Last month, bloggers and website owners across the internet were freaking out about drops in website traffic and rankings on Google. This is because Google just updated their algorithm with the Helpful Content Update. Blogs and affiliate sites have been impacted the most, including food and lifestyle niches.
First of all, don’t fret if you have been impacted by this update. If you see your rankings plummet or change after an algorithm update, it’s easy to obsess over the numbers. However, wait until the storm has calmed a bit before truly evaluating the aftermath. Sometimes, the rankings will readjust. This is especially true if you’ve always focused on creating quality content and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). And if that hasn’t been your focus? Well, then it’s time to re-strategize how you produce and publish content!
I’ve been in content marketing for a long time. This is what I know to be 100% true: the goal of the algorithm always focuses on the user. That’s why Google calls it the HELPFUL content update. So, focusing on quality content and user intent is the key to any content strategy, whether today or 100 years from now.
So, when it comes to creating content, here’s some advice…
- Write content that is relevant and useful for your customers.
- Refresh old content so that it is up to date with the times.
- Remove unhelpful or irrelevant content from your site (and redirect where needed).
- Do NOT fluff up content to meet a word count – if your content seems sparse, brainstorm ways to make the content more helpful and relevant.
- Build your credibility through guest posting or high-quality backlinks.
Another significant way to help your website’s ranking is by improving the overall user experience of your site. The easier your website is to navigate, the better the experience your customers have trying to reach and buy from you. Every website has different needs and goals, so there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution on how to improve your website. This is why some of the first questions we address in our website audits include:
- Is it clear what this business offers?
- Does the heading hierarchy make sense?
- Is there a clear call to action, or are there too many options for action?
- Do all the links or submission forms work?
- What are the next steps if a customer wants to opt-in for your service?
- Is your website mobile-responsive?
- Are there enough website pages to make your website worth ranking?
I encourage you to set aside some time this month to go through your website and ask yourself these questions. Consider enlisting the help of a friend or family member to conduct a quick audit of your website as well. If you’re not sure who to ask, don’t have the time to audit your website yourself, or feel stuck with what to do next, let us do some of the heavy lifting for you. Our team will audit your website for you so you can get a clear picture of what is working, what’s not, and how to improve it. We will provide an auditing report where we identify the areas we think need improvement and explain why, what we recommend next, and the impact those recommendations can have on your site. Book your website audit today!