Dec 12, 2024
Casey Bjorkdahl is one of the pioneering thought leaders in the SEO community. In 2010, Casey co-founded Vazoola after working for a Digital Marketing Agency for five years in New York City. Vazoola is now one of the fastest growing and most widely recognized SEO marketing firms in the country.
With its helpful content update, Google redefined what it means to publish quality content, emphasizing a people-first approach.
The important algorithmic update was introduced in 2022, then refined with another Google helpful content update (HCU) 2024. The Google HCU update prioritizes relevant, reliable, and user-focused material.
As a result of this shift, businesses now must adapt their strategies and create content that doesn’t just rank – it builds trust and engagement.
Key Takeaways
-
Understand how the Google Helpful Update affects SEO strategy in 2025.
-
Learn to create people-first content that actually meets Google's EEAT guidelines.
-
Discover seven actionable content elements that resonate with both readers and search engines.
-
Explore why unique perspectives and actionable insights are crucial for engaging content.
-
Find out how user intent shapes content relevance and improves search rankings.
Table of Contents
Google Helpful Content Updates (HCU)
So what’s the scoop on Google’s HCU?
Well, Google’s Helpful Content Update continues to shape how websites rank in search results.
How is the HCU Google update changing how the search giant ranks web pages? What’s the point?
Since it launched in 2022, the update emphasizes relevance and reliability. It focuses on real users’ needs by building on the Google EEAT guidelines: Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust. These parameters help make sure the content meets high-quality standards.
The second "E" added in a Google EAT update is about experience. Google did this to make sure content is created with some degree of experience. For example, content might incorporate the actual use of a product, an actual visit to a place, or actually communicating a subject.
Later updates in 2023 and 2024 further refined the Google content guidelines, further encouraging people-first content that avoids shallow, unoriginal approaches.
A perfect example of this type of Google content update is The March 2024 core update was a perfect example of Google’s philosophy. It focused on spammy articles stuffed with keywords.
Google’s guidelines have also emphasized content that resonates with your audience. Its goal is to ensure that real value is created. That helps a business establish trust and better engagement.
For a more comprehensive understanding of user-first content creation, check out Google's Helpful Content Guidelines.
Use AI-driven platforms like MarketMuse or Clearscope to analyze gaps in your content and refine it for maximum relevance and depth.
7 Elements of Google Helpful Content Guidelines
Crafting content that meets Google’s priorities starts with understanding the user's intent and ends with providing something unique. At least seven elements make up the development of good, search-engine-friendly content for the readers.
1. Content Should Be Relevant to User Intent
User intent is the goal a searcher has when they enter a query. Tailoring content to meet specific intent ensures better engagement and improved rankings.
Understanding the intent behind keywords—whether informational, navigational, or transactional—is crucial for crafting relevant content. For example, if users search for "SEO tools for beginners," they expect simple explanations, beginner-friendly tools, and actionable steps, not complex jargon or advanced analysis.
Content that satisfies user intent also reduces bounce rates and improves time on page, signaling value to search engines. Tools like Google Analytics can help analyze user behavior, giving insights into whether your content aligns with audience expectations.
Above all else, just remember to write content for readers instead of writing content for Google.
Learn more about targeting search intent effectively by referencing this guide on search intent.
Regularly revisit and update older posts to keep them aligned with current trends, guidelines, and keywords for consistent performance.
2. Demonstrate Your Topic Authority
Google prioritizes content from experts who are proven to know their stuff.
Avoid writing about subjects outside your expertise to maintain credibility. Instead, focus on areas where you can share unique insights or in-depth knowledge.
High domain authority amplifies visibility, but even smaller sites can compete by consistently publishing authoritative content.
Citing credentials, case studies, or expert opinions can further bolster your authority. For example, showcasing an industry award or a team’s qualifications reassures readers and Google alike.
Regularly updating older content to reflect accuracy also signals expertise.
For strategies to boost domain authority, refer to this article on increasing domain authority.
Use tools like Hemingway Editor to ensure your content is scannable and user-friendly, combining short sentences with compelling calls to action.
3. Include YMYL Topics
Your Money or Your Life topics would involve content that has consequences for readers regarding financial, health, or safety decisions. Examples include advice on medical treatment advice, legal information, or financial planning.
