Google, the search giant, has announced significant changes aimed at improving the quality of search results and combating spam.
The updates involve algorithmic enhancements to core ranking systems and the implementation of new spam policies to address emerging tactics used by spammers. Google aims to reduce unoriginal content and ensure the delivery of the most helpful information.
Google’s strategy involves a focus on the abusive behavior of creating content at scale to manipulate search rankings, irrespective of how the content was generated. The company aims to target low-quality AI-generated content designed for click attraction but lacking substantive original value.
Jennifer Kutz, a spokesperson for Google, emphasized that the updates would also address various types of content that may lack value for users, whether primarily created by humans or through generative AI and automated means.
Google Key Changes
- Improved Quality Ranking: Google is refining its core ranking systems to identify unhelpful, low-quality, or search engine-centric webpages. The goal is to reduce the presence of unoriginal content and enhance the user experience.
- New Spam Policies: The search giant is updating its spam policies to address evolving spamming techniques. This includes tackling issues like expired websites repurposed as spam repositories by new owners and obituary spam. The aim is to keep low-quality content out of search results.
- Reducing Unoriginal Results: Google started tuning its ranking systems in 2022 to minimize unoriginal content in search results. The March 2024 core update builds on these efforts, targeting webpages that provide a poor user experience or seem designed for search engines rather than users.
- Scaled Content Abuse: Google is strengthening its policy against using automation to generate low-quality or unoriginal content at scale. The focus is on abusive behavior that produces content at scale to manipulate search rankings, regardless of whether automation, humans, or a combination is involved.
- Site Reputation Abuse: Websites hosting low-quality content from third parties to capitalize on their own strong reputation will be considered spam. This includes instances where third parties publish content primarily for ranking purposes without close oversight of the website owner.
- Expired Domain Abuse: Google will address the abuse of expired domains purchased to boost the search ranking of low-quality or unoriginal content. This aims to prevent misleading users into thinking new content is part of the original site.
The updates are part of Google’s ongoing efforts to provide high-quality and valuable search results. The company expects the combination of these changes and previous efforts to reduce low-quality and unoriginal content by 40%.
If successfully implemented, Google’s search quality update could significantly influence how consumers perceive the utility of Google Search.
The timing of this announcement, with a two-month advance notice before enforcement on May 5, allows site owners to make necessary adjustments. This development reflects Google’s commitment to tackling issues related to SEO-driven spam and low-quality content, potentially reshaping the landscape of online search and content discovery.