The March 2024 Google updates has shifted the whole paradigm from targeted user environment to User-friendly search environment. Cracking down on spammy practices opted by so-called “Marketing experts”, Google has taken a leap forward to ensure that users find the most relevant and helpful information when online search is initiated.
For website owners and SEO professionals this is an opportunity to refine their strategies and focus on creating high-quality content that truly resonates with their target audience. Let’s get into the details of the recent updates and their impact on the websites owners as well as their search engine (SEO) strategies.
Over the years, Google has noticed that website owners have resorted to deceptive tactics to manipulate their search rankings. Through these tactics so far SEO experts have helped the websites to gain unfair visibility. Google’ new policies aimed to scrap these ‘spam’ techniques to enrich user experience rather than leaving them no to little information leading to frustrating experience.
Expired Domain Abuse: Unethical Resurrection
If you ever come across any old and reputed website and all of a sudden you observe that the website has entirely changed its content then this scenario might be a red flag for expired domain abuse. In this practice, businesses purchase expired domains with established domain authority(DA)- a metric that indicates a website’s trustworthiness and ranking potential. Then these domains are filled with irrelevant or low-quality content, with hopes to leverage the domain’s reputation to rank higher in search results.
The New Policy: Quality over history
The updated policy of Google clearly states that purchase of expired domain solely with the purpose of boosting search ranking with low-quality content will be considered spam. Websites that offer quality and original content will be rewarded amongst the websites regardless of the domain’s age or history.
What Website Owners Should Do?
If you own a website that is built out of an expired domain, then you must ensure that your website offers valuable, informative and original content that genuinely benefits the user visiting your website. The content on your website must be regularly updated and should maintain relevance to the domain’s original theme or the niche of your choice. Primarily, align your focus on growing organically by attracting users through quality content and ethical SEO practices.
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Scaled Content Abuse: Prioritize Quality over Quantity
Another targeted tactic by Google is the creation of inaccurate and low quality content in an explosive manner, solely with the purpose of manipulating search rankings. This “scaled content” approach involves slashing off of repetitive or content that offers little value to users. It might include automated content generation or content farms that mass produce articles on various topics.
Crackdown on Content factories
As per the new policy, those websites which rely on scaled content will be identified and penalized, this includes websites with an abundant amount of repetitive, unoriginal or poorly written content.
What Website Owners Should Do?
If you have been relying on scaled content so far, it is time for you to correct your course on ranking your website. Investing in quality content, well-researched, engaging and informative content for your users will automatically boost your ranking. Prioritizing user experience and embracing originality is going to help you in the long run.
Site Reputation Abuse: Borrowing Trust For Deceptive Thrust
This tactic involves leveraging the reputation of a well-established website by borrowing different sections on that website. Later on low quality content is bombarded, that neither align with the standards of the website nor satisfy the users requirements. Using this tactic low-quality content is promoted abruptly because of the website’s reputation.
Overall Quality Dignifies the Website Reputation
Google has updated the policies emphasizing that all the content on a website should meet the same quality standards. Websites that will allow low quality content to be published are under their umbrella and will be penalized, even if the content is on separate sections.
What Website Owners Should Do?
If you are one of the website owner that allow third-party content on your website, then you are in urgent need of quality control. Make sure that all content hosted on your website, regardless of the source, meets the quality standards and provides value to users. You must evaluate third-party content before it is published because irrelevant content and unsatisfactory user experience will result in poor search rankings.