SEO Myth Busting
One of the most talked about myths is mentioned below: Are you writing to a particular word count because you’ve heard or read that Google has a preferred word count
I have spent most of my career myth busting stuff that people have said about writing long form content and now various comments that have arisen lately that Google will penalise users who produce content with AI
Some seo professionals say, ‘Long Form is essential because you can spatter about long tail keyword phrases and Google are BOUND to pick that up’ – in reality, straight from the horses mouth – Length Doesn’t Matter 😉. It never has and never will.
As long as the content follows the guidelines below, you will find success. Of course, you have to write good, well intentioned content that is informative, educational and entertaining – this is for the humans that you want to attract and retain on your site for as long as possible. The longer a visitor stays on your site, the better the chances are of a conversion – whatever that may be to you. Is it a click on an affiliate link, is it a click through to your product or service or is it simply an interaction like a comment? Your intent should always be to engage!
Google have clarified what they want from you and me as far as content goes – they do this every so often to confirm, in the main, that they are watching you and the content you produce.
As the Co Founder of Bertha.ai – an AI content and copywriting assistant built into WordPress, I believe this is what Google does to reassert itself as the leading and go to Search Engine. It’ s in their interests of course and lets be honest, fear – especially Fear of missing out or more accurately, of LOSING out, is an incentive to ‘Behave’ well in SEO land.
I love the ambiguity of Google. I have always said, content is King, now Google confirm that but, with a caveat – GOOD content is King, it doesn’t matter if its long form, short form or written with the help of AI, If its written with good intent, it will appear in the SERPS.
How have I come to this conclusion?
It’s simple really. I have been involved in the web and SEO for just over 24 years – since in fact, the inception and launch of Google as a search engine. There were many others, Ask Jeeves, Alta Vista, Yahoo, AOL (yes, they had a search engine). Google, clearly, are the most well known. Most of my colleagues tend to ignore Bing, Yandex, Baidu, Yahoo and Duck Duck Go. Google is, without a doubt, in the forefront of most peoples minds.
When Google does an Algorithm update, we are forced to react – why?
Because Google is where it is at for most SEO’s and for good reason.
Google is the biggest search engine because it has the most users. It also has the most advanced search algorithms, which help users find the information they need more easily. Google also updates its algorithms regularly, which keeps users coming back for more. It’s been estimated that Google is visited 86.5 Billion times a month. Not so surprising as its probably most peoples default search engine. And, its goes up and down like a jack in the box according to the month. In May 2022 the figure was 89 Billion according to Similar Web
(the most reliable source I could find).
When you compare this to say, the next biggest names like Bing (1.3 Billion) and Yahoo (3.4 Billion). You can see why Google is so financially secure. The brand Google is doing very well indeed and wants to maintain that position. When was the last time you heard of a Bing or Yahoo Algo update? – Last month, last year, today? I have to be honest here and tell you I have never noticed an announcement either on the sites or in the usual suspects like Search Engine Land.
Content marketing is hard, lets face it, it takes a while to get to know how people will react to a new product, service or info that you want to get out there. Everyone in the Search Engine Optimization world – optimizes for Google first and the others later. (which you should do too)
The latest Google Update states quite clearly what the rules are. ‘Write for the User, not the Search Engines’, Write good, informative content that reflects what you are talking about and the users search intent i.e. Make it relevant. Nothing new here then.
Can Google determine AI generated content.
As of now – No – according to John Mueller (video) He’s the Search Advocate at Google categorically says that ‘I can’t claim that’ in answer to a question posed to him in the video – ‘Are you saying that Google is able to understand the difference between human and AI Generated content?
So, the Google Guide to helpful content has not changed so much right? Right!
Since the beginning, the Google guidelines have been very clear. Do not write crap, spammy content that is designed for search engines, not people. Here’s Google’s advice on how you should think about writing good, relevant contextual content
How do you avoid taking a search engine-first approach? Answering yes to some or all of the questions is a warning sign that you should reevaluate how you’re creating content across your site:
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- Is the content primarily to attract people from search engines, rather than made for humans?
- Are you producing lots of content on different topics in hopes that some of it might perform well in search results?
- Are you using extensive automation to produce content on many topics?
- Are you mainly summarizing what others have to say without adding much value?
- Are you writing about things simply because they seem trending and not because you’d write about them otherwise for your existing audience?
- Does your content leave readers feeling like they need to search again to get better information from other sources?
- Are you writing to a particular word count because you’ve heard or read that Google has a preferred word count? (No, we don’t).
- Did you decide to enter some niche topic area without any real expertise, but instead mainly because you thought you’d get search traffic?
- Does your content promise to answer a question that actually has no answer, such as suggesting there’s a release date for a product, movie, or TV show when one isn’t confirmed?
Source: Google
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How do I write better content for my target audience?
When writing blog posts or any other content for your web site, it’s important to think about your target audience and what they might be interested in reading. Keep in mind that your blog is a way to connect with your customers and build relationships, so be sure to write in a way that is engaging and informative.
Is it a good idea to use extensive automation to produce content on many topics?
It depends on your goals. If you’re looking to produce a lot of content quickly, automation can be a good option. However, if you’re looking to produce high-quality content, you may want to think about a more considered approach when using an AI copywriting assistant. When we developed Bertha Ai, it was important to us to highlight the assistant part. Along with other AI Copy Writing programs out there, use them wisely, become the editor, don’t expect content to be fully automated and always, always keep your tone of voice and brand at the top of your thoughts.
Was this post written with the help of AI?
You tell me.
But as the title of this post suggests…..
Good Content will always be King
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