Decoding the March 2024 Google Core Algorithm Update

About the March 2024 Google Update

Google released the update on March 5, 2024. This update combines Broad core update, Spam Update & changes to the Ranking system.

Key Highlights

• Google’s March 2024 Core Update includes algorithm changes to improve search result quality and new spam policies.
• The update aims to reduce low-quality, unhelpful content in Google search results by 40%.
• The update targets scaled content abuse, site authority, and reputation abuse, and expired domain abuse.
• The Core update will roll out in the next 2 to 3 weeks. However, Google has given time till May 5 to fix violations on Site reputation spam

The March update is also a successor to the 2022 Helpful Content Update. This update involves refining some of Google’s core ranking systems to help better understand if webpages are unhelpful, have a poor user experience, or feel like they were created for search engines instead of people. This could include sites created primarily to match very specific search queries.

“We’re making algorithmic enhancements to our core ranking systems to ensure we surface the most helpful information on the web and reduce unoriginal content in search results”

Elizabeth Tucker, Director of Product for Search at Google.

The March 2024 Update will be a landmark change considering the impact the update will have. It can be as big as the Panda or Penguin update or bigger on how it will impact search space.

The three new spam policies

1. Scaled Content Abuse
2. Site Reputation Abuse
3. Expired Domain Abuse

New Spam Policies

Google introduced three more spam policies to fight spam in search results. This makes a total of major 15 spam policies that Google is serious about.

Scaled content abuse

Scaled content abuse is when many pages are generated for the primary purpose of manipulating search rankings and not helping users. This abusive practice is typically focused on creating large amounts of unoriginal content that provides little to no value to users, no matter how it’s created.

Examples of scaled content abuse include, but are not limited to:

• Using generative AI tools or other similar tools to generate many pages without adding value for users
• Scraping feeds, search results, or other content to generate many pages (including through automated transformations like synonymizing, translating, or other obfuscation techniques), where little value is provided to users
• Stitching or combining content from different web pages without adding value
• Creating multiple sites with the intent of hiding the scaled nature of the content
• Creating many pages where the content makes little or no sense to a reader but contains search keywords

With SEOs optimising pages in bulk and using automation to scale content, the spam policy ensures abuse of scaled content is limited.

Will programmatic SEO be considered as Spam?

As long as the page and content creation help users, it won’t be considered as spam. Here are a few tips to avoid programmatically created pages from being flagged as spam:

• Ensure a clear user experience in mind while creating pages at scale. Users who land on the page should be able to find the information they seek, understand the service or product offered, or is generally “helpful” for the user.
• Test with a set of pages to understand how Google treats the content. Since programmatic content involves hundreds of pages, it is always advised to test with a set of pages before going all out.
• Ensure search intent is satisfied for the group of pages before deciding on automated scale up.
• Avoid scaling content based on synonyms or close variations of the main keyword.

Site reputation abuse

“Site reputation spam” refers to the practice of manipulating the reputation or credibility of a website in order to deceive search engines or users. The way this works involves, posting content about the brand on a high authority site that is not topically relevant or close.

The spam action will be on the host site that hosts unhelpful content about a third-party brand or business. Google can also take manual action on the third-party site that spams their content on high authority sites

A two-month window has been provided for websites to adhere to the new site reputation policy.

Some Examples of this abuse include:

• An educational site hosting a page about reviews of payday loans written by a third-party that distributes the same page to other sites across the web, with the main purpose of manipulating search rankings
• A medical site hosting a third-party page about “best casinos” that’s designed primarily to manipulate search rankings, with little to no involvement from the medical site
• A movie review site hosting third-party pages about topics that would be confusing to users to find on a movie review site (such as “ways to buy followers on social media sites”, the “best fortune teller sites”, and the “best essay writing services”), where the purpose is to manipulate search rankings
• A sports site hosting a page written by a third-party about “workout supplements reviews”, where the sports site’s editorial staff had little to no involvement in the content and the main purpose of hosting the page is to manipulate search rankings
• A news site hosting coupons provided by a third-party with little to no oversight or involvement from the hosting site, and where the main purpose is to manipulate search rankings

This is what a wrong “Guest posting” strategy looks like. To manipulate search ranking, using an authority site which is not topically relevant or close to the brand can trigger this spam action.

