Google has released another update to its helpful content system. The update was released on September 14, 2023, and should take about two weeks to complete. Google mentioned that this update will improve the classifier system it uses to determine the usefulness of content.
Google’s Official Announcement
Google announced the update in a post published on X (formerly Twitter).
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
What This Update Is About?
Google removed references to “content written by people” from the documentation of its helpful content update system. The updated article only mentions “content created for people.”
This indicates that Google will now rank AI-written content insofar as it is useful for people. However, Google’s helpful content guideline was also updated to indicate that Google expects the AI-written content to be reviewed by an expert or enthusiast in the subject matter.
As part of this update, Google will also crack down on third-party content hosted on the subdomain or directory of other websites, along with websites that change dates or engage in other tricks intended to make Google think their content is fresher than it is.
What Are People Saying?
Barry Schwartz replied to Google’s post, hinting that this update may favor AI-written posts, so far they are helpful to people.
Also, Google's helpful content update removed the "written by people" part from its documentation – hello AI https://t.co/8vH2drNdaH pic.twitter.com/u5Po8nYB3R
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) September 14, 2023
In a separate post, Glenn Gabe acknowledged the changes in Google’s documentation and added that this update may also target sites that rent their subdomains and directories out to smaller sites.
Great rundown from Barry. Several key changes in the docs, Google targeting "renting" of subdomains/directories, "written by people" revised for AI, a mention of "changing dates make content seem fresh", and more. I think we'll see movement starting this weekend. Stay tuned. https://t.co/yKpUFzCYGc
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) September 15, 2023
Lily Ray also shared her insights into the Helpful Content update. She noted that online tool sites were the most affected. These sites often have too many ads, which, in most cases, destroys the experience for the visitor.
I've started digging in to the Helpful Content Update.
Some findings so far (🧵)
The most heavily impacted category appears to be online tools like calculators, converters, alarms, etc.
While most "tool" sites exist to make money off ads, some have much better UX than others. pic.twitter.com/eWtl1d8EhC
— Lily Ray 😏 (@lilyraynyc) September 23, 2023
What’s Next – Dealing With This Update
We have not seen movements in search rankings yet, probably because the update is still in its early stages. But we expect to see sites gain or lose rankings over the next few days.
In the meantime, you should use Rank Math Analytics to monitor your site over the next two weeks. If you suspect you are affected by the update, watch the below video for tips on recovering from a Google update.
