Google’s continuous rollout of the “Helpful Content Update” has sent ripples through the SEO community. Years (and several updates) later, many websites are still struggling to adapt.

So how can businesses like yours keep up?

In this article, I’ll break down what’s changed, why Google made these moves, and guide you on how to tweak your content strategy accordingly.

What Caused the Update?

Like many of its predecessors, this update stemmed from attempts to manipulate Google’s algorithm.

In recent years, we’ve seen a surge of content designed to generate clicks but offering little real value. The Helpful Content Update, first introduced in 2022, was meant to counter this trend.

With the March 2024 core update, those signals were absorbed into Google’s main ranking systems.

In practice, that means there’s no longer a single filter for “helpfulness”. Instead, Google is using several models to pivot the focus of search engine results pages (SERPs) from SEO-centric content to material that genuinely addresses user intent.

Google claims this approach has already cut unhelpful results in search by 40% to 45%.

What this means is that rankings are less about SEO tricks now and more about demonstrating depth, expertise, and relevance.

Why Low-Quality and Mass-Produced Content Gets Hit

A major driver of this update was the surge in AI-generated content. Many sites have slipped in rankings because they relied too heavily on unedited AI output.

Does this mean AI should be abandoned? Absolutely not!

The issue isn’t the AI itself, but how it’s used to create content that is unedited, unoriginal, or produced solely to rank. That’s why Google now targets what it calls scaled content abuse, which covers large volumes of thin material.

It doesn’t matter if the content was produced by people, AI, or both.

It’s about quality and depth. Think affiliate blogs that copy product specs without adding insight, templated “best X” reviews using the same script across dozens of pages, or stock-photo-heavy “reviews” that don’t show the product was ever touched. These patterns send the wrong signals.

And these signals suggest the content isn’t trustworthy.

The safest approach is to use AI for research or efficiency, then apply fact-checking, unique commentary, and original images to create content that genuinely helps readers.

Spam Policies That Changed the Game

Beyond scaled content abuse, Google’s Helpful Content Update also singled out two other practices that undermine search quality. Both are designed to manipulate authority and mislead users.

The first is site reputation abuse, where low-value third-party material is published under a strong domain. A common example is unrelated product reviews appearing on respected news or education sites.

The second is expired domain abuse, where old domains are purchased and repurposed to host low-quality content, misleading users into believing the material carries the same authority as the original site.

So, a common question now is whether backlinks or strong domain authority can protect against these penalties.

The reality is mixed.

I always stress the importance of authority, typically garnered through links. Post-update, this is truer than ever. Google seems to be doubling down on authority, underlining the need for a robust backlink strategy.

That means that establishing your site as an authoritative source is now more crucial than ever.

Why Keyword Stuffing and Old SEO Tricks Fail

Google’s Helpful Content Update shows a clear move away from relying on keyword signals or natural language processing tricks. If you think about it, this shift makes a lot of sense.

Too much content is written with keywords in mind, while the reader’s actual question is left unanswered. Either that, or when the content actually provides an answer, you first have to scroll through endless filler before finding anything useful.

Fortunately, Google’s systems are now much better at understanding whether a page is genuinely helpful, instead of just well optimised.

In essence, you can’t fill a page with the same keywords anymore and call it relevance. Instead, Keyword Stuffing will only make your page less trustworthy from both a user viewpoint, and from Google’s.

This is great news for real experts.

It levels the playing field for those willing to share real expertise and practical advice, allowing them to streamline their content and showcase their knowledge without unnecessary filler. 

What This Means for Your Site

Interestingly, this update appears to have disproportionately harmed niche sites, with some sites even reporting losses of up to 90% of their traffic.

However, Google’s intent remains consistent: to reduce manipulative practices, regardless of the size of the publisher.

The key difference likely comes down to trust.

Google is placing more weight on reputable experts and businesses, while moving away from niche sites that exist for ad revenue’s sake and low-quality content. So naturally, small publishers end up losing ground to bigger players.

Many business sites we manage have flourished in spite of this, though.

But how did we manage that? From my experience, websites that continue to perform well tend to share a few qualities:

• They answer questions in plain language and focus on solving problems.
• They show who is behind the content, with author details and credible references.
• They feature fewer, but more comprehensive resources, rather than a number of shallow or duplicate pages.
• They use original research, examples, and images that represent real user experience.

The common theme here is credibility. Sites willing to provide real, expert content that is knowledgeable will always have a comfortable adjustment to Google’s modifications.

SEO’s New Reality: How to Stay Ahead

Knowing what Google is targeting is one thing. Taking action on it is another. You don’t need to guess your next move, but you do need to be systematic about it.

For your strategy, this means taking a few simple measures. What I always tell my clients is:

1. Audit content regularly to identify thin or outdated pages.
2. Use AI only as an assistant, not the author.
3. Cut back on vanity projects or tools that don’t support business outcomes.

The path forward isn’t quick wins.

It’s about adding new, relevant content and continuously improving your site to act as a useful, trustworthy source of information over time, which is what Google updates are designed to reward.

And if you really don’t know where to start, it’s worth speaking to someone in the know. An SEO consultant can help you interpret your hypothesis of the ebb and flow of the algorithm and introduce the right structures for long-term growth.