Examples that are NOT considered site reputation abuse include:

• Wire service or press release service sites
• News publications that have syndicated news content from other news publications
• Sites designed to allow user-generated content, such as a forum website or comment sections
• Columns, opinion pieces, articles, and other work of an editorial nature where there is close involvement or review by the host site
• Third-party content (for example, “advertorial” or “native advertising” type pages) that’s produced with close involvement of the host site, where the purpose is to share content directly to readers (such as through promotion within the publication itself), rather than hosting the content to manipulate search rankings
• Embedding third-party ad units throughout a page or using affiliate links throughout a page, with links treated appropriately
• Coupons that are listed with close involvement of the hosting site

How to ensure your site won’t be hit by Site reputation spam?

• Check if your site hosts pages or content that are not topically or categorically close or relevant.
• Retrospect if your average TG is interested in reading or engaging in content other than what is normally posted on the site.
• Analyze the last 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year page performance to weed out pages that are not performing. Check if any of these pages are similar to the website category.

How to ensure your Off-page campaigns are not flagged as Site Reputation Spam?

Link building, Guest posting, PR campaigns, etc, can be flagged off as spam if not done right.

• Always choose domains that are topically relevant to the business. Eg: an article about mobile phones on Tech sites, Gadget review sites & News sites
• Avoid creating fake reviews and testimonials. Eg: a review of a software on a domain where there are no similar review pages can be a red flag.
• Analyze the domains chosen for off-page campaigns that don’t have content that violates the site reputation.

Expired domain abuse

Expired domain abuse is where an expired domain name is purchased and repurposed primarily to manipulate search rankings by hosting content that provides little to no value to users.

These domains might have some established reputation or SEO value, making them attractive targets for exploitation.

Techniques used:

• Spam websites: Abusing expired domains to host websites filled with spam content, irrelevant keywords, or misleading information. These websites aim to manipulate search engine rankings or trick users into clicking on ads.
• Phishing scams: Repurposing expired domains to create fake websites that resemble legitimate ones (e.g., banks, social media platforms). These scams aim to steal user credentials or personal information.
• Malvertising: Injecting malicious code into websites built on expired domains. This code can redirect users to phishing sites, distribute malware, or disrupt user experience with unwanted ads.
• Link/Redirection spam: Exploiting the potential SEO value of expired domains to rank higher in search results for specific keywords. This often involves manipulating content and backlinks associated with the domain.
• Affiliate spam: Hosting affiliate pages on domains previously owned by government agencies, education institutions, medical institutions etc

Other Spam Policies

• Cloaking: A deceptive tactic where a website displays different content to users and search engines. Users see the intended content, while search engines crawl hidden content optimized for ranking or the other way.
• Doorway pages: Low-quality, keyword-stuffed pages created solely to redirect users to a different, more relevant website. These pages aim to manipulate search engine rankings.
• Hacked content: Websites compromised by hackers might be injected with spammy content or malicious code to manipulate search results.
• Hidden text or links: Placing text or links with the same color as the background to make them invisible to users but crawlable by search engines. This is often used for keyword stuffing.
• Keyword stuffing: Unnaturally repeating keywords throughout the content to an excessive degree, making it appear spammy and disrupting readability.
• Link spam: Manipulating backlinks to artificially inflate a website’s ranking. This includes buying links, comment spamming, or link exchanges with unrelated websites.
• Machine-generated traffic: Artificially inflating website traffic through bots or automated scripts to deceive search engines.
• Malware and malicious behavior: Websites that distribute malware or attempt to compromise user devices through malicious code.
• Misleading functionality: Content that intentionally misleads users about the website’s purpose, or products/services.
• Scrapped content: Hosting content scraped from other sites, and often constitute copyright infringement
• Sneaky redirects: Redirecting users to unintended destinations without their knowledge or consent, often with malicious intent. This can be disruptive and lead to misleading experiences.
• Thin affiliates pages: Pages with product affiliate links on which the product descriptions and reviews are copied directly from the original merchant without any original content or added value.
• User-generated spam: Spam comments, reviews, or forum posts aimed at manipulating search rankings or promoting products/services.

