In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, Google’s algorithm updates often dictate the rules of the game. These updates are not just routine changes; they’re signals that guide us on how to make our online content better for users. Recently, Google has shifted its focus towards rewarding content that puts people first, signaling a significant change from the traditional keyword targeting approach. This means creating content that genuinely addresses the needs, questions and interests of audiences.
In this article, we unpack the latest Google algorithm updates to understand what they mean for content marketing, diving into the concept of “people-first” content: what it is, why it’s becoming essential and how creating content with a user-first mindset can benefit your visibility on Google.
Understanding Google’s Latest Algorithm Updates
Google’s algorithm is like the rulebook for how content is ranked on search engine results pages (SERPs), and it has recently introduced changes that mark a significant shift toward valuing user experience and relevance more than ever before. The latest updates focus on rewarding content that offers genuine value to users, improving the accuracy of search results and penalizing practices that prioritize SEO gimmicks over substance. Google’s latest updates are highlighted in the 2024 SEO Starter Guide.
In essence, Google is now better at identifying content that provides a comprehensive and insightful answer to users’ queries. Systems like BERT, an AI system that allows Google to understand combinations of words, their meanings and intent, and the helpful content system, ensure users see results that include original, helpful content that was written by people, for people. The helpful content update also emphasizes EEAT (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), rewarding content that is created by credible sources and demonstrates unique, first-person expertise in the subject matter.
With these updates, Google sends a clear message: understanding and catering to your audience’s needs is paramount. This means doing more than just answering a query. It’s about providing unique insights, offering solutions and creating an engaging user experience that keeps people returning for more. At the end of the day, Google is encouraging creators to think less about how search engines see their content and more about how real people interact with it.
The Impact of Google’s Updates on Content Marketing
The recent updates to Google’s algorithm have a profound impact on content marketing strategies. The shift towards prioritizing user experience and valuable content over traditional SEO tactics means that marketers need to rethink how they create and promote their content.
Gone are the days when loading content with keywords was enough to secure a top spot on SERPs. Google’s sophisticated algorithms can now understand the intent behind a user’s search regardless of the exact keywords they use, making the quality of your content more important than the quantity of keywords. This means that content should be relevant, solve problems and provide valuable insights in a way that feels natural and engaging to the reader.
Google’s latest updates also aim to ensure that users find what they’re looking for, not just what’s optimized to catch their eye, putting an end to clickbait titles and misleading content that doesn’t deliver on its promises. Title links and meta descriptions are often generated by Google, and while brands can influence how their titles appear in search, Google can re-generate the title to more accurately describe your web page.
Finally, a stronger emphasis on EEAT, demonstrating your knowledge and credibility in your field, has never been more important. This can be achieved by using your content to demonstrate your knowledge and experience, supporting your claims with data and information from credible sources and encouraging user reviews and testimonials.
The Rise of People-First Content
“People-first” content is reshaping the landscape of content marketing, driven by the recent updates to Google’s algorithm. People-first content is created with the primary goal of providing value to the reader. It focuses on engaging, informing and assisting your audience, rather than merely optimizing for search engines. This includes characteristics such as:
- Relevance and Usefulness: Addresses specific questions, needs or interests of your target audience.
- Authenticity and Originality: Offers unique insights or perspectives from real humans, not just rewritten information that already exists.
- Engagement: Encourages interaction through comments, shares and reviews.
- Accessibility: Is easy to read, understand and act upon, regardless of the user’s device or accessibility needs.
By consistently offering valuable content, you can establish your brand as a trusted source, encouraging repeat visits and fostering a loyal audience. Additionally, engaging content is more likely to be shared and discussed. Although the primary focus isn’t on SEO, people-first content often ranks well because it garners genuine engagement and fulfills user search intent, both of which are significant ranking factors.
Strategies for Creating People-First Content
Adopting a people-first content strategy means shifting your focus from purely SEO-driven content to content that truly resonates with your audience. Here are actionable strategies to help you create content that puts people first:
Understanding Your Audience
To create content that meets the needs of your audience, use surveys, social media interactions and website analytics to gather data about their preferences, pain points and interests. This information can help you create detailed user personas to guide your content marketing efforts. To gain more insights into what your audience cares about and the questions they’re asking, monitor social media channels and online forums for discussions relevant to your industry.
