September 2023 Helpful Content Update
Helpful content system update easing certain signals (content hosted by third parties) and strengthening the assessment of pages' real usefulness.
Key points
- Update to the helpful content system easing certain signals, including content hosted by third parties.
- Strengthened evaluation of the real usefulness of pages.
- Aggregation sites or those with little differentiation are more exposed.
- Consolidates the importance of E-E-A-T and people-first content.
Analysis
This update refines the Helpful Content system: Google nuances its stance on content hosted by third parties (such as rented subdomains) and puts more emphasis on the real usefulness perceived by the user. It is one of the most impactful iterations of this system before its integration into the core updates.
Aggregation sites, recycled content and weakly differentiated content were particularly affected. The update confirms that real added value and first-hand experience are the decisive criteria, beyond simply covering a topic.
What to do
- Assess each page in terms of its real added value compared to competing content.
- Reduce aggregation and undifferentiated content in favor of original analysis and direct experience.
- Strengthen E-E-A-T signals (authors, expertise, sources) on strategic pages.
Aggregation sites or poorly differentiated content are more exposed. Reinforces the importance of E-E-A-T.