Significance of “Helpful Content”

The Helpful Content Update launched by Google in August 2022 isn’t a single algorithm or ranking system itself. It’s a broader initiative that involves a combination of factors aimed at improving search results by prioritizing high-quality, helpful content for users.

Here’s a breakdown of the Helpful Content Update:

• Focus: Elevates content that genuinely provides value and addresses user needs.
• Impact: Aims to reduce unhelpful, unoriginal content that doesn’t benefit users.
• Implementation: Achieved through a combination of:
  • Evolving Search Ranking Algorithms: Google’s core ranking systems are continuously refined to better identify user-centric content.
  • Emphasis on Website Expertise & Reputation: Signals that indicate website authority and expertise in a particular field are becoming more important.
  • Manual Actions: Google might take manual actions against websites with misleading or unhelpful content.

Think of it this way: The Helpful Content Update isn’t a single switch that Google flips. It’s a continuous process where Google’s search systems become more adept at understanding user intent and identifying content that fulfils those needs. Websites that prioritize creating such content are likely to benefit from improved ranking and search visibility.

Here’s an analogy: Imagine Google search results as a library. The Helpful Content Update is like a renovation project in the library. The goal is to:

• Remove outdated or irrelevant books (low-quality content)
• Organize the books more logically (improved ranking for helpful content)
• Highlight trustworthy authors and resources (increased focus on website expertise)

Overall, the Helpful Content Update represents a shift in SEO focus from purely technical optimization to creating content that genuinely serves users.

Characteristics of Helpful Content:

• User-focused: The content should genuinely address user queries and provide valuable information that solves their problems or fulfils their needs.
• Informative and Comprehensive: It should offer in-depth explanations, relevant details, and insightful perspectives on the topic.
• Well-written and Engaging: The content should be clear, concise, and avoid jargon or overly technical language. A well-structured format and engaging writing style keep users interested.
• Original and Unique: Google aims to reduce unoriginal content. Strive to provide a fresh perspective or insightful analysis that goes beyond simply summarizing existing information.
• Expertise and Authoritativeness: Ideally, the content should be created by someone with expertise in the field. Authoritative sources and data backing up claims can further enhance its value.
• Trustworthy and Credible: The content should be factually accurate, unbiased, and avoid misleading information. Users should feel confident in the information presented.

Helpful content signal is/will be more powerful than links. Helpful content is one way for Google to deprioritize their dependency on links as a ranking factor. 

How Google is looking at AI content?

Google doesn’t categorize AI-written content as spam by default. Google focuses on the overall quality and helpfulness of the content, regardless of its creation method.

However, Google is aware of the potential for misuse of AI content creation and hence the new span policies to curb the misuse of AI in search.

We have seen websites based on AI generated content (text, images, or videos) getting hit. In fact, Google has updated its Search Quality Raters Guidelines to accommodate misuse of AI content.

With the rise of AI, AI generated content is also on the rise. This has potentially bloated the web with low quality content, harming users. The recent update aims to curb misuse significantly.

According to a study from Originality.ai, 2% of 79K sites have manual action applied. Most of the sites penalized had AI content.

Read More: 837 sites deindexed by the Google March 2024 AI spam manual action (out of 49K sites)

Manual Action

Google is moving forward with manual actions. Penalties are happening fast. The sites affected by manual action have either traffic dropped or been completely wiped from Google search. Many site owners saw their traffic drop even before receiving Manual action notifications on the Google search console.

Common theme involves sites with AI generated content, automated content scaled through AI, unhelpful content or content without purpose.         

