In early March 2024, Google began rolling out the latest updates in its ongoing mission to provide searchers with the most useful information and not the self-serving clickbait created primarily to achieve higher search result rankings.
The updates focus on two main areas. Changes are being made to the core ranking systems to better distinguish and filter out unoriginal content. Spam policies are being improved in order to keep the lowest quality content out of Search.
For human content creators, the update is somewhat encouraging. It means human input and oversight are still highly valued contributions to content creation. And though Google does not have a problem with AI-generated content per se, it does have a problem with people trying to manipulate its systems with crappy content.
Google Search March 5, 2024 Updates
Generative AI has provided some new opportunities for spammers and some new challenges for Google to respond to. In 2022, Google began refining its ranking systems to better identify helpful content and provided guidance about the kind of content it was looking to reward.
The March 2024 core update and new spam policies are just a continued refinement of Google’s systems in the attempt to deliver useful, high-quality content to searchers.
1. Filtering Out Low Quality, Unoriginal Content from Search Results
Several times a year, Google makes fairly major changes to its algorithm and other systems used to identify and rank content. These changes are called core updates. Google has advised the March core update will involve several core systems and will be more complex than previous updates.
At this point, Google will only say that the innovative signals and approaches that are being used to enhance the core systems mark an evolution in how the search engine will identify helpful content going forward.
A new FAQ page has been put together to help explain the changes. It doesn’t contain a lot of new information, but it does indicate Google will be focusing on content originality and trying to make sure users are left with the feeling they’ve had a satisfying experience.
Because of the complexities involved, the rollout of the March core update is anticipated to take about a month. Google says to expect fluctuations in ranking during the integration process, but no action is required by those who have been producing helpful, reliable, people-first content.
2. Identifying and Penalizing Websites Hosting Spammy Content
Google’s spam policies detail some of the types of content and practices that can result in lower rankings or in having content completely removed from Search. Google fights spam with both automated systems and manual human review and has indicated it will be using manual review to target sites violating the new policies.
The March update added three new spam policies in response to growing trends Google was observing.
- Expired domain abuse
- Scaled content abuse
- Site reputation abuse
Expired Domain Abuse
Expired domain abuse is the practice of purchasing expired domains and leveraging their optimization advantage to promote content that may have nothing to do with the content produced by the previous owner. The practice can mislead users into thinking the new content is affiliated with the expired site.
Scaled Content Abuse
Scaled content abuse occurs when large amounts of content are created with the intention of manipulating search results rather than providing useful information to searchers. Such content may but need not necessarily be created by AI. Of particular interest to Google is content that lures a searcher to click by promising an answer to a popular question and then fails to deliver the relevant information.
Site Reputation Abuse
Site reputation abuse involves the publication of third-party content with little or no oversight by the hosting website, allowing the third-party content to piggyback on the host site’s better ranking signals. The third-party content may have little to do with the host site’s main purpose and offer minimal value to users.
Google provides a few non-exclusive examples of what it will consider site reputation abuse as well as some examples of the type of third-party content that will not be considered spam. The more valuable the content is to site users and the more involvement by the hosting site, the less likely third-party content will be found to violate spam policies.
Possibly because the practice of hosting third-party content is fairly widespread, Google will not begin enforcing the new policy until May 5, 2024, to give site owners an opportunity to make any necessary changes in order to comply.
Google’s Stand on AI-Generated Content
Back in February of 2023, Google offered guidance about AI-generated content. The search engine clarified that it is looking for quality content no matter how the content is created. Original, people-first content demonstrating experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (EEAT) will be rewarded by Google’s ranking system, whether written by people or machines.
However, Google is well aware that machine-made content without human oversight can be unreliable and unoriginal. Updates continue to emphasize the need for significant human involvement to ensure AI-generated content is written to Google’s standards and does not violate any of the spam policies.
What the Google Updates Mean for Low-Quality or Spammy Content
So, what is a website owner to do? Regarding the core update, acclaimed SEO expert Lily Ray recommends not overreacting to any early fluctuations in traffic as Google begins implementing the changes. Try to wait until everything has been rolled out because Google may need to course-correct mid-way through in order to initiate the changes it wants to make.
For sites that may be or already have been penalized for violating the new spam policies, the best thing to do to try and save the site is to own the violation, figure out a new plan to try and get on Google’s good side again, and then apply for reconsideration. Second chances aren’t guaranteed so it’s best to be thoughtful and sincere in the reconsideration request.
What the Google Updates Mean for High-Quality, Useful Content
The good news is that owners with helpful, reliable, people-first content on their sites should not have to do much of anything to make sure they are in compliance with Google’s updates. If the content on your site has always been high quality and useful, then you aren’t likely at risk of lower rankings or a spam violation.
At Blue Seven Content, we aren’t worried about the content we produce for our clients. All of our content is generated by humans who are intimately familiar with producing the kind of content Google wants to reward. Because Blue Seven focuses on content quality, originality, and engagement, our approach never has to vary much, no matter what changes Google decides to make.
Written by Mari Gaines, JD – Legal Content Writer