Content Quality and Relevance
Your content should aim to solve real problems by addressing the specific challenges your audience faces through practical advice, how-to guides and insightful analysis. Ensure your content provides solutions that are both actionable and accessible, offering first-hand guidance from those in your organization who have experience in the subject area. Additionally, strive to be the go-to source for information on topics related to your business and industry. This includes covering topics in-depth, combining expert opinions, research data and real-world examples.
User Experience (UX) and Accessibility
With most internet users accessing content on their mobile devices, ensure your website is optimized for mobile. This includes responsive design, fast loading times and easy navigation. Also ensure your content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Use alt text for images, provide transcripts for videos and guarantee your site can be navigated with keyboard commands.
Engagement and Community Building
People-first content is all about encouraging interaction. End your content with questions or prompts that encourage readers to comment or share their own experiences and use calls to action (CTAs) to guide users toward interacting with your content or exploring related topics. This allows you to use your content as a springboard for building a community around your brand, whether through social media groups, forums or interactive content like webinars and live Q&As.
Balancing SEO and People-First Content
While your primary focus should be creating valuable content for users, don’t ignore SEO altogether. Use keywords strategically to ensure your content is discoverable and aligns with user intent, but always prioritize natural, engaging writing. This includes using keywords to provide a blueprint for your broad topic and tailoring the content to match the intent behind your audience’s searches. Whether they’re looking for information, a specific product or a service, ensure your content meets their needs effectively.
Measuring Success in a People-First Framework
In a people-first content strategy, traditional metrics like page views and rankings, while still relevant, are not the only indicators of success. To truly measure the effectiveness of your content, consider a broader set of metrics that reflect engagement, satisfaction and conversion. Here’s how to gauge the success of your people-first content approach.
- Engagement Metrics: Look beyond page views to metrics like average time on page, bounce rate and pages per session. High engagement levels often indicate content that resonates with your audience.
- Social Shares and Comments: High levels of social sharing and commenting suggest that your content is not only valuable to your audience but also worth spreading. Monitor these metrics to understand which types of content foster community and conversation.
- Conversion Rates: Whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, downloading a guide or making a purchase, track how effectively your content moves users toward desired actions. This links the value of your content directly to business outcomes.
- Feedback and User Surveys: Direct feedback from your audience can provide qualitative insights into how your content is received. Use surveys or feedback forms to gather opinions on your content’s usefulness and relevance.
Using People-First Strategies in Digital Catalog Creation
When implementing a people-first approach in digital catalog creation, it’s essential to strike a balance between accessibility, user experience and analytics. At Dirxion, we enhance the digital catalog experience for users with tailored, shoppable product catalogs that allow users to browse, learn and purchase items from your brand.
For example, we created an enhanced product catalog for REI that combined people-first content, seamless navigation and shoppable modules to optimize the user experience and help convert additional sales. REI’s digital catalog uses touchpoints to provide a visual call to action that takes users to desired product display pages on the website. Additionally, the entire catalog is optimized for mobile viewing, allowing mobile users to engage with a list view of products on a given page. Finally, by integrating REI’s API, the catalog is always updated with accurate pricing and product availability while providing real results and measurable metrics.
With Dirxion, brands of all sizes can create effective, user-first catalogs that enhance brand awareness and drive sales. Beyond a seamless user experience, Dirxion’s digital catalogs also include analytics tracking. Through transparent analytics reports that show overarching and granular pieces of information, you can track engagement and conversion metrics to associate an ROI and conversion rate to your digital catalog.
Embrace People-First Content Marketing with Dirxion
As we’ve explored throughout this article, content marketing is experiencing a significant shift due to Google’s latest algorithm updates. These changes mark the start of an era that prioritizes human readers over search engines, utilizing a people-first approach that emphasizes creating content that genuinely serves, engages and delights the audience.
Adapting to these changes isn’t just about staying ahead in search rankings; it’s about embracing a more sustainable, ethical and ultimately more effective approach to content marketing. By putting people first, businesses can build trust, authority and loyalty among their audience, leading to long-term success and growth.
As you begin to invest in people-first marketing strategies, Dirxion is here to help. With our experts as your dedicated digital catalog partner, you can expand your efforts, reaching your target audience through sharable, engaging digital catalogs. To discuss your content needs and discover how Dirxion can help, connect with us today.
