Google Completes the September Helpful Content Update

Google has confirmed the completion of the long-awaited Helpful Content update for September 2023. The rollout, which began on September 14, 2023, has been completed on schedule, marking a significant development in the world of search engine optimization (SEO).

Announcement of Rollout Status

Taking a peek at Google's documentation, this update was completed after 14 days. Here's a quote:

During the 14-day rollout period, Google's algorithm underwent substantial adjustments, affecting how search results are ranked and displayed to users.

The primary goal of this update is to enhance the overall quality of search results by prioritizing content that is genuinely informative and helpful, rather than content that is solely optimized for search engines.

This update is the third in a series of Helpful Content System updates, starting from August 2022. With this update, Google aims to focus on content that is beneficial to users.

Impacts We Have Observed

Some of the things we noticed after September 14, 2023, include a significant drop in traffic. The decline was not due to seasonal factors.

The drop was not too drastic, but it followed the previous traffic pattern. However, the numbers were below the pre-rollout helpful content period. In percentage terms, the affected traffic experienced a decrease of 20%.

In terms of ranking, one of the websites impacted by the traffic drop did not experience a decrease in average position. In August 2023, the average position was at 10.7, and in September 2023, the average position remained at 10.7.

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1. Google Status Dashboard: https://status.search.google.com/products/rGHU1u87FJnkP6W2GwMi/history