Before the Google Helpful Content Update, I was receiving millions of organic visits every month. However, after the update, my traffic plummeted to zero.The content that was not getting any traffic on Google is now ranking at the top of search results on Quora, Reddit, and LinkedIn when copied and posted as is. The same content is also ranking at the top on Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, and DuckDuckGo.
My Reddit post from a few months ago garnered over 100k views, while on Pinterest, I started getting 2k clicks within a month.
Despite this success on other platforms, Google claims that my content is not helpful and does not deserve any clicks or impressions. Do you believe that Google is completely correct in its assessment?
It’s impossible to say for sure whether Google is completely correct in its assessment without seeing your content.
Google’s Helpful Content Update aims to prioritize content that is genuinely helpful and informative for users. It is possible that your content, while successful on other platforms, may not meet Google’s standards for helpfulness.
Here are some factors to consider:
- Content Structure: Google prioritizes content that is well-structured and easy to read. Are you breaking your content into scannable chunks with clear subheadings that directly answer questions or continue the informational flow?
- Direct Answers and Experience: Google values content that provides direct answers to user queries and incorporates personal experience or expertise. Are you referencing your experience, using phrases like “In our experience” or “through 15 years of experience”?
- Schema and Credentials: Using schema markup and connecting your social profiles and credentials can help Google understand the authority and credibility of your content. Are you leveraging these features?
- Niche and Originality: If your niche is heavily statistical or you have heavily relied on AI tools like ChatGPT to generate your content, Google may be less likely to rank it highly.
Consider analyzing your competitors’ content that ranks well on Google and see what they are doing differently. By understanding the factors Google prioritizes, you can improve your content and potentially regain your organic traffic.