Responding to the May 2020 Google Core Update

Search engines largely rely on being useful in order to survive. Essentially, a search engine that doesn’t provide reasonable results from input cannot realistically flourish. Therefore, it is in the best interest of search engines to provide fitting results to a search.

However, search engines also need a revenue stream to survive, and this is tied to the quality of the results they produce. Investors will not pay for advertisements if they have no hope of ever being seen or being clicked on, and so it is also in the interest of a search engine, like Google, to make constant adjustments to its algorithm. Foreseeably in an effort to remain dynamic enough to provide users with the results they wanted while at the same time bringing advertisements before the right market, Google announced another core update in May.

This most recent core update focuses on content. In their official Webmaster blog, Google said the intent was to “focus” on content, and that while some sites have already experienced changes in traffic, they shouldn’t necessarily feel a need to change anything. However, if you have experienced a change in traffic and are wondering what you need to address, the key could be the content that appears on your website. Google admonished that you take a look at the content offered on your website to ensure that it is original, but they also go much further than that.

Aside from being original, they also ask you to evaluate whether the content is substantial and insightful. Those may be small words, but on top of trying to create a competitive and effective keyword campaign as part of an SEO strategy, the challenges soon begin to mount.

Pairing E-A-T with SEO

If your business has experienced a dip in traffic, while you shouldn’t jump the gun, it can be reasonable to wonder what aspect of your website needs to be addressed. It very well could have to do with content; it could have to do with site structure; it could even have to do with navigational features. The precise features of the core update are not released, but they can in part be identified by their effects.

1Digital^Ⓡ is invested in tracking the changes to these algorithms and knows how to respond effectively with proven tactics. Our mission is to stay on top of search engine updates so that our clients can focus on what they do best. For example, our team of content producers specializes in crafting carefully written content that Google will recognize not only as original but as trustworthy and informative. Yet it is not only attractive to Google – it is original, freshly written content that readers will find valuable.

That’s why it can be very beneficial to work with an experienced eCommerce SEO agency to help uncover some of these factors that might be affecting your SEO in the wake of the update. Regarding content specifically, we have this to say.

In the past, practices like keyword stuffing was something that was not on Google’s radar. SEOs everywhere used this as a way to boost their rankings and, in turn, boost traffic. In 2003, Google’s Florida update was their first big effort to combat black hat SEO tactics like keyword stuffing and hidden and invisible links. Specialists at the time had become savvy to the fact that one of the main indicators Google used as a metric for evaluation was a site’s use of keywords, and so they filled up page after page with target keywords. At first this worked, but Google’s Florida update came down hard on keyword stuffing tactics. Today, this is no longer an effective strategy to boost SEO. Keyword stuffed content was thin and lacked value for readers, so Google’s update penalized publishers who engaged in producing it.

Unfortunate black hat SEO tactics like the keyword stuffing mentioned above used to garner a quick boost in traffic, but Google is ever alert to these practices and their updates frequently attempt to penalize them. This time around, Google has made an attempt to give more credence to those businesses that cultivate E-A-T through every aspect of their websites, particularly with respect to their published content.

To put it as plainly and simply as possible, E-A-T is an attempt to summarize what makes content valuable for a visitor to your website. Customers have no need for spammy content that isn’t informative or accurate. Breaking it down, E-A-T stands for expertise, authority, and trust. These three things have become more important than ever in a virtual landscape where finding valuable information has become a legitimate chore.

Google wants to know that the content you publish represents your expertise on a subject. They want it to be informative, engaging, insightful and original. They expect it to educate visitors to your website that came in search of information. Google may even expect the information you present on your website to be backed or otherwise corroborated by other sources.

If it is, that will show your authority. A big portion of authority, but not all, is dictated by backlinks to your site. If you have reputable sites backlinking to your own site because they see you as a valuable source of information in your areas of expertise, all the better. That is one of the key things that Google looks for when evaluating your eCommerce website.

Then comes trust. Trust, ultimately, is the most important thing to consider in this arena. For example, consider websites that use black hat SEO tactics to build their rankings. In the short term, they may see growth, but as visitors realize there is no valuable information there, they will bounce, and it will be almost impossible for sites like that to generate authority through backlinks. Therefore, they fail on trust.

In today’s marketing landscape, consumers will not waste a moment of attention on untrustworthy brands, and a site stuffed with useless content will be seen as untrustworthy in a heartbeat.

That’s the importance of E-A-T in marketing and SEO. Unfortunately, E-A-T isn’t the only thing that Google takes into account and will consequently affect your website’s SEO value. As we mentioned, there are many other factors that will affect SEO, and keeping on top of them all requires a great deal of experience.

At 1Digital^Ⓡ, we have handled many complex SEO campaigns for eCommerce businesses in many industries over the years, and most importantly, we have successfully weathered many Google updates. We understand the fine points of on-site optimization, keyword research, and content production and publication. We understand how to find keywords, craft content, and generate reputable backlinks to your online store to boost SEO in the long term.

For example, we make it clear to our customers not just what type of content we produce, but why we produce and how it is informative and valuable. When we embark on an SEO campaign we take the time to become familiar with your industry and with competing content. From there, we can take a specially tailored approach to producing different types of content that will appear on your website and in your blog, as well as content to be published elsewhere for the value that your website will gain from the backlinks.

Specialization makes the world go round. Everyone is an expert in his or her own sphere, and our sphere is helping eCommerce businesses tackle the challenges in front of them. When it comes to SEO, that means partnering with an experienced eCommerce SEO agency to make sure that you utilize some of the best eCommerce SEO practices. When it comes to handling complex SEO projects, we’ve got that game down pat. If your business has experienced changes in the wake of the most recent update – or even if you feel that your organic traffic could use a boost – reach out to us at info@1digitalagency.com or give us a call at 877-600-2046.