Reassessing Content For 2021

After a very quiet year for Google updates (the last being May 4^th) We’d noticed a lot of fluctuation through November, and it’s now been announced that Google have applied some core changes to how they rank web content, particularly with how they view content. 

Whilst the exact notes aren’t out there for the general public to read (that’d be too easy), these updates revolve around 4 pillars, and they relate to every single piece of content on the web.  These pillars are: Quality, Expertise, Presentation and Comparison.  For a full breakdown on what that involves, click here.  Otherwise, these are the key points:

Quality

• Is it original information, reporting, research or analysis?
• Is it comprehensive?
• Does the title provide a helpful summary of the content?
• Would you bookmark this page or share with a friend?

Expertise

• Do you trust the content?
• Do you trust the website the content is on?
• Would you feel comfortable trusting this content with issues relating to your life? (Check the link… that’s a serious point)

Presentation

• Is the content free from spelling mistakes?
• Is the content well produced, or does it appear sloppy/rushed?
• Is the content mass produced?  This relates to all press releases or influencer projects.  If we have lots of people saying the same thing, it can appear spammy. Perhaps we can break releases up into different groups based on media tier or focus area?  Equally with influencers, if we have 3 client messages, I’d suggest breaking your influencers into three groups and focusing on one key message each, then delay publication dates so it doesn’t all appear at once.
• Does content display well on mobile?  I can’t stress how important this is.  Over half your audience will be on mobile devices.  For many of the websites we work on, we’ll see up to three quarters of the visitors on mobile devices.

Comparison

• Basically, is it better than everything else out there.  It’s not always possible for day to day pieces of content, but for your Superbowl/Hollywood pieces of content, it’s worth bearing in mind the 10x principle.  

Whilst it has gone under the radar, this update is a pretty big one.  A lot of websites have lost rankings (read the comments under this Tweet), and in turn, clicks and revenue.  

Everything we publish online from whitepapers, to rich media content (video, audio, imagery) or even the simplest of blogs contributes to the way Google ranks websites.  Whether it’s through press, influencer, our website, client’s social media.  It is all in the pot, and all contributes to the end goal of making websites and brands more visible to the end customer.

By staying ahead of the curve, and working within the guidelines of the 4 pillars, our team is able to produce content that drives impact across leads and revenue.  If you want to know what impact this update has had on your business, let our Digital team know.