Since these topics are about important aspects of life, Google requires them to meet higher content standards in terms of accuracy, expertise, and trustworthiness.
Not all of your content needs to be Google YMYL, but its infusion into your niche shows your concern for meaningful, high-impact insights. For instance, a blog about "choosing the best health insurance" will drive trust and attract interested readers if well-researched and clearly written.
For a detailed overview, consult Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines.
4. Use Credible Sources
Trust is developed with the readers and the search engines when the sources are reliable and accurate. The credible sources include primary data, subject matter experts, and well-regarded publications.
Quoting outdated or biased material can harm credibility; therefore, prioritizing quality sources is critical.
Add original interviews, proprietary research, or industry reports to enhance credibility. For example, adding a statistic from a governmental study or insights from an accepted expert helps to seal the deal when it comes to trust.
When you link to authoritative sources, you also position your content as part of a trusted information ecosystem.
Check out this guide to finding reliable sources and this blog on credible sourcing.
5. Provide Depth in Answering Queries
Shallow or “thin” content does not meet user needs, and its ranking is generally poor.
Instead, focus on depth: provide comprehensive answers, actionable advice, and context. For example, in writing about "how to improve email marketing campaigns," include actionable examples, templates, and troubleshooting tips rather than surface-level overviews.
Visuals such as infographics, step-by-step instructions, and embedded videos add more depth. Original research or vivid examples establish your content as unique, differentiating your site to readers and the search engines as a site worth spending time on.
To avoid thin content pitfalls, read more about thin content strategies.
Encourage readers to leave comments or participate in surveys and incorporate their feedback into future content to make it more user-focused.
6. Offer Actionable Insights
Actionable content offers the reader clear next steps they can take away and apply to their work or lives. Avoid generic tips by giving concrete, practical examples. For example, do not vaguely say, "optimize your website." Instead, provide steps like "use Google PageSpeed Insights to analyze your performance," or "compress images to reduce load times."
Actionable advice also tends to build credibility because it's a commitment to problem-solving. Adding checklists or frameworks further enhances usability, ensuring readers leave with tangible takeaways they can apply in real-world scenarios.
Gain insights on actionable strategies from this article on Crazy Egg.
7. Offer Unique Perspectives
Original content differentiates your site from competitors. Sharing personal experiences, proprietary research, or exclusive interviews adds value that generic posts cannot replicate. For instance, a case study on your company’s successful marketing campaign offers insights readers won’t find elsewhere.
Originality also fosters engagement, as unique perspectives invite discussion and sharing. Encourage contributions from diverse voices or industry influencers to add depth and relevance. By offering new angles, you position your content as essential and authoritative within your niche.
Develop evergreen content hubs. Create cornerstone pieces that remain relevant over time and link to related content on your site. This helps establish authority and improve internal link structure.
What About Links?
Yes, we realize links didn’t make the top seven. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t still strong signals of content’s value to readers.
So, what about links?
High-quality backlinks are still votes of confidence that boost authority and visibility.
In fact, Ahrefs found that the No. 1 ranking page in search results gets an extra 5% to 14.5% dofollow backlinks from new websites each month.
Google evaluates backlinks based on their relevance. It also looks at the linking site’s quality and authority. A link from a well-regarded site in your niche, for example, carries far more weight than one from a generic or low-quality site.
According to the Google HCU SEO guidelines, creating helpful, people-first content is the top priority. With that accomplished, links will follow naturally.
It’s true. Valuable content invites organic backlinks as other creators reference your work.
According to BKA Content, websites that blog receive 97% more inbound links than those that don’t.
Don’t forget internal linking!
When you link to your own relevant content, you improve the user experience as you guide readers to additional resources. It also helps Google better understand your site’s structure.
For more details about links and how they might play into the Google Helpful Content update, explore Vazoola’s guides on link building importance and beginner’s link-building strategies.
Use platforms like SEMrush or Ahrefs to compare your content to top-performing competitors and identify areas for improvement.
Bottom Line: How to Write Content for Google
The simple answer is, “Don’t create content for Google. Create content for your audience with Google’s HCU guidelines in mind.” If you create content that is relevant, authentic, original, helpful and actionable, you’ll have better odds of winning in search engine results. The bottom line is, Google wants to deliver the best content to its users.
Just remember above all else… Google loves content!