{"id":141163,"date":"2020-05-27T16:34:38","date_gmt":"2020-05-27T16:34:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginewatch.com\/?p=141163"},"modified":"2020-05-27T16:34:38","modified_gmt":"2020-05-27T16:34:38","slug":"the-perfect-seo-recipe-to-survive-covid-19-and-the-may-core-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2020\/05\/27\/the-perfect-seo-recipe-to-survive-covid-19-and-the-may-core-update\/","title":{"rendered":"The perfect SEO recipe to survive COVID-19 and the May core update"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"well\">\n<h3>30-second summary:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The latest\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">broad<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0core algorithm update, called the May core update, is making headlines in the SEO world.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It was launched\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">early May<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, but<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0all<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0leading digital marketers and webmaster community agree that\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">it\u2019<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span>one of the biggest Google algorithm updates.<\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Award-winning digital agency, MintTwist&#8217;s SEO Manager shares a bunch of tips to survive and thrive in light of the new Google update.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The latest\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">broad<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> core algorithm update, called the May core update, is making headlines in the SEO world. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s the second update of 2020, but the last one didn\u2019t cause as big of an impact as this one.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It was launched\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">early May<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, but<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0all<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0leading digital marketers and webmaster community agree that\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">it\u2019<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span>one of the biggest Google algorithm updates.<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">R<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">esearch of\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">SEMrush\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">connects this update<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">to change in search intent after the pandemic.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Q<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ueries that were once intended<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0for just information may now be looking for\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">a service or product on search engines.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That\u2019s why industries like\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Travel a<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">nd Real Estate that were already suffering due to lockdown and restrictions\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">were\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/blog\/google-may-2020-core-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">most affected by the May core update<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">On the other hand,\u00a0<\/span>News, Sports, and\u00a0Entertainment\u00a0sites\u00a0saw an increase in their traffic<span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0after<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the release of this\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">update.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Their\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">online channels<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0were alr<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">eady booming a<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">s people\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">have more spare time during<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">lockdown<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">May core <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">update <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">gave it a boost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Other<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0leader<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0of\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">digital marketing world\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">also shared<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0their<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/neilpatel.com\/blog\/google-may-2020-core-update\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">insights on\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">this new update<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> that wasn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">contrary to<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0those of<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">SEMrush\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0brought new information\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">to<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">light.\u00a0<\/span>His\u00a0tests\u00a0show that\u00a0sites with\u00a0the\u00a0following issues\u00a0faced\u00a0up to 10% decrease in their traffic.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0a7\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">T<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">hat don<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2019t update old content<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0a7\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Have<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0thin content<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0a7\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Have<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0SEO errors like duplicate\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">meta tags<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Likewise, the websites that were wary\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">of these issues\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">experienced<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">growth in their traffic<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Google faced criticism\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">from<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0a lot<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0of<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0webmasters for\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">rolling out an update\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">during COVID-19 outbreak<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">d<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">igital marketer<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0are offering their\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">resources worth thousands of do<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">llars free of cost<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, it\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">release<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">d<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">such an update\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">to make\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">these difficult times more difficult<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hundreds of Webmasters shared their experience with May core <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">u<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">pdate<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">on\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmasterworld.com\/google\/4994037.htm\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">WebmasterWorld<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">explaining<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0why\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">they\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">m<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ight have suffered<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0or survived.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While many messages\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">show<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">a negative response<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">complaining<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0about<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0how their rankings\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">have<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">been destroyed<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">some<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">reported a\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">growth in their website traffic<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">An update this big takes time to fully roll out. That\u2019s why some websites experienced a temporary fall but got back on their position after a while.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This reminds us that\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/tag\/google-algorithm-updates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Google\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">updates<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0are not for penalties.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">They are<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0just to ensure that\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">all webmasters follow\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">their exact guidelines. Only<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">w<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ebsites that fail to follow\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">guidelines<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0suffer consequences.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>On the other hand,\u00a0websites\u00a0that\u00a0have built a strong and clean SEO foundation\u00a0always benefit from these updates.<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It means you can\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">withstand\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">these<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0update<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and, in fact, benefit from\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">them.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Now let\u2019s get on to<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the SEO recipe to\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">not just survive but use May core update to your advantage. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Follow EAT guidelines<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The only\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">goal\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">of search engine\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">updates is to provide the best results<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0when users search a query.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Google has\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">published comprehensive\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/webmasters\/answer\/35769?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">webmaster guidelines<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">to\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">show\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">what\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">it expects from\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">a<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0website.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">n order to ensure that\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">all those guidelines are met and\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">user\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">gets exactly what he expects,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">it keeps improving\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0search algorithm.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It has\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">release<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">d<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0several\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">major\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">updates<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> over the past decade, but was there a specific reason behind May core update?\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Many asked and that\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">how\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">John Mueller<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Senior Webmaster Trends Analyst at Google<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">responded.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Like always,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">they<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0didn\u2019t reveal\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">how\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">update works<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0and only shared\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">some vague hints, and that was all we needed.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Mueller<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0said everything we need to k<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">now is in the first official tweet about the May core update<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, which linked\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">to\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">its\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/webmasters.googleblog.com\/2019\/08\/core-updates.