You know the challenges that Google Core Updates pose for SEO experts. These far-reaching adjustments to the search algorithm have increased the focus on the quality of the user experience and the depth of content. Here’s how to proactively deal with these updates to get your website to the top and keep it there.
Understanding the latest Google Core updates
In March 2023, the update was primarily aimed at improving the user experience rating, penalizing sites with cluttered or misleading advertising content. The August update focused on the E-A-T principles (expertise, authority, trustworthiness), favoring sites with sound, well-researched content. These changes signal Google’s continued commitment to high-quality content and an optimized user experience.
Strategic reactions to Google Core Updates
Creation of theme cards
Establish thematic authority through comprehensive theme cards. These visual content plans should include all relevant subtopics and show how they are interlinked to ensure comprehensive coverage in your subject area. By carefully planning and implementing thematic maps, your website can not only be better positioned in search results, but also provide a comprehensive and engaging user experience.
Thematic maps are an advanced SEO approach that aims to create comprehensive thematic coverage on a website. They help to organize and link all relevant content around a main topic to improve both the user experience and search engine rankings.
Advantages of thematic maps
Thematic authority
By comprehensively covering a topic, your site is perceived as an authority, which can lead to improved rankings.
Improved user guidance
Allows users to intuitively discover more relevant content through internal links, increasing dwell time and engagement.
Efficient internal linking
Simplifies the setting of internal links and strengthens SEO through a targeted link structure.
Creation of a thematic map
1. identification of topics and objectives
- Determine the main theme and monetary goals of the website.
- Define subtopics and keywords that support the main topic.
2. comprehensive research
- Use Google autocomplete and related search queries to identify relevant keywords and topics.
- Expand your research with tools like Semrush, Ahrefs and Also Asked to cover a wider range of related terms and questions.
- Check sitemaps of competitor websites to discover hidden thematic opportunities.
3. mind mapping and structuring
- Create a visual mind map that shows the main topic in the center and all subtopics around it.
- Use the mind map to visualize the relationships between the topics and plan how content should be grouped and linked.
4. content planning and silo structure
- Decide which topics need stand-alone articles and which can be combined, based on the search results for the respective keywords.
- Organize content in a silo structure, where each main article (pillar page) is supported by thematically related subpages (clusters).
5. strategic internal linking
- Implement a well thought-out internal linking strategy to strengthen relevance and authority within the topic cluster.
- Use a variety of anchor texts to avoid over-optimization and maximize relevance.
6. dynamic adaptation and expansion
- Keep the thematic map up to date by integrating new trends and developments.
- Expand the thematic map regularly to include related topics and increase the thematic depth.
7 Implementation and monitoring
- Monitor the performance of each page and silo to ensure content is delivering the desired results.
- Adjust content and links based on user feedback and SEO performance to always ensure the best possible user experience and search engine optimization.
Targeted use of SEO tools
Use tools like Ahrefs for a precise backlink analysis. Monitor changes in link popularity and identify opportunities to strengthen your backlink profile with high-quality, topic-relevant links.
Ahrefs is a powerful tool that provides comprehensive data for SEO optimization. It allows you to analyze your website and those of your competitors in detail, which is essential for the strategic planning of SEO measures.
What exactly can Ahrefs do?
Ahrefs provides a detailed overview of the backlink profile, including the domain rating (DR), the number of dofollow links and the geographical distribution of the links. Start with a thorough backlink analysis of your website. Identify not only the number of backlinks, but also their quality and the relevance of the linking domains.
Your tasks
1. link profile monitoring
- Set up regular checks to track new and lost backlinks.
- Ahrefs sends automatic notifications when your link profile undergoes significant changes.
2. competitor analysis
- Examine the backlink profiles of your main competitors.
- Analyze which types of content generate the most links and identify potential link sources.
3. create linkbait
- Use the findings from the analysis to create content that naturally attracts links.
- Create data reports, visual graphics or comprehensive guides.
Advanced Content Audits
Conduct regular, in-depth content audits to ensure that all content is not only up-to-date, but also fully in line with the latest SEO standards. Use advanced analytics features to identify areas that need an overhaul.
An advanced content audit not only evaluates the quality and relevance of existing content, but also identifies gaps and optimization potential. Ahrefs’ Content Explorer helps discover topics that have high user engagement rates within your niche but are underrepresented on your website.
Implementation
1. keyword monitoring
- Set alerts for new opportunities in your subject area.
2. content gap analysis
- Use the Content Gap Report to find out which relevant keywords are covered by competitors that are missing on your site.
3. performance monitoring
- Analyze the SEO performance of each piece of content and prioritize content revisions based on their potential to improve rankings.
”Continuously review and optimize the technical structure of your website. Implement advanced schema markup to clearly signal to Google what content your pages offer, improving the chances of rich snippets. Or simply give us a call.
Norbert Kathriner
Protective measures against unwanted update consequences
Implementation of an adaptive content strategy
Develop a dynamic content strategy that allows you to react quickly to changes in the algorithm. This includes regularly updating content to ensure its relevance and freshness.
An adaptive content strategy takes into account the dynamic nature of SEO and allows you to react quickly to changes in the algorithms. This requires flexible planning and the willingness to adapt content based on its performance.
Execution
1. dynamic content calendar
- Use a flexible content calendar that allows you to quickly adapt topics based on current trends and algorithm updates.
2. A/B testing of content
- Test different versions of a piece of content to understand which elements (e.g. headlines, keywords, formats) deliver the best results.
3. feedback loops
- Use web analytics tools to get real-time feedback on user interactions and engagement and optimize content accordingly.
Development of E-A-T through targeted author branding
Strengthen the profile of authors on your site to meet Google’s E-A-T criteria. This includes detailed author biographies, the publication of their qualifications and active involvement in relevant professional circles.
Building E-A-T is crucial for websites that compete in areas with high quality requirements. This requires strong branding of the authors and proof of their expertise and credibility.
Methodology
1. expert profiles
- Create detailed profiles for authors with information on their education, professional experience and publications.
2. guest contributions
- Promote writing guest posts on reputable websites to increase the visibility and authority of your authors.
3. certifications and awards
- Ensure that all qualifications and certifications are visibly presented on the website to build trust with users.
Conclusion: Updates from Google challenge SEO experts
By implementing advanced techniques and proactively managing your SEO efforts, you can effectively address not only current but also future challenges. However, if you want to implement these tasks efficiently and at the highest level, outsourcing to specialized agencies like ours could be a cost-efficient and effective solution.
Link recommendations
Here are URLs from our favorite SEO content optimization tools.
