Google has announced that the rollout of Google September 2023 Helpful Content Update is expected to take two weeks to complete.
This is the first content system since December 2022 Helpful Content Update.
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The Official Announcement On Google September 2023 Helpful Content Update
Google officially confirmed the Google September 2023 Helpful Content Update on its twitter handle as well as on Google Search Status Dashboard.
The September 2023 helpful content update is rolling out with an improved classifier. It will take about two weeks to complete. We’ll update our ranking release history page when the rollout is complete: https://t.co/hgjEkfpbA2
— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) September 14, 2023
Quick Facts on September 2023 Google Helpful Content Update
- Title: Google’s September 2023 Content Enhancement Update
- Release Date: September 14th, 4:20 pm Eastern Time
- Rollout Duration: It will take about two weeks to fully roll out.
- Global Update: It will impact all languages and region, not just English language.
- Promotes: This update boosts the visibility of helpful content and will soon downgrade unhelpful content.
- Targets: It looks at content that was created to rank well in search over help humans.
- Site-Wide Impact: It’s important to note that this is a site-wide algorithm update, meaning the entire website’s performance may be influenced by it.
- Core Update: It is important to note that this is not classified as a core update.
What is The September 2023 Helpful Content Update All About?
1. Easing the Restrictions on Automatically Generated Content
2. Allowing the Hosting of Third-Party Content on Subdomains (or on the Main Domain)
3. Avoid Changing Dates Without Making Actual Content Updates
4. Keep Producing Helpful, People-Focused Content
Easing the Restrictions on Automatically Generated Content
Google used to say that it prefers content made by people over content generated by AI in its Helpful Content system update.
They removed that part of the advice, which shows that Google is changing how it views AI content to make it match with other conflicting guidance about AI content.
The Original Guidance:
“Google Search’s helpful content system generates a signal used by our automated ranking systems to better ensure people see original, helpful content written by people, for people, in search results.”
The New Guidance:
“Google Search’s helpful content system generates a signal used by our automated ranking systems to better ensure people see original, helpful content created for people in search results.”
Allowing the Hosting of Third-Party Content on Subdomains (or on the Main Domain)
Google has included a new paragraph in their helpful content guidelines concerning the hosting of third-party content on your website or its subdomains.
However, Google’s latest update introduces a challenge to this approach.
The update implies that:
- If you host third party content or syndicated content on your site or subdomain just for ranking purposes then this content system would strike it.
- If you have rented out your subdomain to anyother website just for ranking purposes then this content system would strike it.
The Guideline:
If you host third-party content on your main site or in your subdomains, understand that such content may be included in site-wide signals we generate, such as the helpfulness of content.
For this reason, if that content is largely independent of the main site’s purpose or produced without close supervision or the involvement of the primary site, we recommend that it should be blocked from being indexed by Google.
The ADVICE:
- Either remove such pages from websites or subdomains which is unhelpful.
- Or you can no-index all such pages, which is unhelpful.
- In this way the Google September 2023 Helpful Content Update would not affect you.
The Bonus:
As this is a site-wide ranking signal, so if Google detects your website has 500 helpful content pages and 500 unhelpful content pages, then ranking for both of them will be dropped.
So, check all your pages content and start updating.
Updated Helpful Content Self-Assessment Guidance
Google has made changes to Google’s Helpful Content Self Assessment guidance, Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content.
In Summary
The Google September 2023 Helpful Content Update signifies another milestone in Google’s continuous commitment to enhance the quality and relevance of search results.
Website owners and SEO experts need to adjust to these modifications to optimize their search rankings efficiently.
When is the update supposed to be completed?
It started on September 15, should we expect it to be completed by September 30t?
Yes, the update finished rolling out itself on 28th of september.
For more information read https://digiaaj.com/september-2023-helpful-content-update-rolled-out/ our blog.