We have even seen manual actions for Structured data spam.

In a Nutshell

The March 2024 Google Update can be summarized as:

Focus on Helpful Content: Google emphasizes high-quality, helpful content that prioritizes user needs and satisfaction. This update aims to further reduce unhelpful, unoriginal content that doesn’t provide value to users. Websites with informative, well-written, and relevant content are likely to benefit from this shift.

Reduction of Low-Quality Content: Google estimates a potential 40% reduction in low-quality content with this update and previous efforts. This can significantly improve search results by eliminating irrelevant or misleading information, making it easier for users to find trustworthy sources.

Impact on Various Website Types: Websites that rely on thin content, keyword stuffing, doorway pages, or other manipulative tactics might see a decline in ranking if they haven’t adapted to Google’s evolving guidelines.

Evolving Spam Detection: The update incorporates new spam policies to combat site reputation abuse, expired domain abuse, and scaled content abuse. This helps maintain the integrity of search results and protects users from deceptive tactics.

Way Forward

The March 2024 Update is going to be a game-changer in Search. The helpful Content Update classifiers are becoming more important.

• Focus on high-quality content: Create informative, well-written, and engaging content that provides value to your target audience.
• Prioritize user intent: Understand what users are searching for and tailor your content to address their needs.
• Stay updated on SEO best practices: Keep yourself informed about Google’s evolving guidelines and adapt your SEO strategy accordingly.
• Avoid spammy tactics: Don’t resort to keyword stuffing, doorway pages, or other manipulative techniques that can harm your ranking.
• Embrace user-centric SEO: Focus on optimizing websites for user experience and content quality, not just keyword ranking.
• Conduct thorough keyword research: Understand the search intent behind relevant keywords for your niche.
• Build high-quality backlinks: Earn backlinks from reputable websites in your industry to establish domain authority.
• Stay informed about algorithm updates: Continuously monitor Google’s algorithm changes and adapt your strategies accordingly.
• Track and analyze website performance: Monitor website traffic, user engagement, and ranking metrics to measure the success of your SEO efforts.

References

• New ways we’re tackling spammy, low-quality content on Search
• Spam policies for Google web search
• What web creators should know about our March 2024 core update and new spam policies
• Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content

Glossary

1. Google Update: Refers to changes made by Google to its search algorithm or policies.
2. Broad Core Update: A significant update to Google’s search algorithm that affects a wide range of search results.
3. Spam Update: An update aimed at combating spammy tactics used to manipulate search engine rankings.
4. Ranking System: The criteria and algorithms used by search engines to determine the position of web pages in search results.
5. Algorithm Changes: Adjustments made to the mathematical formulas used by search engines to rank web pages.
6. Search Result Quality: The relevance, accuracy, and usefulness of search results to users’ queries.
7. Low-Quality Content: Content that lacks value, relevance, or usefulness to users.
8. Unhelpful Content: Information that does not assist users in finding answers or solving problems.
9. Scaled Content Abuse: The practice of creating numerous web pages solely to manipulate search rankings without providing value to users.
10. Site Authority: The perceived trustworthiness and credibility of a website in the eyes of search engines and users.
11. Site Reputation Abuse: Manipulating the reputation or credibility of a website to deceive search engines or users.
12. Expired Domain Abuse: Using expired domain names primarily to manipulate search rankings by hosting low-value content.
13. User Experience: The overall experience a user has while interacting with a website or web application.
14. Search Intent: The goal or purpose behind a user’s search query.
15. Programmatically Created Pages: Web pages generated automatically or at scale using software or scripts.
16. Cloaking: A deceptive tactic where a website displays different content to users and search engines.
17. Doorway Pages: Low-quality pages created solely to redirect users to another website.
18. Hacked Content: Web pages compromised by hackers and filled with spammy or malicious content.
19. Thin Content: Pages with little substantive content or value to users.
20. Structured Data Spam: Manipulating structured data markup to deceive search engines or users.