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THE INTERNET

Google aims to prioritise websites with quality content and reviews

By our News Team | 2022

Search engine’s latest updates will hit ‘clickbait’ sites, but favour websites of higher quality, especially when it comes to product reviews.

In a move aimed at reducing the power of ‘clickbait’ websites, and prioritising sites with quality content and credible reviews, Google has announced a series of changes to its Search function.

The two updates are being rolled out over the coming weeks, according to a blog post published late last week by Danny Sullivan, Google’s Public Liaison for Search.

The Internet

Illustration courtesy of Google

“We know people don’t find content helpful if it seems like it was designed to attract clicks rather than inform readers,” Sullivan says. “So … we’re rolling out a series of improvements to Search to make it easier for people to find helpful content made by, and for, people. 

“This ranking work joins a similar effort related to ranking better quality product review content over the past year, which will also receive an update. Together, these launches are part of a broader, ongoing effort to reduce low-quality content and make it easier to find content that feels authentic and useful in Search.”

Shopping, tech and education among the beneficiaries

Google says its Helpful Content Update will help ensure that unoriginal, low-quality content doesn’t rank highly in Search. It adds that its testing has found it will especially improve results related to online education, arts and entertainment, shopping and tech-related content.

Enabling users to find more helpful product reviews written by experts is a key element of this new approach. 

“We know product reviews can play an important role in helping you make a decision on something to buy,” Sullivan emphasises. “We’ve continued to refine these systems and, in the coming weeks, we’ll roll out another update to make it even easier to find high-quality, original reviews.

“This ranking work joins a similar effort related to ranking better quality product review content over the past year, which will also receive an update. Together, these launches are part of a broader, ongoing effort to reduce low-quality content and make it easier to find content that feels authentic and useful in Search.”