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">blog about Google\u2019s core updates<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That blog\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">post highlights two things<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Focus on content<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Get to know the quality rater guidelines and E-A-T<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2018\/10\/10\/a-cheat-sheet-to-google-algorithm-updates-from-2011-to-2018\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Some of the most important Google algorithm updates<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> like the <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Panda<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0update<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0in 2011,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pirate update<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0in 2012, and\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Fred update<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0in 2017<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">are<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">more than enough to\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">scrutinize the quality of content.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Next<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span>Google wants us to focus on EAT<span data-contrast=\"auto\">:\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Expertise, Authoritativeness<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0and Trustworthiness<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0a7\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"4\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Does your content show expertise in your niche?\u00a0You will simply feed\u00a0rewritten content to the visitors\u00a0without any value if you are not an expert\u00a0of your niche.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0a7\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"4\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Do you have an authoritative name?\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/10\/09\/interview-with-marie-haynes-e-a-t\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reputation is a major ranking factor in SEO<\/a>.\u00a0People\u00a0follow\u00a0brands,\u00a0and so does Google.<\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0a7\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"4\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Do users and Google trust you?\u00a0Trusted sites\u00a0easily rank \u2013\u00a0Wikipedia\u00a0and Forbes are\u00a0the\u00a0best examples.\u00a0You will always find them in\u00a0top ranks\u00a0even if the page\u00a0has thin content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Refresh old content<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p aria-level=\"2\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It is believed<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">that sites\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">with outdated content<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">saw up to 10% decrease in their traffic<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> after the release of the May core update<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Some\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">researches<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0showed\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">that sites, where old content was regularly updated,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">saw an increase in their traffic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It was never a secret that Google prefers\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">fresh content in\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">its search engine results pages.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Brian Dean listed the\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">content\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">freshness<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0and magnitude of updates<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0in his 210\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/google-ranking-factors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Google ranking factors<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Content\u00a0losses its relevance as it gets olds.\u00a0<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Users want\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">the\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">latest and\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">accurate information t<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">hat is not possible\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">with outdated pages.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0a7\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"5\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">They are unlikely to rank and they affect the ranking of your overall site.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0a7\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"5\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If a page is ranked on SERP, it may lose its position if it\u2019s not up to date.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That\u2019s why it\u2019s suggested to either update or remove outda<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ted pages<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You can ensure that a<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">lmost every single one of\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">your<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0articles\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">maintains<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0top positions\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">in SERPs\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">for years<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">by regularly updating<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">content with fresh info<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">rmation, research, and surveys while removing unnecessary and outdated parts.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Build high<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#8211;<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">quality links<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Many<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">w<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ebmasters that suffered from May core update <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">had low<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8211;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">quality back<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">links.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Low-quality links<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0don\u2019t necessarily mean\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">comment spam or cheap directories.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Am<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ong many other\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">characteristics of a bad link<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">i<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">t includes links\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">from\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">sites that are irrelevant,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">have low\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">authority<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, or the content around link is not good enough.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Use of<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">an\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">irrelevant site, low\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">authoritative<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0site, or low-quality content<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0as\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">a\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">source<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0are<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">some<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0of<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0many\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">characteristics\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">that make<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0a bad link<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You should try to\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/05\/07\/how-to-get-high-quality-links\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">get backlinks from\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">ranked articles<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, prefe<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">rably posted by niche relevant sites.\u00a0<\/span>One high-quality link\u00a0is considered better than\u00a0a\u00a0hundred low-quality backlinks.\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Furthermore,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ensure\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">that no\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">penali<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ed<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0or bad site is linking to you<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0even<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0if you didn\u2019t ask for it.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Private Blog Network (PBN)\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">is also no longer a good strategy.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You can randomize footprints all you want, but\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Google algorithm is smart enough to\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">identify them<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, and it doesn\u2019t go unpunished.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Publish <\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">long-form, <\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">unique content regularly<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:160,&quot;335559739&quot;:120,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Google asks for\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">in-depth content and\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">covers every aspect of the topic.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You don\u2019t always have to write a two<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8211;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">thousand<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8211;<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">word<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0page although\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">it is more likely to rank.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2014\/06\/16\/addressing-thin-content\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">What you need to avoid is\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">thin content<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Automatically generated,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">spun<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, duplicated or scraped <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">content is classified as thin \u2013 in short, it has no value to offer to the user.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Websites with thin content also saw a decrease in their traffic and ranks as the May core update rolled out.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Some people use them as doorway pages<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0but\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">they<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0should never be left as\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">they are<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0on\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">a<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0site<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, either <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">remove or update the page<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Even\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">John Mueller<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0discussed this issue in one of his hangout videos and suggested\u00a0to\u00a0deindex thin content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"English Google Webmaster Central office-hours hangout\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FU5kYFGqPK8?start=2298&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You should\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">update any page that has short content or doesn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">have a keyword focus; it will give you\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">an\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">edge\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">even after this\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">new update.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Hopefully, these pointers will help you steer clear of the difficulties that the update could bring. Share your queries in the comments section. Bon appetite!<\/p>\n<p><em>Sergio Arboledas SEO Manager at MintTwist. He can be found on Twitter <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sergi_seo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@sergi_seo<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Award-winning digital agency, MintTwist&#8217;s SEO Manager shares a bunch of tips to survive and thrive in light of the new Google update. Bon apetit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1092,"featured_media":141180,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,5],"tags":[146,75,27850,37,482,6142,22,32],"content_type":[],"class_list":["post-141163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","category-seo","tag-backlinks","tag-content-2","tag-e-a-t","tag-google","tag-google-updates","tag-industry","tag-seo","tag-serps"],"acf":{"tad_independentcommercial":false,"tad_content_format":false},"post_info":{"name":"idris.nagri@blenheimchalcot.com idris.nagri@blenheimchalcot.com","title":"","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/may-core-update.jpg","category":"Industry","timeago":"6y"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1092"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141163\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141163"},{"taxonomy":"content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_type?post=141163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}