The September Helpful Content Update from Google involves changes and updates to their documentation related to the Helpful Content System. Here’s a breakdown of the key changes:
- Loosening Guidance on Machine Generated Content:
- Google’s previous guidance emphasized that the Helpful Content System prioritizes content created by humans over machine-generated content.
- The updated documentation indicates a change in Google’s stance towards AI-generated content, aligning it better with other guidance on AI content.
- The original guidance implied that the system aimed to ensure people see original, helpful content written by humans in search results.
- The updated guidance suggests that the system aims to ensure people see original, helpful content created for people in search results. This change removes the specific emphasis on content written by humans and opens up possibilities for AI-generated content to be considered “helpful.”
- Hosting Third-Party Content on Subdomains (or on Main Domain):
- The update to the documentation likely includes guidance or clarifications on hosting third-party content, either on subdomains or on the main domain of a website.
- This could relate to issues such as how Google’s algorithms treat content from different sources, how it impacts SEO, and how to maintain the quality and helpfulness of such content while hosting it on your website.
- Offering Additional Guidance on Dealing with Traffic Loss from a Helpful Content Update:
- Google is likely providing website owners and publishers with more guidance on what to do if their site experiences a decline in traffic as a result of a Helpful Content update.
- This guidance may include recommendations on how to improve the quality and helpfulness of content, make necessary changes to align with Google’s ranking algorithms, or address any issues that may have caused the traffic drop.
Overall, the update appears to reflect Google’s evolving approach to AI-generated content and its efforts to ensure that helpful and relevant content is featured prominently in search results, whether it is generated by humans or AI systems. Website owners and SEO professionals should review the updated documentation to understand how these changes may impact their strategies and content creation efforts.
