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A Guide to the newest Helpful Content Update from Google

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Helpful Content Update from Google 2022
Helpful Content Update 2022

There has been a lot of chaos around the recent “Helpful Content Update” from Google. Content marketers, content writers, and SEO teams are working hard to see the results of this update. As the algorithm comes to fruition, websites with content solely targeting the search engines will be penalized. There are chances that the website might be blocked forever.

Google works hard to provide helpful content and value to the reader. Today we will cover how this update works.

What is the update?

Google believes in content pieces that are helpful to the readers of the content. The recent Google update focuses on the content written by and for the people. It aims to ensure that the content pieces are original and helpful. 

But how to ensure that the content you produce is SEO optimized AND people-friendly? Let us take a look.

How to produce content that adheres to the newest Google HCU update?

When content writers produce content, they always include all the SEO keywords. Traditionally, using these keywords resulted in the desired website rank. But, with this update, the content pieces that offer a satisfactory experience will rank better. 

But if a content piece does not meet reader expectations will not be able to perform better on the Google search engine results. To ensure this, the content creators should create content with people in mind. 

The content should not be written with the sole purpose of optimizing for search engines alone but should also include content helping people out with their queries.

To provide the best content piece, you have to focus on two things:

  • Prioritize producing helpful content for the readers
  • Use SEO best practices to curate SEO-friendly content

Your content should be able to go through the following parameters to ensure that your website does not get punished:

  • A well and clearly defined target audience for the content you are publishing.
  • Ability to define first-hand experience and understanding of the product/service.
  • The content is in-depth and well-researched
  • A clear purpose of your website
  • Does your content piece provide enough information and understanding of the topic?
  • Will your reader be satisfied with the content you have written?
  • Does your content follow Google’s core updates and product review guidelines?

You have no reason to worry if your content goes through all these filters and still looks perfect.

Stop producing content that targets the Search engines

SEO practices should be implemented only after the content is focused on educating the reader. Firstly, as a writer, ensure that the content is human-first, not search engines. Secondly, optimize the content once the draft is ready. 

In general, the content piece that targets search engines primarily is very dissatisfying. Therefore, a piece of advice here is to avoid writing for search engines. Instead, analyze how your content piece can be a valuable piece of information. 

The following pointers help you understand what kind of content looks valuable to Google and your visitors:

  • The content piece provides valuable information to your audience. 
  • Don’t push out the content just for a rank. 
  • Avoid using automation tools to produce the content. 
  • Give in-depth research into the content you have to offer instead of putting out a summary.
  • Write about something that provides value to your audience and visitors.
  • Producing valuable content, so the users don’t have to look elsewhere to find what they are looking for.
  • Creating content that has a quality, not just word count. 
  • Addressing a niche with evident expertise without thinking about traffic. 
  • Answer a question that you know of without an official announcement about the topic. 

A word of caution

A website with unhelpful content published to attract web traffic using SEO practices has a high chance of penalization. There will be a lot of changes in the website ranks after the rollout. 

With the release implementation from next week, many websites will tumble off the results. Other websites may start ranking better. It all depends on what kind of content you produce and whether it is focused on people or search engines.

Want to know more about the Helpful Content Update or SEO in general? Reach out to us.

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UI Design: The 5 Essential Elements of Good Website Design

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What does UI Design have to do with sales and conversions? Short answer: Everything! Whenever users visit your website, they’re having an experience. This type of experience has a significant impact on their decision to continue interacting with your brand. Every aspect of your website needs to be carefully created with user interaction in mind.

If your users have a bad or jarring experience on your website, they are not going to return to it – let alone turn into customers. Any kind of frustration caused by poor design or complicated interfaces will damage your brand and in turn your bottom line.

Your website needs to be accessible, credible, valuable, and most importantly intuitive to use.

As per Ryan Singer, there are three main steps to design a good experience:

  1. Know what’s common to all people.
  2. Know what’s special about your users.
  3. Be empathetic to your users.

Designing a good website can be challenging and hard. Keep the following points in mind as you focus on your UI design.

Elements of Great UI Design

1. User Persona

The importance of focusing on your user first can not be overestimated. Visitors are going to decide in just a few minutes if your website is worthy of their time. Having attractive colors and a clean layout is not enough to convert your audience. Great UI design effectively communicates the personality of your brand and creates a good experience. It provides value to your target audience and builds loyalty. Keep your focus on the user’s needs during the design process. Don’t get sidetracked by shiny designs and trendy features.

2. Simplicity

Your UI design works best when your website visitors can figure out easily where they’re supposed to click to get what they want. The best page layouts and interfaces are frictionless to the user. They avoid unnecessary distractions and employ clarity in their messaging. When adding features or elements, be purposeful and consider whether it will enhance or diminish your visitor’s experience. Make sure to start with what’s absolutely essential and keep the interface clean and simple. Add and optimize your images, animations, and design elements so that they don’t slow the site down.

3. Consistency

Consistency is the key to a great user interface! Users will be more comfortable when you use common UI elements. Their eyes will get used to your website and they will be able to navigate your website and take actions seamlessly every time. Keep all your design elements consistent – be its page layout, navigation buttons, typography, color schemes, etc. Create patterns in layout, design, and messaging all across the site for efficiency.

4. Visual Hierarchy

Arranging elements in the order of importance is the crux of visual hierarchy. Consider which elements are important and structure them in a way to draw attention to the most important ones first. Play with fonts, size, color, images, white space, and style. Creating such a hierarchy will increase clarity and readability.

5. Navigation

Your website needs to have a clear path for the visitor to take. A clean navigation setup improves the possibility of the user finding the right information they need to complete the desired action. For long pages or one-page designs, you could include directional arrows to direct users through each section. Add a handy “Back to Top” button to take users to the top of the page.

Modern website and UI design are not restricted to aesthetics. A great user interface affects the audience’s perception of your brand, their behavior, and also influences your SEO and entire web presence.

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