restore their lost rankings. Here are a few things to keep in mind to preserve your ranking and avoid being penalised:

Quality, Helpful Content

Google is prioritising original, useful content and positive user experiences. As a result, content that is deemed useless, repetitive, unoriginal or full of errors will be penalised as Google has deemed it untrustworthy. 

As part of the clean-up, the search engine aims to reduce low-quality content by 40%. In line with its E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), articles that demonstrate experience with valuable insights will gravitate to the top of search rankings. 

So what is Helpful Content?

Google launched its Helpful Content update back in mid-2022, prioritising informative, engaging content that offers value and is useful to readers. 

Helpful Content has now been fully integrated into the March 2024 update, signaling Google’s ongoing commitment to prioritsing quality content over content generated purely for ranking purposes.

The Importance of Original Content

Google also penalises plagiarised or duplicate content that has been copied from other sites. It’s important to have original, authentic content written from scratch that’s specific to your brand. This will set you apart from the rest.

So what do you want to say to your audience? There is no point in saying the same thing as everyone else, as it will get lost in the noise. Carve yourself a niche and create your point of difference by developing your unique voice and brand strategy. 

By spending this time, you are setting your brand up for greater success. You will build a more authentic, meaningful connection with your clients, contributing to a deep, ongoing relationship into the future. Your customers will seek you out and keep coming back. 

Anti-Spam Policies

Google’s SpamBrain AI system is introducing stricter measures to cut down on spam content written purely for search engines. 

This targets the overuse of automation to produce content, while also penalising attempts to manipulate search engines through the abuse of expired domains and site reputation (known as parasite SEO). Sites found to be doing these things will be removed from search results and indexes.

Backlinks

There is also a renewed emphasis on high-quality backlinks, and a crackdown on content that has been created purely for link manipulation purposes.

Google’s SpamBrain system is also used to monitor backlinks bought or generated on spam-ridden websites. Some businesses acquire expired domains and publish low-quality content to these domains to increase backlinks and ad revenue. As such, Google has buckled down on the way it evaluates link signals, and is set to penalise websites not operating in an ethical way.

Here at Kia Ora Digital, we are transparent about the way we build links for your website. We don’t take shortcuts, and we’re committed to comprehensive strategies. Talk to our team today.

Key Takeaways

The lesson is clear: quality content written for users rather than search engines will always perform well. The better your content is, the more time customers will spend on your site, and they’ll be more likely to engage with your brand. 

Good writing builds trust with your customers and also positions you as a thought leader or voice of authority within your industry. 

Here at Kia Ora Digital, we have an experienced team of content writers who specialise in preparing engaging, informative content for your clients. Find out about how we prepare your content for SEO success.Google is set to release further spam updates, so expect further changes. Now’s the time to ensure your site is compliant with Google’s new spam policy. Ask us about our SEO penalty recovery services today.